A Hit and Miss Thing

Rating: 5/10 (14 August 2015)

I haven't read Tom Smiths book Child 44 but the topic of this movie was interesting so I gave it a shot. It is a solid movie with fine performances from the actors but the most interesting thing of the movie is of course a portrayal of Stalin-Era Soviet Union and the treatment of criminals and citizens in it. In this story we see a series of child-murders in an indoctrinated society where there can't be such sick individuals like serial killers. The society's dogma prevents an efficient investigation of the case and it all happens in the time of paranoid hunt for foreign agents and counter-revolutionary elements. The strongest part of the story is the analysis of unjust society, where anything can be declared a treason no matter how powerful a single individual in this system is (as a matter of fact, the only person never accused in any crime in Soviet Union was a General Secretary of the Party. All others were at some time find guilty of something, regardless if this person is a WW2 hero, Army general, MGB general etc). The weak part of the movie is the Holiwoodesque battle of a lonely hero (well in this case he has a wife) against impossible odds. I will not go into detail, but I will say that the killer is killed, the main antagonist in a form of a corrupt MGB officer is also killed and our hero is redeemed in the eyes of the state, which I believe never happened in Stalins SU. Those declared guilty by society have been punished – sent into imprisonment in some camp or executed, because the state was never wrong. All in all, the movie is not bad but if you would like to know more about Stalins State I can recommend two excellent books: Arthur Koestlers Eclipse at Noon" and from Danilo Ki A Tomb for Boris Davidovich".