The Inner Circle

If, as me, you are interested in the Soviet Union period, its history, art, period atmosphere, Stalin and his whereabouts, if you want to dive into those gloomy years of terror for the common Russian folk, and especially from the inside the Kremlin walls, this TV movie is made for you; It is accurate, splendidly played, made, fascinating material and destined to people in search of the most actual, real events. It's not destined to make gross, to entertain the bulk of today's audiences. I would put it with another TV stuff STALIN, starring Robert Duvall in the lead character. Production design is outstanding here, very meticulously made. You will enjoy it for sure.

I saw this movie in the 90s and there were no more than 10 people inside the cinema and the movie did impress me at that time. then i watched it again few days ago and i can only confirm my first impression. it gives a true and realistic view on what stalinism was with that feeling of terror and madness that permeates the entire movie. Hulce, Davidovich and Hoskins deliver a great performance. It is an almost unknonw movie that rivals with blockbusters such as Schindler's list without suffering any inferiority complex. We celebrate the holocaust day every year but we don't know much about stalinism and its atrocities. this movie opens the door and it does it greatly. watch it!

As an armchair historian who's read dozens of book on Stalin and the Soviet Union under his control, I was fascinated by this movie. A great cast helps underscore the paranoia, backstabbing, and fear of the Stalinist system as seen through the eyes of a small-time player who's been thrust into a very dangerous circle.

Hulce is terrific as the simple, hard-working Soviet citizen who wants nothing more than to believe in the system that dominates his life, yet he knows it's a system riddled with traps and monsters. Hoskins is equally good as the real-life monster Beria - Stalin's chief of state security and main hatchet-man.

A highly underrated movie.

This movie haunted me for months after seeing it, but I think that it should be considered required viewing. This movie does an amazing job at showing the kind of mindset which allows tyrants like Stalin to get away with their crimes. Those who don't understand history are doomed to repeat it, and this movie does a great job at hammering that understanding home in a very heart-wrenching manner. This movie will shake you up but you'll come away from it with some really interesting perspectives on the human spirit and what we're capable of.

Andrei Konchalovsky have always been my favorite russian director, but this is his best film. It tells us about a national tragedy: Stalin tirany. Some wonderful forgein actors also add to the success of the film. They are Tom Hulce, Lolita Davidovich (Indictment: The McMartin Trial (HBO:1995)), Bess Meyer is wonderful as the Jweish girl Katya. The scene of Stalin's funeral is so shocking and touching when Katya is trying to get close to the coffin with Stalin and Ivan (Tom Hulce) is holding her because she could got killed. The most horrible thing about Katya's thoughts is that she is so devoted to comrade Stalin, she says that it's just because of her she is an educated person, she lives okay (really horrible), but 'twas Stalin who arrested her parents only because they're Jewish people. She says: What profession can I get - I am a Jew, you know. That shocks. There's no a thind more horrible than when since his or hers childhood a preson thinks that he/she is worse than the others... Thank you, Andrei Sergeevich for this wonderful and touching masterpiece