Two Prosecutors

The film Two Prosecutors is, from my point of view, a masterpiece. The screenplay, the directing, the cinematography, the acting - everything leads to this conclusion. Moreover, this adaptation is a moral film. I do not believe in the amorality of art. This film, perfectly directed, acted, and shot, is also extremely relevant today, in a time when the leaders of the world's great powers are destroying civil society, just as Stalin did.

The most remarkable thing about this film is that, although its pace is extremely slow, the film is not boring. You don't have time to look at your mobile phone while the film is playing, despite the fact that everything unfolds very slowly. This speaks to the genius of director Sergey Loznitsa (who is also the screenwriter) and to the skill of the cinematographer (Oleg Mutu).

I saw this film at the AFI Film Festival in Hollywood. From Slovakia, this drama takes place in the USSR of 1937, when a young prosecutor tries to investigate abuse of a loyal party member, who has been unfairly imprisoned. Period recreations of the USSR at the time are very good along with atmosphere of despair that pervaded Russia that the time. A tense drama, but with a predictable conclusion that I saw coming from a mile away. 6/10.

Though I haven't read the original novel, I can imagine how it would describe emotional shifts -- either explicitly or metaphorically -- manipulating the reader's unrealistic expectations before delivering an abrupt, striking conclusion. In the film, however, all that remains are dull, tedious, hollow, and flavourless shot/reverse shot. The inherent strengths of novel as a form, are not cleverly compensated for by the strengths of cinema as another form; the adaptation is purely a diminishing return. Everything -- the scenery, the lighting, the colours, the dialogue -- is utterly mundane. Tossing this material to a review channel to be spun into an exaggerated 'Conspiracy! Twist!' video might even be better than the original film itself. It's simply mundane.

Finding out the truth - I assume this is based on a true story. So no pun intended - this is a slow grind and you really have to dig the pace otherwise you may get annoyed or even bored. That said, as a German saying goes, you could cut the tension with a knife (yes that's how they say stuff here).

We begin with a person being brought into cell, where he is supposed to destroy paper trail ... well you can imagine that he will not entirely do that. So while I was expecting this to be more of a court drama ... it plays mostly in a prison.

But after that initial start we get into the shoes and skin of a newly appointed prosecutor/attorney (general attorney probably might be the right term). And he sticks his nose where the higher ups do not want him to put it.

While not everything is spelled out, you can feel the danger he gets himself in - you are not sure if he knows what he gets himself into - and why he is doing it. Righteous? Morally good? We do hear that a certain individual (whom he interviews) was a big stepping stone and that he believes in justice ... question is: is he gullible/naive enough not to understand he is getting himself in danger? And how will all play out - well you have to watch this to see ... don't expect a big bang either way ... this is really at a snail pace ... which elevates it for some ... and might make it less appealing to others!

Sergey Loznitsa's film offers a restrained yet deeply unsettling portrait of the Stalinist repressive apparatus. By following a young, idealistic prosecutor, the story reveals how an authoritarian system inevitably consumes even its most loyal believers. Loznitsa's unexpectedly classical direction, combined with a rhythm that often resembles a political thriller, creates an atmosphere of constant tension and claustrophobia. Every scene exposes the paranoid logic of a regime that turns suspicion into guilt and loyalty into vulnerability. It's a concise, harsh, and sharply crafted film-one that leaves the viewer with a sense of helplessness, but also with a renewed awareness of how easily unchecked power can destroy those who uphold it.