Great tragicomedy

Rating: 10/10 (18 December 2018)

Can you really make a comedy about mass murder, torture, child rape among other not inherently funny things? Apparently the answer is a thrilling yes. This movie nails it coming and going. From the delicious musical prelude to the never tiring running joke about the accents to the evil Beria whose evil is only highlighted by the absurdities surrounding his attempt to seize power. Monty Python would have been proud but even the great python never dug this deep into human absurdity.
Yes. It can't help but be topical. Can't help but demonstrate the difference between an extremely ruthless tough rather power-mad, but ultimately competent leader (Khrushchev played brilliantly by Steve Buscemi) and the idiots running certain large powerful countries today.
But if you like black humor and dark comedies, this may be one of the best ever put on screen.