Rebellion: The Litvinenko Case / Bunt. Delo Litvinenko

Είδος: Ντοκιμαντέρ

Γλώσσα: Ρωσικά

Υπότιτλοι: English

Χρονολογία: 2007 , Russia

Σκηνοθεσία: Andrei Nekrasov

Διάρκεια: 105'

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1038914/

The secret war between Russian dissidents and FSB, the successor agency of the KGB, splashed into the worlds front pages last November when Alexander (Sasha) Litvinenko died in London poisoned by radioactive Polonium-210, which was slipped into his tea during a meeting with two visitors from Moscow. In his new documentary, Litvinenko's friend Andrei Nekrasov tells the story of the former FSB officer - from his initial rebellion against corruption in his agency, through his imprisonment and escape from Russia, to his crusade against his former employers to his eventual assassination. In a series of revealing interviews with the main protagonists of the Litvinenko case, including his friends, his alleged killers, his widow and Sasha himself, the film recreates a world of intrigue, high-stake politics, love, loyalty and betrayal, which is more intricate and breathtaking than any fiction could be. 

A fascinating piece, both in its contents and cinematic form. Editing is particularly strong, given the nature of the access which became impossible the moment the world started to pay attention. Nekrasov had been interested in Litvinenko before the latter's tragic fame but this film was apparently put together only after the poisoning. I've seen some other pics on the subject but none came anywhere near creating this unsettling sensation of being in the middle of it all. That is partly because of the director's on screen interaction with Litvinenko, which allowed me to identify with the narrator and made Litvinenko more credible (half of the Russians think he was a criminal, going by the official propaganda). I lived in Russia and Ukraine but somehow watching "Rebellion..." in Toronto really shocked, frightened and angered me forcing to redefine the term "corrution" in my mind. In some parts of the world corruption evidently means murder. "Rebellion" is structured like a novel, divided in chapters, and it masterfully controls various lines of the complex plot; but ultimately it is not a murder story and those who expect one might be disappointed. I admit I had myself wondered why a "Litvinenko movie" should be called "Rebellion", but having watched it I cannot think of a more appropriate title. 

Author: cinefan73 from Italy