Leviathan (Andrey Zvyagintsev, 2014): Russia

Reviewed by e Howard Green. Viewed at the Lobero Theatre, Santa Barbara, Sunday February 1.

Corrupt Russian Mayor

Leviathan, the official Russian entry in the Foreign Film category of the 2015 Academy Awards, has reportedly caused considerable rancor in the Russian hierarchy, according to a Front Page story in the New York Times (January 28, 2015, National Edition).  And clearly when one sees images of recent former Soviet officials being prepared for use in target practice, it is easy to see why Putin might be upset!

Located in a desolate North Russian seaside town, the film features a mechanic, Kolya (Alexei Serebryakov), his discontented wife Lilia (Elena Lyadova), and teenage delinquent son Roma (Sergey Pokhodaev).  Kolya wages a losing court battle to save his family house and auto repair business.  He is aided by a Moscow lawyer Dmitri (Vladimir Vdovichenkov) who attempts to blackmail the mayor, with disastrous results.  The mayor, named Vadim (Roman Madyanov), schemes with police, judges and prosecutors under a portrait of Putin.

Lilia, driven by guilt for the state of the situation, commits suicide. Kolya is arrested for the death of Lilia by authorities asserting her death as murder.  Kolya is jailed for fifteen years and his homestead is torn down.  The film ends in a new church, which has been built over Kolya’s property. The priest beseeches the congregation to embrace the truth because it is true freedom.

What is unclear is how such an anti-establishment film could be made at all in a oppressive society and then be submitted officially in an international festival.  Perhaps there is more freedom than this reviewer had imagined!