Review of Leviathan (2014) by Alina A — 19 Jan 2015

Andrey Zvyagintsev fills Leviathan with social and political depth; at once grand and intimate. Each shot is motivated by the larger themes of the film, beautiful and carefully composed. The characters are developed and so is the environment around them. This film digs deeply into everything around it to establish its meanings, and its density is so well crafted that it is pulled off with near perfection and unmistakable mastery. Zvyagintsev has become one of my favorite modern directors with his films The Return, Elena and now Leviathan, which may be his finest.

The film first deals with its protagonist, whose home is to be taken by the corrupt government. The man who is stealing his home is a drunken (like everyone in the film) bumbling goofball politician, played humorously and intelligently by Roman Madyanov. It's clear here that the film is making an anti-russain statement and it's not afraid to hide that, (as seen in the shot where a picture of Putin sits on the wall). Leviathan is not only interested in politics; it's very invested in the character's personal lives, and the plot diverges from this to a more intimate storyline, eventually connecting the two thematically by the end. It also has audacious religious motifs, with the politician often confronting a priest about the justice of his job.

There are many metaphors as well, such as the sea monster, abandoned church, and incessant drinking, some of which I'm not entirely sure of on their connection, but I don't doubt their relevance to the story. It's such a dense story, you'd fear that it has too much on its plate, but fear not, Zvyagintsev has it under control, mastering all elements of the cinematic language to carry out what he wants to say. By the end, I had enough to sit with that I was wholly satisfied and knew that I could watch this movie again and get something else out of it, which is a great feeling to walk out of a movie to.

All of the characters are well developed, and there are several. Each is played with depth by all actors and given their dues by the end. None are mere caricatures or wasted figures. The environment is developed as well, with the seas, cliffs, and bridges all serving a purpose. I really felt like every single thing in the movie was thematically motivated. There's not a wasted shot, line or character. You can read into the movie very closely if you want to, but even if you watch it casually there's much to appreciate. The balance between the film hiding and revealing its own themes is perfect, with it being fairly obvious on the surface but much more detailed underneath. Everyone should be able to get something out of and discuss this movie, and so even though it's a total art house movie, I would recommend it to anyone who likes their movies to be remotely challenging or thought-provoking. One of the best, if not the best movie of the year. Let's hope it wins the Oscar.