If you’ve been hanging around on my blog for a while, then you know how much I’ve written about Stalin. He used to have a whole “Category” back in the day, before I switched it to a “tag”. Yeah, because THAT’S important. And so State Funeral comes along, directed by a director from The Ukraine – who has done an awe-inspiring job of putting together extant footage of all the ceremonies of mourning that took place across Russia – and all of its remote republics – in the week following Stalin’s death. The movie is hypnotic and mind-numbing – by design. It’s a grotesque display of a personality cult. You can’t even believe it. Joseph Stalin is laid to rest. Which is more than I can say for the millions and tens of millions of his victims who died in torturous anonymous agony.
What a fascinating film. I reviewed for Ebert – including thoughts on Mikhail Bulgakov, Solzhenitsyn, the letter Lenin wrote before his own death in 1924 warning everybody about Stalin, the fate of the monstrous Beria who is seen on the platform during the Moscow ceremony, Khrushchev’s “secret speech” in 1956 (one of my candidates for Speech of the Century) and – finally – Lenin’s corpse sprouting fungi in Red Square to this day (literally).
I feel like all the reading I’ve done since high school on this individual has finally paid off. Well, not really. I research him and the whole Soviet era because I find it interesting, not because I’m paid to find it interesting. But it is still nice to be able to call all that stuff into play for an actual writing assignment.
I had the good fortune to see this a couple of days ago. It was absolutely fascinating, and yes, an assault on the senses, in terms of the perpetual mind-numbing shots of people, who are completely numb themselves. These are people who have lost all hope, as they walk to the required squares to hear what’s being broadcast on the local loudspeaker. They stand completely still and apart from one another — from young to old, they look like they could stand forever. They do not shift. They do not look at each other. They certainly do not talk to one another. Stalin has successfully imbedded terror into the entire populace, and there is no trust anywhere. The cameras are everywhere. The loudspeakers are everywhere, spewing nothing but lies and drivel. The shots of people lining up to buy the same paper — if they didn’t buy it, would they be arrested? The furtive, sidelong glances at the camera or the full-on stares. Their eyes are dead. And the endless procession of those massive wreaths…I wonder how many people had to go hungry for each one of those. And then those shots of the absolutely gigantic statues of Stalin himself. This is a culture which seems to have lost all imagination, so everything is just very large and very much the same.
I’m going to watch Death of Stalin again shortly. Having seen this now, I will be able to have an even greater appreciation of that incredible film.
Helena – you describe it so well!
The silence is so eerie in those huge huge crowds.
// Stalin has successfully imbedded terror into the entire populace, and there is no trust anywhere. //
This is what I kept thinking too. Especially in those shots of the people trudging past his coffin – they looked at him with almost a sense of awe- he was hypnotic, like: he’s actually REAL? – but you know that every single person in all of those crowds had been PERSONALLY “touched” by his reign – people “disappeared” – murdered – arrested – there was literally no way to go through life withOUT being touched by it.
// The loudspeakers are everywhere, spewing nothing but lies and drivel. //
and it’s so creepy how the voices over the loud-speakers were so clearly “acting”. A “sob” in the voice, but it’s so clearly a performance. So phony, phony to the bone, and yet this public ritual must be gone through … He was missed by no one, loved by no one. The lies, the MENDACITY – it’s so BRAZEN.
// I wonder how many people had to go hungry for each one of those. //
I know.
//This is a culture which seems to have lost all imagination, so everything is just very large and very much the same. //
and those wide wide Stalinist-era streets. Boy he loved those wide streets! Too wide to cross, even looking both ways. Wide enough for rows of tanks to barrel on down. The whole size and scope of those roads were designed to dwarf human beings. Like, don’t even try to walk across this highway. It’s way too wide. Go another way.
Death of Stalin is soooo good – I can’t even believe it exists, to be honest.
Thank you so much for responding and I’m so glad to talk to someone who’s seen it.
It’s hypnotic – and beautiful – but in this really really heavy way.
//The silence is so eerie in those huge huge crowds.//
I will never look at a crowd in the same way, ever again. That this is what can be done to such large groups of people. I will now forever appreciate the shots of talking, laughing, touching, dancing, emoting people in crowds.
//like: he’s actually REAL?//
Perhaps that explains the ridiculous coffin, with the bubble dome. To prove that he’s real, and that he’s really dead.
Also the blue-hatted officers everywhere. You better look appropriately sad! How terrifying.
I was really nervous for the “funeral committee” when they had to carry the coffin. Never so much pressure in their lives to not drop something.
//and those wide wide Stalinist-era streets. Boy he loved those wide streets!//
Right!! When I first saw the overhead shot of that street, I almost though it was a massive river at first. So wide and blue and unreal. Thank you for explaining the psychology behind that. There really is NO WHERE to hide in this society.
//and it’s so creepy how the voices over the loud-speakers were so clearly “acting”. A “sob” in the voice, but it’s so clearly a performance.//
Yes and the mind-numbingness of the words!! How many times can you find a way to say: “Stalin was superhumanly amazing. You are all sad now”. It’s unending.
In terms of Death of Stalin, I’m really curious to see that balcony scene again. It was so surreal to see it being “performed” by the real actors. Those ridiculous speeches. Beria’s was the most nonsensical I thought. And Khrushchev quietly introducing people and staying in the background. “Don’t mind me! I’m just a nobody. I have no big plans.” Lol.
//It’s hypnotic – and beautiful – but in this really really heavy way.//
That’s a perfect description. I feel that the filmmakers wanted to give us a small taste of what every day life would be like for these people. A completely stunted populace. You think watching this is hard? Try living like this. SO good.
// Beria’s was the most nonsensical I thought. And Khrushchev quietly introducing people and staying in the background. “Don’t mind me! I’m just a nobody. I have no big plans.” Lol. //
I know! That movie works so amazingly well – I can’t even believe it exists. They all hated him so much and yet were totally in his thrall … and MONSTROUS in their own right.
// You think watching this is hard? Try living like this. //
That’s a really good point! It kind of goes to what I said in my review about how it’s mind-numbing with a purpose … This is what it was like to actually live under such a “dear leader” … to break it up with contemporary memories, or context from historians (etc.) would have totally ruined the effect.
I was reading this interview with St. Vincent about her upcoming album. Sounds like she shares an interest in Stalin and Gena Rowlands.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/mar/04/st-vincent-id-been-feral-for-so-long-i-was-sort-of-in-outer-space
cool – hadn’t read that, thank you!