Armando
Iannucci’s inspired reading of real life events following the 1953 death of the
USSR’s legendary leader boils down the power struggles that ensued amongst his
Central Committee colleagues to a level roughly equivalent to student politics.
With killing. The portrayal of the committee members reminds me of those US
films about student council elections where vanity and greed is as much drivers as power and with a cast well versed in this sort of comedy the film can’t
go wrong. That the Russians banned the movie suggests it hit closer to the
truth than they might admit. That neighbouring countries followed suit also
suggests that some the apparatus of intimidation employed back in the 1950s is
still standing.
