malcotoro I had just been watching the recent very mediocre Archangel with Daniel Craig, when I thought of this absolutely magnificent film about the life of Stalin, in this case centred on his projectionist in the Kremlin screening room. I have seen it only on HBO travelling in the States, but I found a copy on Video and watch it every so often. It never fails to move me, and I just love the work of the main stars, Tom Hulce and Lolita Davidovitch, worthy of academy awards both of them. There is one scene compelling, moving and funny black humour which I never miss. Stalin is angry when the projector stops during the screening, he storms verbally at his Minister of Industries. We have many shortages during this war with the Germans but we are not short of steel to make a little spring, and in any case I told you to develop a Russian projector, not a copy of a German machine. The Minister of Industries suddenly appears to want to visit the bathroom, when Beria steps aside to make a phonecall. From the looks of amusement on Beria's face, and as Stalin's hit and henchman, we know well what might happen. Tom Hulce however is good at his job, he fixes the projector in rapid time. Stalin looks up, But we have not even had time to finish our tea, comrade. Stalin then pleasantly beckons the projectionist to come over and join his group of generals, cronies and ministers for tea. Hulce's hands are shaking his cup and saucer in the presence of the great dictator. Queried about his nervousness, Hulce says Comrade Stalin I have never been this close to you before. Stalin with a deathly smile replies, Well comrade, I have never been THIS close to you before, but MY hands are not shaking. This movie leaves a lasting effect, we learn from history, or we should Comment from Malcolm in Toronto 17th August 2007

dbaldoni 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!

murpz 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.

FFC There is a human tragedy of global scale - and those humans who sway this tragedy and who just turned out to be grains of sand under those wheels of history. To model what those people were in their good and weak producers and authors of "The Inner Circle" made an awesome cast in this movie - don't you agree that Bob Hoskins playing marshal Berija is worth seeing anyway. Lolita Davidovich's and great Russian actor Oleg Tabakov's was magnificent performance. And at last the central character - Ivan Sanshin - is utterly shrill figure and utterly potent message. Due to genius Tom Hulce who looks and acts completely and very naturally Russian - as I see it being Russian myself. No further words on Tom Hulce - he's just a great actor (though not a "star" in the industry, as I can guess) and every one of his works worth seeing. Even in his small role in "Parenthood" he's very convincing and dramatic - and in "The Inner Circle" he has a great material to work on... An obvious merit of this film - it is historically accurate (with exception of ahead-of-time tanks and probably something else) in details. Accurate Soviet uniforms in a Western movie is really very rare thing and in this film uniform of NKVD-officers looks authentic to the Soviet people like me... And the director's job is not bad at all - Konchalovsky has his peaks and faults and The Inner Circle is one of the peaks, I guess...