Leviathan (2014)

If I was asked to round up this movie in to one word most probably I will run out of a proper word. It is that brilliant in all its aspects of cinema and after a long time I can shout amazing and give the highest score possible.  If I compare Leviathan in to a living being the beauty of it is in its every molecule that makes a perfect living thing. Not only it has the best of looks it also feels warm and completely full of heart and emotion. And this mind bending contemporary tale of social drama from Russia will most probably numb your senses for a while. Director Andrey Zvyagintsev has delivered a pinnacle of creativity here and now I want to watch all his movies.

The plot of Leviathan is its strongest muscle. In a Russian picturesque coastal town an ordinary man is fighting a legal battle to save his property from getting demolished. On the other end of the lawsuit a corrupted politician grinds his teeth sensing his evident win of the case. But when a lawyer from Moscow comes with bitter information to burry the politician and to rescue the ordinary man things become heated beyond control. But the arrival of this lawyer turns in to misfortune than being a savior with certain unexpected events that starts to take place.

Leviathan is very good in presenting the plot in surprise elements. It builds from the scratch slowly but steadily. And every tough curve it takes it doesn’t become aggressive nor over dramatic. The movie manages to maintain certain calmness throughout but the viewer feels the intense calamity that brews step by step. How the director does this is mostly by the mood created with cinematography and subtle music. There are aggressive performances but they are not fueled by external cinematic elements. This is quite different to most of the movies we see but director pulls this stunt so swiftly that you may not even notice it. And when the movie ends some of it makes perfect sense while still most of it is a dark and a gloomy memory. Just like the cold empty shores with decaying skeletons of giant whales.

This brings me to the part where I admire the cinematography and acting of Leviathan. Right from the opening scene to the ending scene that makes a perfect connection of other scenes in between, this beautifully crafted movie is a piece of art in visual pleasure. Most of the wide-angle shots represent the atmospheric effects of this small and seemly remote town and its peoples life style. And the actors breaths life to a set of characters that looks simple at a glance but very complicated internally. They portray the good and the ugly with beautifully natural acting and for Leviathan it is a strong suit. These actors will make you remember the characters for a very long time.

To be frank I cannot recall a place where I can point as to be negative in Leviathan. There are no scenes or dialogues wasted and it seems like this is perfect cinema and we sure come across that kind very rarely. Definitely one of the best of the year and no wonder it’s running for the Oscars.

Genre: Drama

Original title: “Leviafan” (Russian)

Director: Andrey Zvyagintsev

Rating: 5/5