TONITE’S BEST BET: “Then he opened one eye and said, ‘Hi, Lavrenty!’” Смерть Сталина. Свидетели/The Death of Stalin. The Witnesses (Doumentary. Russia, 2008)(OTR, 22:05) --> A great deal has been written and filmed on the last year and final days of JS, much of it sensationalistic, misguided or both; this contribution (from Ostankino’s ‘Kremlin – 9’ series, with the Federal’naya sluzhba okhrany RF as co-producer) is worth watching for both its sober summary of the maneuvering/infighting among Kremlin elites in the months preceding March 1953 and its exclusive interviews with members of the Near Dacha security forces responsible for the self-isolated Great Leader’s safety as his health steadily deteriorated and his paranoia reached new heights (depths). That these Kuntsevo-detachment eyewitnesses had an unenviable job – catering to the whims of a mass-murdering sociopath, knowing the while that they could face reprisals just as easily from him, his allies or his enemies no matter which way events turned out – is obvious. Hearing them describe their situation, however, and how “mere chance helped them save themselves and their families,” unarguably makes for gripping documentary television. Tune in (or watch on YouTube below) – you’re sure to find this episode arresting. Heh.
Posted on: Wed, 02 Oct 2013 06:59:31 +0000