The Cold War draws to an end when Gregoriev, a member of the KGB(Kusturica) starts questioning the system. One can expect anything except what he did. Instead of triggering off a new bloodshed revolution, he sacrifices himself and a watershed follows instead: the fall of the Berlin wall and the Communist block. Gregoriev passes all information about Russian Defence to the West via an ordinary reluctant French engineer (Guillaume Canet/Froment) because he believes that will re-establish a balance between the two blocks and force his country to review his politics.
Gregoriev doesn't spit on the regime that took his country out of dark ages but he thinks it needs to move on. He thinks Communism is hard like the big concrete statues you can see at the beginning of the film and generates harshness like the Russian winter. You have to be a wolf to survive it. Gregoriev is not a wolf. In fact he is so naive, that the KGB do not suspect him until very late. Another important question in the film: what to chose between the loved ones and the future of your country?
Each Christian Carion's film is better than the previous one. All of them are impressive, not pretentious, showing that heroism is only about men dealing with the Absurdity of the human condition. It also has the cliff hanging quality indispensable for a spy film. The casting could not be better. Willen Dafoe has a small part but a brilliant one. For once, I found the ending very satisfying. I am not saying it is a good or bad ending but it is an informative ending and that is all I ask.
Do not believe the bad critics! Especially those who said it is superficial! There is nothing superficial about this film!
Gregoriev doesn't spit on the regime that took his country out of dark ages but he thinks it needs to move on. He thinks Communism is hard like the big concrete statues you can see at the beginning of the film and generates harshness like the Russian winter. You have to be a wolf to survive it. Gregoriev is not a wolf. In fact he is so naive, that the KGB do not suspect him until very late. Another important question in the film: what to chose between the loved ones and the future of your country?
Each Christian Carion's film is better than the previous one. All of them are impressive, not pretentious, showing that heroism is only about men dealing with the Absurdity of the human condition. It also has the cliff hanging quality indispensable for a spy film. The casting could not be better. Willen Dafoe has a small part but a brilliant one. For once, I found the ending very satisfying. I am not saying it is a good or bad ending but it is an informative ending and that is all I ask.
Do not believe the bad critics! Especially those who said it is superficial! There is nothing superficial about this film!
