It deals with some of the most important social issues of contemporary Russia while never becoming an artist's sermon or a public statement; it is a story of love and tragedy experienced by ordinary people." This is just one of many extremely positive quotes about the Russian film, Leviathan, directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev and produced by Alexander Rodnyansky in 2014, and, as a forewarning, this may contain spoilers. Set in a small, northern town in Russia, the film takes in-depth look into the conspiracies of corrupted power in the lives of the powerless, focusing on a hard-working man, Koyla, and his family who desperately struggle to keep their land rights, hoping against all odds to win a losing battle. As the power-hungry mayor of the town threatens to illegally repossess his family’s farm and surrounding land, Kolya seeks the help of his old friend, Dmitri, …show more content…
His approach is blackmail, which is successful until it is discovered that Dmitri and Koyla’s wife, Lilia are having an affair; then all hell breaks loose and the events that follow unfold in a tragic, unfair way for Kolya. Bleak and relentless in the midst of corrupted government, exhibiting propaganda through traditional symbolism that has become customary in Russian films, and biblical in its name as well as its moral outrage at the powerlessness of the individual in the face of unchecked authority, Leviathan is dealing with nothing less than the current state of Russia's soul. In an interview between NPR and the film’s director, Andrey Zvyagintsev, the propaganda content and pointed criticism of Russian leaders is discussed. Leviathan was released coincidentally enough during a time when Russia could be considered to be reverting back to it’s state during the Cold War, threatening neighboring countries and suppressing any dissent held by its citizens. The director characteristically denied any intentional attempts at propaganda, which should honestly be