Nikita Mikhalkov's film about the Stalin period has received wide attention inside and outside Russia, being shown at Cannes, winning an Oscar, and reaching cinemas worldwide. Mikhalkov is a fine and controversial director, and this "KINOfile" is a valuable introduction to his work. It investigates the production, context, and critical reception of the film, the people who made it, and provides an analysis of the film itself and its place in Russian and world cinema.

Birgit Beumers is a Lecturer at the University of Bristol.