Andreï Kontchalovski, 87 years old, and a talent untarnished. After the sumptuous Michelangelo, the Russian filmmaker followed up with Dear Comrades!, a true revelation for many, revisiting a bloody event in the history of the USSR dating back to 1962. This event was kept under wraps until 1992, with no one ever being prosecuted for it.
Impeccable black and white for this exceptionally illuminating film, which introduces a fictional character—a prototypical Soviet official—to better understand the ins and outs of the repression following a strike and a workers’ demonstration.
Kontchalovski excels at immersing us in the atmosphere of the period (Khrushchev is in power, while some still miss Stalin), including the antagonisms between the military and the KGB. The film is slightly less convincing in its intimate portrayal of a woman whose communist faith is shattered by harsh realities and is frankly disappointing in its conclusion, which is as abrupt as it is flat. Nonetheless, the reconstruction is astounding, and Kontchalovski demonstrates brilliance in both action scenes and meetings where propaganda, servility, and convictions are expressed.
The filmmaker knows 1960s Russia like no other, and digging into the surface of the USSR must have rejuvenated him, bringing both good and bad memories, no doubt. Dear Comrades! is his way of recalling that era, providing a compelling reminder for all who have forgotten (or never experienced) what life was like behind the Iron Curtain at that time.
