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Undescribable Perfection

Absolutely the worst movie.

A Major Disappointment

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

It was so-so until I saw that mass murderer, Javier Solana somewhere at 53rd minute. Than I was sure it was new age nazi propaganda movie.

The horror was inexcusable but there is no mention of our own benefit from this horror. All the World, or at least the elites controlling all nations, were opposing the Soviets. Thirteen nations invaded to help the White Russians put down the Communist revolt. From the beginning Stalin knew well that Germany wanted a resource rich empire and that the Colonial powers had always thwarted any effort to compete with them in Africa and Asia, so they needed to go east. Stalin also had the Japanese threatening on his eastern border where they had been fighting since the Battle of Tsushima. He was desperate to industrialize and build a modern army but the rest of the World wouldn't help a communist country and refused all trade. It was only through confiscating the grain for sale on the international market that he managed to buy enough modern tools to start industry. Thinking the Japanese the lesser threat he built much of that industry in the East. In May of 1939 he attacked the Japanese and defeated them in what was the largest tank battle up to that time. Having started from a feudal society this was an amazing accomplishment. Without this attack by Stalin, well ahead of war in Europe, the army would have won the argument in Japan and joined Germany and Italy in attacking Russia from all sides. Instead the Navy won the argument and the Japanese went south. In August he signed the pact with Germany stalling off their attack and pushing his western boundary west to the centre of Poland. He may also have sent some resources to Germany, as depicted, again to stave off the attack he clearly knew was inevitable. Once Germany attacked the Russians fought back as best they could. They were the proletariat with no hundred year old military colleges so their command and control was the worst possible against German officers with a hundred year tradition behind them. They built more tanks and more planes in every month of the war than did the Germans but the planes especially were no match for the Messhersmits. It was a victory if a Russian plane could kill one German tank before it was shot down. In the largest tank battle ever fought at Kursk 100,000 Germans were killed or wounded vs. 850,000 Russians. They fought poorly, but if they hadn't been tying up the bulk of the German army, Britain would certainly have fallen and the Third Reich would be with us still. I repeat we are the major beneficiaries of Stalin's stealing of the grain, the nerve to attack the Japanese and the resolve to sacrifice any number of his 'comrades' fighting the Germans.

The Soviet Story is a very important contribution for understanding a series of questions about leftism and Marxism outcomes. But other questions remain. First, _how_ is it possible at all that so many young people, as well as oldies, are still impressed by such ideologies? _How_ could it ever be possible that a historian such as Hobsbawn considers himself a communist socialist today, having declared not long ago that if it was not for being a Jew, in the 30s could very well have enthusiastically joined Nazism? With a huge lot of information and discussion nowadays freely available? Many good comments on the documentary have already been made. But the main question that remains after it is: _how_ came that a Marxist "theory", that started copying the condolent humanitarians in the XIX century, defending egalitarianism ... terminated by practicing the most cruel and extensive genocides of the whole History of mankind? Unfortunately, the answers to these questions are not short, and not without some work. And perhaps not bound to be contained in movie documentaries, however well performed as is this one. Only through some reading can we begin to see the answers, in analyses made clear along the last century by people such as Isaiah Berlin (as in 'Against the Current') and Karl Popper (as in 'The Open Society and It's Enemies'). Do enjoy them piecemeal.

I believe The Soviet Story is an excellent film. Some reviewers here seem to oppose this view. It is understandable. However, what I do not understand is why they use lies to denounce the film? For example, Mr Frank Roberts review here. Dear Mr Frank Roberts, if in your review you are telling the truth, answer the following:A) Frank Roberts states: "there was a scene where corpses were being thrown from a wagon onto the snow, and in the film it's claimed that these were the victims of the Ukrainian famine. But these were in fact dead Russian soldiers from the First World War." >>> If so, why did these "Russian soldiers" had civilian clothes on them, Mr. Roberts? Moreover, I saw the film twice, the footage you mentioned was NOT used to show Ukrainian famine victims, as you claim. It was used to show victims of the Communist terror. B) Frank Roberts states: "Another good example is the scene where several officers are shown drinking and giving a toast. The Soviet Story claims that this is proof of Nazi-Soviet collaboration. In reality there were no Russians present at that meeting." >>> Really? Who is then the officer in the Red Army uniform? A Japanese? What about the Order of the Red Banner on the officers chest? C) Frank Roberts states: "Soviet Story tries to make the current Russian government look bad. How is this done? By showing a clip that the film claims involves Russian Neo-Nazis. Now what does this have to do with the Russian government? Nothing at all." >>> Who is the man performing Nazi salute in the film? Nikolay Kuryanovich. Was not Nikolay Kuryanovich a member of Russia's parliament? It is quite understandable that The Soviet Story is so acrimoniously denounced by Communists and those who believe Stalin was "a successful manager". No surprise that some pro-Putin gang even burned the effigy of Edvins Snore in Moscow. The anger and hatred is clearly there. What is missing - is counter-arguments.