Tote Saison

Myortvyy sezon, aka. Dead Season (1968) Soviet Union. Dir. Savva Kulish This fascinating Soviet spy noir drama is in a league of its own. If you have an interest in geo-politics and have followed closely what has taken place over the past few years, the chilling historical relevance of this classic film is extraordinary.

The story centers around the fictional western resort town of Dargate, where under the guise of a pharmaceutical center, the German war criminal Dr. Hass finishes work on a new psychochemical weapon of mass destruction - RH gas (RH). Soviet authorities are gravely concerned about this development, the sinister possibilities of the gas are such that in small doses it stimulates the intellectual potential of a person, in larger doses it turns a person into an obedient slave, satisfied with life, whatever that may be. Forced to work for one country, Hass, however, intends to transfer his secret developments to another country, West Germany...

The Dead Season is a suspenseful well-founded espionage thriller, the first Soviet film about the country's intelligence service during the Cold War. The script was based on material provided by the KGB, and the inspiration of the main hero was the famous Soviet spy, Konon Molody.

The film begins with a personal narration from Rudolf Abel, a former spy, senior colleague and friend of Konon Molody.

Abel addresses the audience, presenting startling facts about the bioweapons that are being developed at places such as Fort Derrick in the USA and Portland Downs in the UK... remember this is 1968.

In collaboration with Abel the film's director made sure that the production was based on actual events and has historical accuracy, particularly with its depiction of the covert work of the real intelligence service of the USSR. Highly Recommended !!

One major success in a career - is that a lot for a director or not? Enough! Savva Kulish's Dead Season is a spy thriller in form but an artistic exploration of human nature: its cynicism and responsibility, its cruelty and sacrifice. I always find myself absorbed in the film's hermetic, oppressive, hopeless, and tragic atmosphere (if one can call that enjoyment), its rhythm, music, and, of course, the acting. A highly stylish movie.

I would like to highlight the following. The pro-Soviet propaganda in this film is dangerous only for uncritical viewers. I lived in the USSR for 34 years before its collapse and remember this inhuman country all too well. The issue with this film is that, as a work of cinematic art, it is nearly perfect, but on a factual level, it is false. In reality, it was the USSR that produced the largest quantities of chemical warfare agents-40,000 tons of them were discovered after its collapse! (And that's only what the Russian authorities have officially acknowledged.) Russia inherited this from the USSR, refined it, and continues to poison anyone it perceives as a threat: the names of Litvinenko, the Skripals, and Navalny are well known, while dozens of others have remained anonymous victims. In fact, all leftist regimes and ideologies have always used the rhetoric of peace as a cover for their misanthropic goals.

And yet, I repeat: the film is excellent. Because the director, Savva Kulish, managed to turn a propagandistic genre film into a reflection on human nature-and the future of humankind. Like any truly great film, Dead Season transcends its genre. In this regard, the conversation between the Soviet intelligence officer Ladeynikov (Donatas Banionis) and the local priest (Leonhard Merzin) is particularly significant-a dialogue about the conflict between professional duty and moral responsibility, about how truth is concrete, and how sometimes these two forces contradict each other. In these moments, the political thriller rises to a philosophical level without losing its cinematic brilliance. A truly remarkable and timeless film!