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An amazing and infuriating Russian documentary of Stalin's inner circle by

174.22.1.247

Semyon Aranovich, "I Worked for Stalin," has no narrator, no commentary, and no historical perspective unless that of those interviewed which includes some of the children of the inner circle of Stalin. Dmitry Sukhanov, Malenkov's long-time secretary, serves somewhat as the guiding light through this most dark chamber of horrors, though can he truly be trusted, considering the position of his mentor, Andrei Malenkov?
And what to make of Sukhanov's casual dismissal of the murder of a rival party chieftain, claiming the man was homosexual and a spy? Or of Sukhanov's own arrest and imprisonment for, self-admittedly, attempting secretly to cash a large bond he "inherited" from an eliminated opponent?
It truly is amazing to look into this man's eerily blue eyes, his gaze so clear and direct, belying his advanced age, and to realize the horrors and tragedies which he so obviously has come to peace with--- if indeed he ever had any qualms.
Yes, a confusing document, an imperfect work, but it is a vital, mesmerizing look into the soul of a relentless power-monger which helps to bring into focus the nest of vipers which surrounded Stalin, one of the most evil creatures to draw breath during that time, or any other.
To enjoy this film, It isn't necessary to have a familiarity with the cast of villains, though a cursory knowledge of them magnifies the enjoyment.

Follow Ups:

Problem with events like that is that we tend to see them as... - Victor Khomenko 05:36:19 02/12/10 (2)
...something so powerful yet so distant that it hardly affects our lives - sort of like the SuperNova explosion. It is one thing to read about millions and millions of soldiers battling each other on the field, and another to have your husband, your parent disappear or come back a broken person. All those millions and millions are nothing else but millions of personal stories. To truly understand the scope and the size of some evil one has to delve into those small personal tragedies... then multiply them by hundreds of millions.
As intriguing as the memories of that old bastard might be, one should start his study with something far smaller, but whole lot more poignant - I would recommend either the One Day in Life of Ivan Denisovich, or Varlam Shalamov's short stories. THAT is where the truest, the most gripping horror lives.

Edits: 02/12/10
- Different topic. This film's focus was on the leadership, the inner workings of the - tinear 12:01:10 02/12/10 (0)
  state mechanism which crushed those millions. Both micro and macro are necessary for understanding.
  Now, how did you like this film?
- Nice perspective, Victor * - Mike K 08:17:46 02/12/10 (0)

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