Russia 1985-1999: TraumaZone

What an unexpected jem. I can't thank the various BBC journalists that shot this enough for the almost unbelievable insight it gives into the Russian past and also what's happening today.

To be able to see things from the top political levels right down to what it was like in day to day Russian life on the ground is brilliant.

Having visited Moscow and Ukraine I found it a shocking insight into what was invisible to a casual tourist but lurking beneath the surface.

Just a pity that my current favourite BBC correspondent Steve Rosenberg doesn't seem to have had any involvement so far.

Truth must prevail !

.... But after watching this, I realise I knew virtually nothing.

I was born in 1971 in the UK. I studied modern history. I lived through the of the Cold War and vividly remember the Berlin Wall coming down. I remember the attempted coup in Russia. I remember the joy at the Cold War ending and Russia emerging from communism

Watching this, I now realise all I had was a hideously narrow view of things. You can't help but feel utter sorrow for the Russian people as the world collapsed around them and the wealth of the country was stolen. It's heartbreaking

This is a horror film. It was aptly named.

I could lie and say I've watched every Curtis, I haven't, in honesty I've watched around 5 of his creations. Often found his work a mixture of mesmerisingly brilliant and somewhat simplistic.

What he's done here is truly impressive, and I say this as someone with a particular interest in the subject matter. For weeks friends have been telling me "I must watch the new Curtis" and "it's all the stuff you find interesting, how haven't you seen it".

I folded and turned it on, and have been thinking about it ever since.

He's somehow managed to organise (with his team) a patchwork of archival footage into one of the most hauntingly brilliant works of film. Many moments I thought, he's going to miss this thing, this moment or important reference and yet he never does.

A harrowing and important work, makes the viewer feel the absolute madness of the place and time, the visceral horror and unbelievable unfairness of it all.

Loved it, as I do with all of Curtis's films.

That being said I was first put off by the lack of narration. Upon further reflection I mostly find Curtis's narration and attempts at sensemaking confounding anyway. This footage mostly doesn't need it.

The dissolution of the Sovjet Union is right at the cusp of that which I recognize from everyday life and that which is completely foreign to my personal experience. This series reflects this back to me perfectly. It is both fascinating and unnerving to watch, like actually being there, not fully understanding where you are or what to do. I suspect the people portrayed must have felt similarly.

If the point is to give an emotional history of the events this series is most certainly the best effort I can imagine. The footage is well chosen and the lack of music makes for a pretty raw emotional imprint.

Most of the people that will watch the series will point out that it is somewhat inaccurate or that it leaves out other historical significant events happening at the same time. This is 100% true, so if you are looking for a historical documentary on Eastern Europe and the fall of communism in the 90s, you should look elsewhere.

This series is basically archival footage of the BBC. Curtis selected from hundreds of hours of material the most interesting bits. And some of them are SO SO interesting. For example, the message that Gorbachev records from Crimeea where he was ousted by the military and that's recorded over his nephew ballet practice. It creates a different side to the reality which you would have never known otherwise. It humanizes the character, while at the same time showing you a sort of amateurish side to the whole affair... Or maybe it shows the crisis situation in which they were all in... There can be many interperations, and almost every single piece of footage is a gem.

I found many similarties between Russia of those years and what happened afterwards in the former communist block. Thanks Adam Curtis for creating yet another masterpiece.