User reviews

Leviathan takes a long, immersive look at the machinations of corrupted power in the lives of the powerless, who desperately struggle to stay the course, hoping against hope to win a losing battle.

A man and his family face off against a politically backed fat cat who wishes to buy the piece of land upon which stands their house, willing to destroy their family nest to raise a modern building in its stead. The grandiose, solemn music of Philip Glass (Akhnaten; Act I Prelude) opens and ends the movie, flanking it like a sturdy front and back cover a fine book from a Russian master's pen. Other than that, the movie is rather stark, musically and otherwise. It is remarkable how effective silent scenes can be. With little music and less sound effects, the film has your undivided attention, reaching emotional heights towards the end. The lack of a musical backdrop further enhances the gritty realism that imbues all the 140 minutes. Relationships between the characters evolve and change significantly over the span of the movie, and though the patterns are somewhat familiar, interpersonal developments are portrayed with commendable subtlety and brilliance. There is a lot of intelligence to the storytelling; much can be understood without words. We embark on a chilling journey into the land and home of ordinary, simple folks, who are kicking and screaming for justice under the suffocating oppression of ruthless power, also blighted by their own frailty.

Leviathan is an outstanding work of art that manages to drive home universally relevant points with sparkling clarity in its refreshingly honest way. A highly recommended piece.

I was so impressed with this movie: it just has it all. The story is about a man, Kolya, who risks to loose his property because of the arrogance of the corrupted major, the leviathan. The film opens with a beautiful sequence of landscape - cinematography is remarkable and shows the wide, desolate environment that reflects the isolation of the characters themselves. The screenplay is intriguing and well written - nothing's taken for granted and both the story and the dialogs are deeply constructed.

Kolya's character, sustained with a sincere performance, needs to be saved even though his freedom might have dangerous consequences. He refuses his friend's, Dimitry, advice to move on and build a new life somewhere else and chooses to fight for his house. The role of the woman is that of a submitted wife always watching and never taking part of any conversation or decision. She is weak and we notice it also from the relationship she has with Kolya's son. Dimitry, instead, is seen as a hero: he is admired by Kolya and fascinates Lilya (Kolya's wife). The character's unsolved dilemmas are the real trap that drags them to despair - the leviathan is inside themselves in the first place. It's a movie that is worth seeing because of his richness in humanity. It reminds us that we are all waiting for someone who can save us, maybe putting our needs in front of everyone without realizing that our decision might harm people near us.

I must say I was very excited to see this movie in the international film festival hosted here in Auckland.

Set in corrupt small northern Russian town, that could very much be any other town, or even country, in the world, Leviafan explores the confrontation of a man against the mayor. The last wants to kick him out of his house for his own benefit.

Superb photography, superb acting, spine chilling music, solid plot and dark humor touches make Leviafan a truly rewarding experience. One of the best movies I have seen in some time. Do not let the duration discourage you, hours fly. When you glance at your watch for the first time the movie will be over.

Be ready to pity, hate and love the characters. Laugh, feel anguish and rage and enjoy this emotional roller-coaster.

"All power comes from God. As long as it suits Him, fear not."

After receiving an Oscar nomination for best foreign film, I finally decided to watch this 140 minute long movie. I was hopeful I was finally going to see Russians not having to play villains, but to my surprise this film attacks its own society and the corruption behind its government and official church. It takes a while to get into but after the slow opening twenty minutes the plot began to hook me and the next two hours flew by as the plot got better and better. Despite being a film that brilliantly attacks the corruption of its own government and society, it does so in a universal way so we can all relate to these issues. Loosely based on the biblical story of Job, we follow the main character go through one injustice after another. Director Andrey Zvyagintsev brilliantly captures the humanity of this working class family who are forced out of their own property by the corrupt local Mayor. It is the universal tale of an everyday man struggling against the injustices of an oppressive system (The Clash's "I Fought the Law" song came to mind several times while watching this film). We get glimpses of hope when a friend of the family comes to their defense and tries to confront the big man by uncovering some dirt from his past, but some interesting twists take place and the family dynamics are shaken. The final fifteen minutes of this film were brilliant and I am glad Zvyaginstsev didn't sell out for an easy or feel good ending. The cinematography is also gorgeous thanks to the beautiful location. The film takes place in a small coastal town near the Barents Sea and we get several amazing shots of the waves crashing into the rocks. The beautiful landscape is a huge contrast with the darkness of the corrupt characters. Leviathan is a brilliant film that works as a social satire. Leviathan is a monstrous sea creature mentioned in the Bible, and it is the perfect title for a film that focuses on a small man facing monstrous obstacles. I was surprised that I ended up enjoying this film as much as I did. I still have a lot of catching up with my foreign films, but so far this is my favorite and my frontrunner for the Oscars.

The performances in this film were also great. Aleksey Serebryakov plays the lead character and he captures the essence and humanity of the hard working class. He has built his own home were he lives with his wife and child working as a mechanic. His wife works at a fish factory. He is desperate and angry for the injustice he is suffering knowing that he is about to lose his home and property. His good friend who is now a lawyer in Moscow has come to his rescue. He is also brilliantly played by Vladimir Vdovichenkov. He is the voice of reason in the film and is always trying to calm down Nikolay who has a strong temper. The corrupt lawyer is played by Roman Madyanov. He makes it easy for the audience to hate him because he represents all the injustice and corruption that we face. Nikolay's wife is played by the beautiful Elena Lyadova and she does a great job of portraying this fragile character. However my favorite supporting performance came from Anna Ukolova who plays a friend of the family and also works with Nikolay's wife. She always has some sarcastic comment about men or officials and she delivers most of the laughs in the movie. Her character helped lighten up the mood at times. The other thing that lightens the mood is the constant drinking in the movie (warning: you might get drunk just by watching them jug down those Vodka bottles). The harsh conditions that these people face force them to find refuge in their alcohol in order to suppress their pain (something many people can relate to as well). What really stands out in this film is that instead of portraying some of the key scenes Zvyaginstev decides to omit them and we are only exposed to the results and its consequences.

"Leviathan" is a David and Goliath story set in a desolate Russian fishing-town.

We've seen it before- a man desperately tries to keep his property being taken away from rich greedy fat cats.

But this is also a strong family drama, a tale of friendship, betrayal, corruption, hope, hopelessness...

Impressive acting overall, the very slow paced narrative and almost no music besides two fitting Philip Glass pieces make this a movie to remember.

The cinematography also deserves a mention, there are countless wonderfully framed scenes.

Excellent slow burning drama.

The Priest: "All power comes from God. As long as it suits Him, fear not." The Mayor: "And so, it suits Him?"

God may not be immediately apparent in the god-forsaken Russian coastal town of the rewarding film Leviathan, but the devil surely resides there. Or let's just say the proletariat suffers for Politburo politics rather than God to an extent that is disruptive of daily life and lethal in the wrong circumstances. If you cross Crime and Punishment with a dollop of Dr. Zhivago, you might get a hint of how bleak and fateful this rugged world is, relieved by the beautiful timelessness of the landscape.

Kolya (Aleksay Serebryakov) is a vodka-swilling, perpetually smoking, car-fixing local doomed by the fates and his own temper. Not only does the corrupt local mayor, Vadim (Roman Madyanov), seem destined to seize Kolya's property for a patronage resort, but Kolya" wife, Lilya (Elena Lyadova), is also carrying on with his close friend and attorney, Dimi (Vladimir Vdovichenkov), and no good to come of either ill-fortunes.

I was captured the whole time by the sense of impending doom especially when director Andrey Serebryakov is featuring only decrepit buildings and sea wrecks. Given the Russian cinema tradition, those images are sure bets to represent the decay of a society that drinks and broods the whole long day. Not that it's a bad thing; it's just that doom creeps along at a petty pace as it circles victims like Kolya and Lilya, who are decent people but moved by passionate forces that emerge from the rocks and roiling sea. The devil is menacing, powerful, and relentless as it stalks its prey, notwithstanding the priest's counsel that God is the one calling the shots.

Leviathan, like the titular skeleton of a whale that serves as a figurative touchstone, is long, slow, and dark, confirming a stereotype of hardscrabble Russians trying to survive under the portraits of Putin and Gorbachov, the old and new struggling for the heart of the country. Think of Appalachia joined with Montgomery; now there's a whale of a comparison, and this is a behemoth of a film.

From the first five minutes, I was appealed to this movie more than 3/4 of what I've seen this year. It was dark, it was beautifully shot, and established its characters nicely. People complain it took too long for the characters to be established and that the story took too long to unfold. Haven't you heard of visual storytelling? As it plays out, you find out the dark shadows that follow each character and who they really are in the situation they're in. From the wife (most interesting character), to the step- son of the wife. The father is a dark character that is strained beyond limits, and the fantastic acting portrayed by the father is just one of the great performances done by all the actors and actresses. It fights the bond of love, land, and power. The corruption that still stands tall in Russia and its small towns that surround the leviathan that is the story. It unravels extremely slow, but thats what makes more of an impact. The over-thirty second shot of the woman in court explaining the case is so well done, you can really just see the effort put into each role in the film. If only American films could be so well thought out. For any person who has the near two and a half hour time to watch a superb film, sit down and immerse yourself into the gloomy world that inhabits these characters. It teaches you, it haunts you, it stays with you.

From the very beginning up to very end you can feel the tension and the emotions up to a pure exaggeration! This is not at all something negative! The photography is absolutely enchanting and offers to the viewer that beautiful heartbeat that in a such a film is essential. Amazing, unforgettable landscapes!

You cannot resist in taking sides when you see and understand the heroes battling with their demons and their enemies, that seem to be surrounding everything that makes their lives...

Andrey Zvyagintsev after the wonders of drama, passion and mystic lyricism (Vozvrashchenie and Izgnanie) offers yet another one similar of his creations, adding though, a "spicy" allow me to say subject, a taboo, about corruption in modern day Russia and how all those things which are considered as high values to the Russian State and people, seem to be part in this injustice, destroying peoples' lives.

While it moves about as slow as the leviathan at the heart of its title reference, Andrey Zvyagintsev's biblically inspired family drama is worth sticking it out for and while it doesn't have the same impact as his highly thought of 2003 film The Return, Leviathan is a unique and troublesome picture that offers a unique look at Russian life and politics.

Loosely based around the Bible story of Job and his many trials, Leviathan is anything but an easy watch and in true Russian fashion, don't go into this experience expecting happy or colourful endings as the path to this tale is fraught with danger, lies and coldly played tactics. Zvyagintsev is a master of mood and he embeds this stunningly well shot and hauntingly scored (Philip Glass provides the films sparsely used tunes) film with an ever ominous cloud of dread and while the film seems set on a certain direction within the first hour, things quickly turn in another way entirely when a fateful camping trip takes place between our films mains players.

What takes place between our traveling business/family man Kolya or Nikolay, his oppressed wife Lilya, their lawyer and friend Dmitriy and corrupt local mayor Mer is much better discovered as one watches proceedings take place and there are frequent moments where you feel someone is one up on another only for the narrative to twist conventions and while it remains slightly frustrating that certain questions remain largely under lock and key come the final scenes, Leviathan's web covers a broad enough spectrum that has commentary on everything from the church system in Russia through to Vladimir Putin's ever present figure being both a literal and figurative presence over the country.

Understandably recognised at film festivals the world over and awards ceremonies in equal measure (this really is the type of product Cannes and the Academy lap up) Leviathan doesn't break any new ground or truly justify its nearly snail paced plotting but despite there not being much to actually love about this picture, this is a bleak drama filled with deeply unnerving moments which will make it a film you're likely to ponder upon days after the final reels have played out.

3 ½ washed up whale carcasses out of 5

Leviathan is one special piece of cinema. It is definetely not for everyone, if you are looking just for fun entertainment and light hearted hollywood ending this is not for you, if you are enjoying cold, atmospheric and pessimistic movies Leviathan is definetely for you. Leviathan is directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev one the Russia's most talented directors and with Leviathan he shows that he is one of the most talented and interesting directors not only in Russia, but in the world. Before Leviathan from Zvyagintsev i have just watched The Return, it was okay movie for me, especially enjoyed the landscapes of Northwest Murmansk region and atmosphere but something was missing. Leviathan is also happening in the region mentioned above, but it is more complex and more social themed oriented. In Leviathan Zvyagintsev shows all the bad things happening in Russia and it is totally realistic, ultra realistic, so much that reminded me on the situation in my home country. It seems that is case in all East European countries, but in Russia that corruption and unfairness is on the highest level. Local politicans and mayors of bleak and criminal past, corrupted justice system, corrupted police. As a result of all that, ordinary citizens don't have any hope, and from desperation they are drinking and drinking too much, and family starts to broke up. The atmosphere in the movie is cold, dark, brooding, disturbing but at the same time meditative, atmospheric and thought provoking. Landscapes of Russian Northwest are just breathaking and camera work is just insanely good, i like the slowness/minimalist approach of the movie so you can enjoy feel the atmosphere even more. There is no much music in the movie, only two themes taken from legendary minimalist composer Philipp Glass but they are going so well with the movie that is just fantastic. Acting in the movie is extraordinary but i was most amazed by Roman Madyanov who is acting the main villain, the corrupted mayor, he is so good and real in that role, also his look is so good for the role, he is really looking like all of this fat corrupted "businessmans" with round heads you can see driving big Jeeps. This movie totally left me speachless after watch, i was amazed and disturbed at the same time, ending at the church is one of the best endings i have ever seen. A must see for all lovers of the true cinema. Leviathan will be future classic, and Zvyagintsev admired one day like Tarkovsky. I gave 10/10.

I am from Russia and I watched this movie just because it was nominated for a huge number of awards, including an Oscar and a Golden Globe. And besides, the film received a prize at the Cannes Film Festival for best screenplay can not be bad. Now about the movie itself. The film shows not so many aspects of modern Russian life, but the same can be said that almost all the things that are shown in the Leviathan are taking place in contemporary Russia. Russian really drink a lot, corruption in our country is at the peak of prosperity, priests really play only the role of those who tricked helps authorities to become only stronger. However, the film shows only the negative side of life in our country. That is why Western critics went crazy with it and the percentage of positive reviews is 99%. If not for the modern political state of affairs in the world of this film would not just discussing, there would be no nominations and positive reviews. The script of the film is uniform, the story is banal to the horror, the characters did not develop in the course of the narrative. The film is not bad acting and camera work, but Leviathan does not carry any artistic merit. In fact it is just a movie that shows Russia be what they want to see in the west ... In conclusion, I would have called the film Andrei Zvyagintsev's attempt to win the affection of audiences and critics on the west by the exaggeration of Russian reality. I'm also not trying to say that Leviathan is a bad movie, it's just the hype surrounding the movie is totally undeserved."Leviathan" - it is not clear, very broad and vague remarks against the Russian society, without any specifics and suggestions. Zvyagintsev - if scored schoolboy who carefully afar barking at his attackers and ran away, so as not to beat. No conclusions, no suggestions, no attempt to influence the society ulcers. sorry for my terrible English

Not everyone in the world thinks the way Americans do. That's true in politics, religion, economics, culture, and entertainment. Take the Russian drama "Leviathan" (R, 2:20) for example. On the surface, the movie may seem like nothing more than an indictment of Russian political corruption and its unfair and inefficient social and legal systems. But this is a story about people, human beings who want the same things as people in other countries; to be part of a loving family, to be able to make a decent living, to be treated well by family, friends and society, to be happy. When those things are missing from someone's life, especially if they've been unfairly taken away, his or her efforts to restore what's missing is a struggle to which most people can relate, regardless of nationality. This film's story was inspired by the struggles of an American named Marvin Heemeyer, but Russian writer/director Andrey Zvyagintsev wanted to set the story in Russia. With that, of course, comes Russian story-telling techniques – and an opportunity for non-Russians to learn more about how different life is in that country – and how similar people are the world over.

The story centers around a man named Kolya (Alexei Serebriakov), who operates an automotive repair shop on his property right next to the Barents Sea. Kolya lives there with his second wife, Lilya (Elena Lyadova), and teenage boy, Roma (Sergey Pokhodaev), his son from his first marriage. His family is small, he doesn't have many friends, his business isn't exactly making him wealthy and, except for the view, his house is nothing to shout about, but it's all his… until other people look to take away what little he has. With the town's unscrupulous mayor (Roman Madyanov) working the system to take Kolya's land (without even paying him a fair price), Koyla's old Army buddy, Dmitri (Vladimir Vdovichenkov), who is a lawyer in Moscow, comes to help. The deck seems stacked against Koyla and there's little that Dmitri can do for him in court, but Dmitri has a couple tricks up his sleeve. Then, just as Dmitri seems to be making some progress helping Koyla, an alliance between the mayor and the local Russian Orthodox priest, along with some significant changes in Koyla's personal life, put up more obstacles than he seems able to handle.

"Leviathan" is a well-made and interesting look inside modern Russia, but the style of filmmaking is an acquired taste. The movie is rife with symbolism, even if it isn't all explained in the script. For example, the movie poster and two scenes in the film feature what appears to be a skeleton of a giant sea creature, or leviathan. No one interacts with or comments on the huge and impressive skeleton, but it seems to symbolize Kolya's troubles. A brief conversation between him and the priest hints at that symbolism as well as parallels between Koyla's life and a couple different biblical stories, while raising big questions about the place of religion in our lives. The ending is clever, but some moviegoers may not stay interested long enough to get there. Throughout this lengthy film, there's not a sympathetic character in sight, the setting is bleak and the story is depressing. This film is very Kafkaesque. One major event in the story is not shown, with the audience left to guess what happened. Another major plot point raises more questions than it answers and is left unresolved. Kafkaesque. While this type of movie is not my cup of vodka, I admire the performances and craftsmanship that went into this award-winning film. "B-"

There's certainly a feeling of dread, of malice, that really takes over the film even in its early stages. It's rather impressive. The opening and closing shots are of very much resemblance and they do sort of open and close this one tale. It's very much in line with a dark thriller (and in many ways this is that). It's rather impressive, rather stoic. The cinematography is rather beautiful, and it sets off the tone rather well. There are some truly impressive shots in this piece of work, it even reminded me of The White Ribbon. I'm not sure I loved everything about how the script develops, but the film as a whole is certainly very good and perhaps will remain as the best from the Foreign Language nominees. Certainly recommended, but not always an easy viewing.

Say you have a beautiful wife, a beautiful view from your living room, a clean life and conscience, no power and an empty account. You will end up like a whale on sand: big and impressive, but waiting to die. All you have left are your own tears.

This isn't Jov's story; today there's no after, no divine will. It is what happens to Jov'story when there's no God left. Beautiful scenery, good performance, extraordinary story without any flow. And an slick cheating lawyer, an arrogant priest, a dishonorable politician.

BTW, excellent portrayal of current state of affairs in Russia, though it may be almost anywhere, in any corrupt country. What matters in the end are money and power.

If this had been a Hollywood-movie, it would have had a happy ending. It is not a Hollywood-movie, it is a Russian movie, but not an anti-Russian one.

The inspiration for this story was something that happened in the USA - this is described in the trivia section. Look up Marvin Heemeyer, Grand Lake, Colorado, USA.

It could happen anywhere, just change a few details of who/what/how/why.

Some people with greater insight than me can explain the details of the symbolics used - as I know, a Leviathan challenge is one, that no human should attempt, it requires divine skills, hence the reference to Job.

There are many subtle details in the images rolling over the screen - I wish I could understand Russian, so that nothing was lost in translation.

Life seems sometimes like nothing more than a series of losses, from beginning to end. That's the given.

This movie introduced me about a deep dark cave of our life. A full sad changing of our life.

Say you have a beautiful wife, a beautiful view from your living room, a clean life and conscience, no power and an empty account. You will end up like a whale on sand, big and impressive, but waiting to die. All you have left are your own tears.

The ending was one of the best aspect of this film but it wasn't wrapped up neatly and packaged for our pleasure.

I will not go into many details here. A great and impressive movie about humanity at a certain point in time in some particular circumstances. I would not see it neccessarily as a portrait of modern Russia more as of a portrait of a simple life faced with the complexity of a system that overpowers you.

Andrei Zvyagintsev's 4th film is a major disappointment. It is a well made film but does not have the depth to reveal "Russianness" and "Russian identity". Those who know his works would be able to spot these qualities in his better films such as "The Return", "The Banishment" and "Elena". While watching "Leviathan", most viewers would like to know where is the Russian nation which was nicely depicted in previous films made by Zvyagintsev ? A film cannot be said to present Russia merely by having Russian actors speak their dialogs in Russian language. While attempting to convey human weaknesses in an universal language, Leviathan has failed to take into account its Russian character. Zvyagintsev's troubles do not seem to end here as his film has also been judged by some people in Russia as anti Russian. An erudite viewer needs to ask which aspect of Russia was shown in a negative light ? There is no question of showing Russia in bad light in a film which chose to express Russian identity through the depiction of actors consuming huge quantities of vodka. As there was no Russianness, the question of hurting Russia's image does not even arise. More than the actors, it is the filming location and beautiful scenery which lends a helping hand in making the film popular. One wonders how Leviathan was awarded best screenplay prize at Cannes International Film Festival 2015 as everything is predictable in the film. The whole spectrum of characters is shown in black and white with no scope for any gray areas. As most media has showered abundant praise on "Leviathan", it has very strong chances of winning best foreign language film Oscar in 2015.

No film can be perfect, but I don't know what's wrong with this one. It's been a long time since I've watched a movie and have not been distracted by something that was wrong with it.

I haven't seen a lot of Russian movies so I don't know if they're all that good or not.

The sound design was so well done, and in combination with the cinematography- the way the camera moved, made you feel like you were being drawn into the room. The camera movements leaned on the edge of your seat for you.

One of the best aspects was the ending, it wasn't wrapped up neatly and packaged for our pleasure. Many scenes in the film benefited from simple, subtle storytelling, instead of displaying all the gory details for the literal North American audience.

If you haven't seen a really good movie in a long time, watch this one, Andy, watch this one.

I'll be perfectly blunt, this film did not land for me. I'm giving it 7 stars because I can see it was very well made, but the slow pacing and the lack of any sympathetic characters in it killed it for me. (Contrast with The Fool/Durak, a movie with a similar theme which I loved.)

The film's moral (or one of them) seems to be "You can't fight city hall," as ti shows the attempts of a simple man living in a corrupt Russian town to fight a land-grab by the city's fat-cat mayor. Unfortunately for the man, it doesn't end well -- but then again, it's a Russian film, so of course it doesn't.

The film was loosely based on a true story that happened in America : A Utah man, Marvin Heedemeyer, who was fighting against an attempt to expropriate his auto repair shop, up-armored his bulldozer and went on a rampage, destroying several town buildings and the city hall before shooting himself. The director's original plan was to just make a film about Heedemeyer and I kind of wish he had, because Heedemeyer's seems like such an American story (it has everything! Guns! Yankee ingenuity! Pointless destruction!) and I would have been fascinated to see how a Russian director handled it.