Review of Leviathan (2014) by Adrian S — 16 Jan 2015

A haunting and potent mix of satire and tragedy, Leviathan is Russian master Andrei Zvyagintsev's most accessible and matured parable to date. Its stunning but stark visual allegories are there to bolster its bleak critique of the entrenched social injustices in Russian society and the utter helplessness and despair of being in the society's lower echelons.

Its razor-sharp damning portrayal of the nation's corruptible authorities and religious hypocrisy is by turns, sarcastic and maddening. And what's lovely about this film is how the story doesn't lay out the truths showily but suggestively, letting the viewer ponder about them and draw their own truths through its subtle plot points and character nuances.

Leviathan makes you care about its characters and their sordid circumstances, and that's what makes it such a great film.