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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Neighbors fight cell tower proposal near Ashland Gov. Kitzhaber steps down, federal investigation begins Successor Kate Brown must run for election in 2016 Mt. Ashland offers shuttle service Sadness, relief greet Kitzhaber resignation locally Education Levy supporters kick off campaign Bowling for knowledge Sharing black culture It's alive! SOU students create thought-provoking art Environment Mt. Ashland Ski Area celebrates snow GMO opponents can join Jackson County in defending ban Grant will help restore 'legacy' oak habitat in Southern Oregon and Northern California Mt. Ashland Ski Area crew dips to five Mt. Ashland Ski Area announces layoffs Business Ride & Drive: 2015 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack Silvio Calabi: Range Rover Sport, the off-road GT Where do Ashland’s top chefs go to dine? 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Ashland Calendar: Feb. 14 ... Workers need more power ... Neighbors fight cell tower proposal near Ashland ... Ashland Calendar: Feb. 14 ... Workers need more power ... Movie review: 'Leviathan' tells a whale of a human tale Comment By Al Alexander The Patriot Ledger DailyTidings.com By Al Alexander The Patriot Ledger Posted Feb. 11, 2015 @ 2:04 pm By Al Alexander The Patriot Ledger Posted Feb. 11, 2015 @ 2:04 pm » Social News It’s a whale of a tale, Andrey Zvyagintsev’s “Leviathan.” Using metaphor as a lacerating paintbrush, the gifted filmmaker creates a devastating portrait of a corrupt political system in which a Machiavellian leader toys with the lives of his people. That would be Vladimir Putin, at least in effigy, and Zvyagintsev pretty much tells Russia’s deadliest fish to stick it in his blowhole. And does it in scintillating, epic style. The only thing more fascinating than the movie is how Zvyagintsev managed to not only gain state funding, but also get his nation’s selection committee to get his flippant flick selected as Russia’s entry in the Academy Awards competition for Best Foreign Language film. Either Putin’s minions are incredibly naive, or their boss is so hungry for Russia to score an Oscar, which “Leviathan” is favored to do, that he figured the criticism was worth the prize. Besides, what’s the harm? The Russian people will probably never see it; or at least not the uncensored version that vividly portrays modern Russian society as a dire, hopeless place where misery finds company in guns, alcohol and a God in cahoots with the aggressors. It’s so bleak it’s shrewdly funny, playing perfectly into the hands of Zvyagintsev’s love of satire. “Leviathan” oozes it from every pore, as Zvyagintsev and his writing partner, Oleg Negin, create a microcosm of Russian life in a scenic, frost-bitten fishing village along the Barents Sea. It is the place lowly auto mechanic Kolya (Aleksey Serebryakov) and his ancestors have called home for generations — until now. The town’s corrupt, roly-poly mayor, Vadim (Buddy Cianci lookalike Roman Madyanov), is out to claim the clan’s picturesque property, and is using his significant political power to take it at a rock-bottom price. But Kolya being stubborn, won’t go quietly, making him a bit like the Bible’s Jonah, and facing a similar fate. That’s just one of the dozens of clever metaphors “Leviathan” indulges over the course of its luxurious 140-minute runtime, with the most prominent being Vadim as the story’s mini-Putin, albeit, thankfully, with his shirt on. The mayor even has a picture of the preening president hanging on his wall. But the power Vadim really wants to impress is the man upstairs. Like Tony Soprano, he deals in extortion and murder. But unlike Tony, he seriously believes he’s imposing God’s will, and regularly consults with the local bishop in seeking absolution for his dubious deeds. He’s the film’s most intriguing character in that he’s the puppet master pulling all his citizens’ strings, especially Kolya and his family: son Roma (Sergey Pokhodaev) and the boy’s increasingly despondent stepmother, Lilya (Elena Lyadova). But the real star here is Zvyagintsev (“Elena”) and his ability to boil all of Russia’s problems and, yes, hopes, into one concise, compelling film. He plays off 17th-century philosopher Thomas Hobbes’ anti-government treatise, “Leviathan,” in which the author posited the dangers of social contracts in which people sacrifice freedoms in exchange for basic protections of the collective through rules and regulations; a sovereignty that often canonizes itself by aligning with a religion, as if the state’s existence was ordained by divine right. And if you think such dogma is limited to Russia, have you ever heard of “In God we trust” or the Patriot Act? Yes, “Leviathan” is a blatantly political movie, but it’s also a very human one, in that it poignantly brings to life what a stifling government can do to a person’s spirit. And if you dare fight the power, as Kolya and his big-city lawyer friend Dimitri (Vladimir Vdovichenkov) foolishly do, you risk having the wrath of the state — legally and illegally — shower down upon you. Like life, “Leviathan” promises no happy endings, just injustice, betrayal and vodka – lots of vodka. Yet it moves you like few films can. It’s also amusing in darkest of tones, and each pointed line is delivered with biting precision by a cast that is superb top to bottom. Each fully inhabits a place where even something as innocuous as a picnic can lead to violence, some of it involving guns — all pointed (in one of film’s best digs) at pictures of Russia’s notorious past leaders as part of a demented game of target practice. A head shot to the headshot, if you will. Notably absent from the group is Putin’s mug. But not to worry, from land takings to the sickening power displays, his presence is felt everywhere. “LEVIATHAN.” Rated R for language and some sexuality/graphic nudity. Cast includes Aleksey Serebryakov, Roman Madyanov and Elena Lyadova. Co-written and directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev. Grade: A. By Al Alexander The Patriot Ledger DailyTidings.com By Al Alexander The Patriot Ledger Posted Feb. 11, 2015 @ 2:04 pm » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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