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Russia urged to delay Death of Stalin release until summer Russia pulls 'despicable' comedy Death of Stalin from cinemas
(34 minutes later)
Delay would avoid Armando Iannucci film clashing with Battle of Stalingrad anniversary, culture ministry advisers say Acclaimed black comedy labelled boring, repugnant and insulting after private viewing for culture ministry officials
Marc Bennetts in MoscowMarc Bennetts in Moscow
Tue 23 Jan 2018 12.35 GMT Tue 23 Jan 2018 15.20 GMT
Last modified on Tue 23 Jan 2018 14.08 GMT First published on Tue 23 Jan 2018 12.35 GMT
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Russia should postpone the release of a black comedy about the death of Joseph Stalin to avoid it clashing with the 75th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Stalingrad, members of an advisory committee to the culture ministry have said. Russia’s culture ministry has withdrawn permission for the release of Armando Iannucci’s black comedy The Death of Stalin, after officials and top arts figures labelled it offensive and extremist.
Pavel Pozhigailo, a high-ranking committee member, said The Death of Stalin, directed by Armando Iannucci, the film-maker behind the political satires Veep and The Thick of It, “insults our historic symbols – the Soviet anthem, orders and medals”. He also complained that Marshal Zhukov, the Soviet military commander, “is portrayed as a fool” in the film. An advisory committee to the ministry had earlier recommended postponing the release to avoid it clashing with the 75th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Stalingrad, after officials and film directors attended a private viewing on Monday.
“The distribution certificate for the film The Death of Stalin has been withdrawn,” a culture ministry spokeswoman told AFP. The film has been set for a limited release in cinemas from Thursday after local distributors Volga Film gained an 18+ certificate.
Yelena Drapeko, deputy head of the lower house of parliament’s culture committee, told RBK news site she had “never seen anything so disgusting in my life”. “(The audience), me included, saw elements of extremism in the film,” she said.
After the preview screening 21 people signed a letter urging culture minister Vladimir Medinsky to delay the release and check if the acclaimed film broke any laws. The letter castigated the film for “lampooning the history of our country” and “blackening the memory of our citizens who conquered fascism”, the TASS agency reported.
Nadezhda Usmanova, head of the Russian Military Historical Society’s department of information, told Reuters that the film was despicable. “It’s a bad film, it’s a boring film, and it’s vile, repugnant and insulting,” Usmanova said.
Pavel Pozhigailo, a high-ranking culture committee member, said the film “insults our historic symbols – the Soviet anthem, orders and medals”. He also complained that Marshal Zhukov, the Soviet military commander, “is portrayed as a fool”.
Zhukov, whose statue stands near Red Square, is widely credited with orchestrating the defeat of Nazi Germany at the Battle of Stalingrad in 1943. The battle, in which over 1 million Soviet soldiers died, halted the Nazi advance and was a major turning point in the second world war.Zhukov, whose statue stands near Red Square, is widely credited with orchestrating the defeat of Nazi Germany at the Battle of Stalingrad in 1943. The battle, in which over 1 million Soviet soldiers died, halted the Nazi advance and was a major turning point in the second world war.
Yury Polyakov, the committee head, told Russian media that the film lacked cultural or historical value and its release should be delayed until the summer. The film, which has already received a distribution licence, is due to go on general release across Russia on Thursday. The committee also said the film’s release ahead of March’s presidential elections was “undesirable”.
Russia’s Communist party, the second largest party in parliament, has called the film, which revolves around the vicious infighting that followed Stalin’s death in 1953, “a form of psychological pressure against our country”.Russia’s Communist party, the second largest party in parliament, has called the film, which revolves around the vicious infighting that followed Stalin’s death in 1953, “a form of psychological pressure against our country”.
The Death of Stalin, which picked up four British Independent Film awards last year, stars Steve Buscemi as Nikita Khrushchev, Stalin’s successor, and Michael Palin as Vyacheslav Molotov, the Soviet diplomat. Zhukov is played by Jason Isaacs. The Death of Stalin, which picked up four British Independent Film awards last year, stars Steve Buscemi as Nikita Khrushchev, Stalin’s successor, and Michael Palin as Vyacheslav Molotov, the Soviet diplomat. Zhukov is played by Jason Isaacs. Iannucci, its writer and director, is behind the political satires Veep and The Thick of It.
The comments come shortly after the release of Paddington 2 was postponed by Russia’s culture ministry in an apparent attempt to help two high-profile domestic films at the box office. The premiere of Paddington 2 was moved at the last minute from 18 January to 1 February to prevent it clashing with the release of Scythian, a historical drama, and Going Vertical, a film about the Soviet basketball team’s surprise Olympic victory over the US in 1972. Going Vertical is now Russia’s highest-grossing film ever. The development comes shortly after the release of Paddington 2 was postponed by Russia’s culture ministry in an apparent attempt to help two high-profile domestic films at the box office. The premiere of Paddington 2 was moved at the last minute from 18 January to 1 February to prevent it clashing with the release of Scythian, a historical drama, and Going Vertical, a film about the Soviet basketball team’s surprise Olympic victory over the US in 1972. Going Vertical is now Russia’s highest-grossing film ever.
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