Jude Law transforms into Vladimir Putin for The Wizard of Kremlin, the Olivier Assayas film that will premiere on Sunday at the Venice Film Festival.
An adaptation of Giuliano da Empoli’s bestselling book of the same name, it is an account of the Russian President's rise to power, alongside a fictional adviser called Vadim Baranov, played by Paul Dano. The film is partially set in the early 1990s amid post-Soviet chaos and was shot in Latvia.
Dano's character was inspired by the real political strategist Vladislav Surkov, who was considered the architect of the tightly controlled political system created under Putin. In 2013, he resigned from his post of deputy prime minister.
The Wizard of the Kremlin makes its premiere as Russia's three-year war in Ukraine continues. Efforts to stop the conflict with a ceasefire and end Europe's biggest conflict since the Second World War through a comprehensive peace settlement have made no progress.
The Wizard of the Kremlin marks the English language debut for the French filmmaker best known for movies such as Clouds of Sils Maria and Personal Shopper, as well as the mini-series, Carlos. Alicia Vikander, who he directed in Irma Vep, also co-stars in his latest film.
Assayas says in a statement: "It is not a film about the rise of one man − nor is it about the force with which power is imposed, or the reinvention of a nation that is both modern and archaic, once again under the yoke of totalitarianism. Rooted in real, contemporary events, it is instead a reflection on modern politics – or rather, the smoke screens behind which it now hides: cynical, deceptive, and toxic.”
"The Wizard of the Kremlin is not so much a political film as it is a film about politics – and the perversity of its methods, which now hold us all hostage.”
The film is playing in the main competition, with titles such as Frankenstein, Bugonia, The Voice of Hind Rajab, La Grazia and No Other Choice also vying for the top prizes, including acting and directing awards. Winners will be announced on Saturday.
