There's great satire in the reality of Soviet succession

Rating: 9/10 (11 February 2019)

"The Death of Stalin" is a wonderful, biting satire of the Soviet Union, period. The plot is all about the death of the biggest mass murderer in history, and the scramble for power in the next few days. But that's the story of the Soviet Union from its beginning. Only, with Stalin in power for so many years, the U.S.S.R., and the world, hadn't experienced the political trauma of a change in the Soviet for a long time. Those who lived from World War II to the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989, know all too well that there were immense - and deadly - power struggles within Russia.
This film puts dialog, details and people together in a scenario of how it probably happened. This is a very funny yet serious satire about the Soviet leadership. The filmmakers said that they didn't want to make it a whimsical or hilarious comedy in deference to the memories of the millions of people who were killed under Stalin. So, this film doesn't trivialize what Stalin and company did. Instead, the plot plays a straight drama about first doubting Stalin's death, and then scrambling for power in the aftermath. And in that - the real behavior and ingrained methods of the Soviet leadership, the satire rises almost to a roar.
This is an excellent production in all aspects. All of the cast are superb. Steve Buscemi is especially good as Nikita Khrushchev. And, Simon Beale was outstanding in the role of Lavrenti Beria. He also had an uncanny resemblance to Beria. The cast includes actors for all the principal Soviet roles at the time of Stalin's demise, including his son and daughter.
Some people may be bothered by the almost constant shooting of people by Russian police and military. No doubt it's exaggerated but it drives home the point of widespread paranoia that must have existed. Reprisals, denunciations and executions were very real and frequent under the Soviets.
So, besides the comedy and satire, this film has some historical value. To date, no other film has been made that deals with the Soviet leadership and succession over the years. Until that is done, this film will fit that need nicely.