Kremlin Invests in Patriotic Films

Under Putin, the Kremlin has brought back the former Soviet national anthem, muzzled the free press, jailed the agitators, and re-introduced political show trials and the gulag. So why not throw some government money into Soviet-style propaganda films again? The AP reports that “Now the Russian government is trying to revive the Soviet film tradition, helping to produce movies and miniseries that push the Kremlin’s political views, vilify its critics and glorify the military and intelligence services. (…) Artistically, the results have been decidedly mixed.” (Hat tip: The Other Russia) Actually, it’s not so scandalous – the Pentagon has been doing this for decades, with Top Gun of course representing the pinnacle of patriotic cinema. For the Soviets, it’s tough to beat The Battleship Potemkin, a personal favorite of mine.