In a small Russian coastal town, Kolya (well played by Aleksei Serebryakov) owns a beautiful seaside property that is inherited from at least two generations. The town's corrupt mayor and the various sleazy elements of bureaucracy that support him attempt to confiscate the property for a cheap price and use the property for a development project. Kolya's loose temper and alcoholism frustrate his struggle.
The first section is intriguing in its exposure of deviousness in high places. The mid-section takes an unusual turn which is at first frustrating because it appears to be a typical subplot device - that is, until its repercussions take over as the main plot.
There is another frustration when a very smart character does something uncharacteristically stupid, thus changing the outcome of the story. However, the impact of "Leviathan", depressing as it is, at least does the successful task of getting the viewer (me at least) out of one's head and into one's feelings which linger well after the film's completion. Be warned, though. These are difficult feelings.
Before seeing this movie at my local cinematheque (TIFF Bell Lightbox inToronto), two staff members warned me of the impact. Their summary of the film was "vodka and despair". How true.
Nearly every character drinks way too much vodka, especially Kolya, and the unfolding events in the last section are despair indeed. The film also takes a good swipe at corrupt Russian bureaucracy and the Russian Orthodox Church. This itself is courageous but we are unlikely to see such films again. The country's Ministry of Culture was upset by how Russia's people and church were portrayed in "Leviathan". Guidelines have now been set to ban such movies in the future.
The first section is intriguing in its exposure of deviousness in high places. The mid-section takes an unusual turn which is at first frustrating because it appears to be a typical subplot device - that is, until its repercussions take over as the main plot.
There is another frustration when a very smart character does something uncharacteristically stupid, thus changing the outcome of the story. However, the impact of "Leviathan", depressing as it is, at least does the successful task of getting the viewer (me at least) out of one's head and into one's feelings which linger well after the film's completion. Be warned, though. These are difficult feelings.
Before seeing this movie at my local cinematheque (TIFF Bell Lightbox inToronto), two staff members warned me of the impact. Their summary of the film was "vodka and despair". How true.
Nearly every character drinks way too much vodka, especially Kolya, and the unfolding events in the last section are despair indeed. The film also takes a good swipe at corrupt Russian bureaucracy and the Russian Orthodox Church. This itself is courageous but we are unlikely to see such films again. The country's Ministry of Culture was upset by how Russia's people and church were portrayed in "Leviathan". Guidelines have now been set to ban such movies in the future.