'The Death of Stalin' review - a darkly comedic symbol of the corruption of power

Stalin's incompetent committee slide between selfishness, plotting, blaming and opportunism to fill the power void, after their leader's sudden death. Ollie Smith reviews.

Black comedy is not everyone’s cup of tea, but on this occasion it's produced a genuinely enjoyable film. There were high expectations going in due to fandom-surrounding director Armando Iannucci, best known for his masterpiece political comedies such as 'The Thick of it', 'In The Loop' and 'Veep'. Whilst this film isn't overwhelming, it should be appreciated for what it tries to do.

'The Death of Stalin' is a satirical interpretation of the events surrounding the title, mainly focusing on the members of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and how they each vie for power in the aftermath of the dictator’s death.

The focus on the race for power is reinforced throughout the film, with comical images of everyone trying to be the first to leave the driveway, the first to hug the mourning daughter, the first to the scene, and even with the placement of characters during the funeral. There is also a sense of mindlessness surrounding the concept of power, whether it is members of the public giving a standing ovation at the mere mention of Stalin’s name, or a refusal to admit a Soviet plane could actually crash.

one may argue [against] satirising a tyrant such as Stalin... but it allows us to see their incompetence and abuse of power in a far more effective and universal way

Iannucci has always had a knack for creating hilarious characters with over exaggerated characteristics to exemplify their most endearing faults and traits. The prime example of this is the Alistair Campbell inspired Malcolm Tucker, the foul mouthed and controlling spin doctor, who represented overly obsessive control in politics; the characters in 'The Death of Stalin' lead on from this, with each demonstrating a different aspect of the faults of the regime.

Jeffrey Tambor’s Deputy is the bumbling idiot, made second in command as he is no threat to the leader, whilst Steve Buscemi’s Khrushchev is depicted as being far more thoughtful and intelligent and yet is ultimately just as bad as the others with his disregard for human life.

The arrival of Jason Isaacs’ brilliantly acted General Zhukov almost brings a down to earth feel, as in almost every scene he puts each man in his place with witty remarks and conveys an assured man of the people image; he does what he deems necessary for Russia, rather than himself. Giving him a Lancashire accent both separates him from the politicians and reinforces his no nonsense, man of the people image, whilst allowing for brilliant comedy.

Yet, there were times when the film could have been funnier; most of the comic scenes were in the trailer, and whilst the humour was sustained, there was never a moment of hysterical laughter. It sometimes feels stuck between being a comedy and being in an incredibly accurate period setting. However, the overall result is definitely successful, with each character perfectly cast and the symbolic underlying message shining through.

On the surface this is a film about Russia, but what it really tries to convey is how power can be misused in any context, hence why the characters are given non-Russian traits, like their accents. Arguably, the film is not about the death of Stalin: it seems more a means of portraying the opportunism and disregard for morals by people in positions of power.

Featured image: Unsplash/Nikolay Vorobyev