Khrushchev may have intended for the people to view this as life under his predecessors. He did believe Stalin's reign had been problematic and probably saw him

Khrushchev may have intended for the people to view this as life under his predecessors. He did believe Stalin's reign had been problematic and probably saw himself as ushering in something new. From Wikipedia[0]: > Khrushchev believed that once the stain of Stalinism was removed, the Party would inspire loyalty among the people.[129] Beginning in October 1955, Khrushchev fought to tell the delegates to the upcoming 20th Party Congress about Stalin's crimes. Some of his colleagues, including Molotov and Malenkov, opposed the disclosure and managed to persuade him to make his remarks in a closed session. > […] > Khrushchev told the delegates: > "It is here that Stalin showed in a whole series of cases his intolerance, his brutality, and his abuse of power ... he often chose the path of repression and physical annihilation, not only against actual enemies but also against individuals who had not committed any crimes against the party or the Soviet Government." Sounds to me like someone who expected to be seen as ushering in a brighter future. I don't expect he would have allowed the film's release if he expected people to equate it with his own leadership. But that's just a guess. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikita_Khrushchev#Leader_(1953–1964) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikita_Khrushchev#Leader_(1953...