Leviathan Review
By David Kempler
Corruption, Russian Style
Andrey Zvyagintsecv's "Leviathan" was recently nominated for Best Foreign Film of 2014. I'm not sure if that is an indictment of the other foreign films made in 2014. Not that "Leviathan" isn't of quality, it is. I'm just surprised that it got a nomination. Then again, it did win the a Golden Globe, so I may be in the minority on this one. It's good to keep in mind, however, that winning the Globe is not a powerful indicator of who will win the Academy Award.
Like a lot of Russian literature, "Leviathan" is a tragedy. It starts at sea level and very slowly descends in mood from there. The story deals with the corrupt legal and political system of Russia. All countries have their share of corruption, but as presented here, Russia is particularly heinous.
Nikolai (Aleksey Serebryakov) is a fisherman who lives with his wife and son in very modest means along a waterway. He is involved in a land dispute with his town, specifically, the mayor (Roman Madyanov). Nikolai is in the right, but that hardly matters.
Nikolai contacts Dmitri (Aleksey Serebryakov), his friend in Moscow, who is a lawyer, in the hopes of winning his battle. Dmitri shows up with information that could tilt the situation solidly in his friend's direction. It's dirt on the mayor and time do a little blackmailing. Whether this strategy will pan out is the question.
"Leviathan" is darned good, if not great. It looks terrific, considering it is almost devoid of sunlight. There may have been a scene in bright sunshine for a few seconds, but if there was, I missed it. It's almost always near dusk or dawn and always cloudy. In the one scene where a group goes to a barbecue by a lake, it's still bleak and near-dark out. My only complaint is that it runs long and has a few false endings. Despite my little bit of negativity, I grudgingly admit that I liked it. Seeing the leviathan-like creature at the end is also a nice treat and a beautiful closing image.
