It's amazing how Zvyagintsev tells a story and fills the background with so many details of the Russian system that the narrative brilliantly combines both aspects in a compelling way. In a way a retelling of the story of Job from Bible but more about how deceptive it is in giving a happy ending and being blind. The film may be thought as pessimistic but I feel it's nothing more than realistic. The system ie both the state and the religion are failing in corruption and the rest can only hope to live without involving in anything.

When you want to describe Russians, as the westerners see them, then you add Vodka in the movie (whole the time), show it as a rough and wild open space with poverty on every step and nowadays many of the self-proclaimed artist use a church as a starting point for spitting. And, not to forget Pussy Riot and Putin, they should be put somewhere too. That is the point of this movie, to make a sad story about small man fighting politics and money, and church, betrayed from everyone. And you add some symbolism to look more artistic, but symbolism is always bad when it is direct (Putin on the poster in every office and in the shooting practice party...) Today, propaganda is implemented in every movie, and this one is full of it. It should receive Nobel price for it, but you don't need to watch this garbage when there are much better movies.

A movie can be great for several reasons:an original or creative ideaa good direction that will highlight a beautiful story or an important theme to think oncan cause strong emotions, either for laughs or tearsspectacular special effects or majestic photographyan exciting soundtrack or music selectionpowerful acting or intelligent dialoguesThis film has nothing of the above:is the same old story about a private citizen overwhelmed by the corruption of the politicians and the powerfulThe direction is lazy and without inspiration, anonymousthe strongest emotion I felt was boredom, endless boredomthe special effects did not serve and there are none, though photography is not badthe soundtrack does not exist except for 1 minuteacting is undoubtedly realistic but engagement is the same as listening to the news on TV and dialogues are at the most trivialA movie devoid of any of the above qualities, what score should it have?I gave my answer.

Leviathan is a retelling of the book of Job from the Bible, where a small and simple man is fiercely tested by his God. The story brings us to a small fishing village in Russia, where Kolya , a simple and hardworking man lives with his son Roma and his new wife Lilya. It's clear from the beginning that this is not a harmonious family as Roma is rebelling against his father and stepmother Lilya especially and not willing to accept her. The local town , symbolized by a terribly corrupt mayor wants to evict Kolya and his family from their house in order to demolish it. Kolya hires his best friend Dima , a lawyer from Moscow to fight the eviction in court. The Leviathan from the title points to the immense corruption that pervades Russian society. In that way this is some kind of wonder that the Russian Ministry of Culture have approved this film. The rights of the small man don't mean anything at all, as the mayor points out in some drunken vodka-infused rant : they're all insects, put on the earth to be trampled. He feels above the law, when he shows up completely drunk , accompanied by some bodyguards to personally threaten Kolya and his family.By the way, the main characters all seem to self-medicate heavily with bottle upon bottle of vodka , in order to escape the reality of what is happening to them.The movie is about the interpersonal relationships between the main characters , father and son, husband and wife, Kolya and Dima, .. all playing out against the backdrop of utter and unstoppable corruption. So pervasive and evil that it almost becomes farcical. This movie is extremely powerful, there are some images in there that will be burnt into your retina's for years to come. Some landscapes are especially haunting. I truly loved it, and wasn't expecting the gut punch it gave me at times. Highly Recommended.