Olivier Assayas' spellbinding political thriller, "The Wizard of the Kremlin," which features Jude Law in the pivotal role of Vladimir Putin and Paul Dano as Vadim Baranov, Putin's master propagandist, received an enthusiastic reception at the 82nd Venice Film Festival on Sunday evening. The film evoked the traditional standing ovation accompanied by resounding cheers of "bravo" within the storied Sala Grande cinema of the water-bound city. Alicia Vikander, a co-star in the film, could be seen wiping away tears amidst the thunderous applause, while director Olivier Assayas navigated through the crowd, bowing and climbing over seats to embrace his collaborators with genuine affection.
Helmed by the ever-versatile Assayas, "The Wizard of the Kremlin" transforms Italian author Giuliano da Empoli's acclaimed novel into a gripping political drama. The narrative centers around a political spin doctor who orchestrates the ascent of Vladimir Putin and the subsequent total transformation of Russia's political landscape by the Russian autocrat.
While Law's casting as Putin garnered the lion's share of anticipation leading up to the premiere, the film undeniably belongs to Dano. The actor stars as a talented former artist turned propaganda maven who orchestrates media manipulation within the Kremlin's corridors of power. Law portrays a younger Putin as ruthlessly calculating and enigmatic, while Vikander essays the role of Ksenia, Baranov's lover and moral compass. Spanning from the 1990s to the 2000s, the film dramatically captures wars, disasters, and revolutions through Baranov's eyes, tracing his evolution from an idealist to a ruthless architect of authoritarian power. It also delves into the personal toll that becoming Putin's "wizard" exacts on him. Dano's character is inspired by Vladislav Sourkov, the real-life fixer credited with orchestrating Putin's rise to power. Tom Sturridge stars as Dimitri Sidorov, a Russian private banker based on oligarch and opposition activist Mikhail Khodorkovsky, while Jeffrey Wright co-stars as the American academic to whom Baranov recounts his story.
Earlier in the day at a press conference in Venice, Law emphasized that he didn't fear any real-world repercussions for portraying Putin and clarified that his portrayal was not intended as a direct impersonation. Although his appearance was subtly altered for the role and he accurately captured Putin's body language, Law spoke in his natural voice throughout the film, refraining from attempting a Russian accent. "Olivier and I agreed that this wasn't to be an impersonation of Putin, and he didn't want me to hide behind a mask of prosthetics," Law revealed. "We worked with an exceptional makeup and hair team and referenced that period in Putin's life to find a familiarity in me." He joked, "It's amazing what a great wig can do."
Assayas' film hurtles swiftly from the fall of the U.S.S.R. in the late 1980s to the 2014 invasion of Crimea, with the director employing a fluid, unfussy style as he transitions between offices, hotels, mansions, forests, and streets in Moscow, London, and other capitals. However, whenever he slows down to create real drama or memorable characters, "The Wizard of the Kremlin" tends to become muddled and expository, as if the actors were reciting lines from a totalitarian playbook.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter ahead of the Venice Film Festival, Dano discussed his preparation for his starring role in "The Wizard of the Kremlin." "It feels very far from who I am, actually. So I was surprised by how compelled I was by it," Dano said about his portrayal of Baranov, which is soft-spoken yet quietly commanding. "It was like a new part of me being tickled and awakened, and I had to grapple with questions like, 'How do I lust for power?' and 'What's my relationship to power?'" The 82nd edition of the Venice Film Festival ran from August 27 to September 6.
