4 ms·

For Soviet-era black humor, it's hard to beat the 2017 movie The Death of Stalin.

mordechai9000 5y ago
It was hilarious, but not very accurate. I don't expect accuracy from a film like that, but it's good to keep in mind. Beria was even worse than they depicted. He was a sadistic serial killer and sexual predator.
- cm2187 5y ago
  If you want accuracy, a very good but slightly forgotten movie is a 1992 HBO movie called Stalin with Robert Duvall https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105462/ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105462/
- 1cvmask 5y ago
  I don't think the film hid the sadistic side of Beria or his being a sexual predator. But maybe it was not so clear cut to all viewers as it was also a dark comedy with true gallows humor.
- kybernetikos 5y ago
  Armando Iannucci claimed that some of the things they showed in that film were changed to make them more believable because the real events were just too far outside of what would be credible to an audience.
publicola1990 5y ago
It sort of reinforced the stereo types of how Stalin and his circle behaved. Stalin had psychopath traits, but what's shown in the film isn't remotely anything like how things may have happened. I highly recommend Stephen Kotkin's new 3-volume biography of Stalin.
MichaelMoser123 5y ago
that was a british movie, though it had some soviet era characters, that is true.
- arethuza 5y ago
  Yes, it was set in Soviet times but the humour was definitely British.
mdp2021 5y ago
I would have written 'For black humour about the Soviet-era', because «Soviet-era black humor» suggests that the humour is that of the Soviet-era. It is surely British, extremely Armando Iannucci (of course), with French sources - and I am not sure the humour has a "Russian spirit". It is intentionally a strong rewriting of history - in no way a documentary but for many historic details that fit with the intended narrative for being preposterously "humorous" (if you wish, read "shocking"). An unmissable masterpiece, an Armando Iannucci insight about humans and politics - or "the human condition", and consequently "the nature of humour". Facts are sacrificed to this intent, which has priority.

It was hilarious, but not very accurate. I don't expect accuracy from a film like that, but it's good to keep in mind. Beria was even worse than they depicted. He was a sadistic serial killer and sexual predator.

cm2187 5y ago
If you want accuracy, a very good but slightly forgotten movie is a 1992 HBO movie called Stalin with Robert Duvall https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105462/ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105462/
1cvmask 5y ago
I don't think the film hid the sadistic side of Beria or his being a sexual predator. But maybe it was not so clear cut to all viewers as it was also a dark comedy with true gallows humor.
kybernetikos 5y ago
Armando Iannucci claimed that some of the things they showed in that film were changed to make them more believable because the real events were just too far outside of what would be credible to an audience.

publicola1990 5y ago

It sort of reinforced the stereo types of how Stalin and his circle behaved. Stalin had psychopath traits, but what's shown in the film isn't remotely anything like how things may have happened. I highly recommend Stephen Kotkin's new 3-volume biography of Stalin.

MichaelMoser123 5y ago

that was a british movie, though it had some soviet era characters, that is true.

arethuza 5y ago
Yes, it was set in Soviet times but the humour was definitely British.

mdp2021 5y ago

I would have written 'For black humour about the Soviet-era', because «Soviet-era black humor» suggests that the humour is that of the Soviet-era. It is surely British, extremely Armando Iannucci (of course), with French sources - and I am not sure the humour has a "Russian spirit". It is intentionally a strong rewriting of history - in no way a documentary but for many historic details that fit with the intended narrative for being preposterously "humorous" (if you wish, read "shocking"). An unmissable masterpiece, an Armando Iannucci insight about humans and politics - or "the human condition", and consequently "the nature of humour". Facts are sacrificed to this intent, which has priority.