In a Russian coastal town, Dmitri is forced to fight the corrupt mayor when he is told that his house will be demolished. He recruits a lawyer friend to help, but the man's arrival brings further misfortune for Dmitri and his family.
Frustrating, funny at points, heartbreaking and quite magnificently shot throughout, Leviathan is one of the films of the year.
Brimming with emotion, unflinchingly tense, and often darkly, painfully funny, this is a film possessed of both classic sweep and sharp contemporary relevance.
The cold beauty of setting and themes leave a lasting wonder.
In its bleak way the film is beautiful, full of wintry landscapes and poetic shots of the huge whalebones that lie discarded on the shore.
Stunningly shot and superbly acted, especially by Madyanov, this is film-making on a grand scale.
Verdict: Powerful Russian drama
A haunting comment on the diminished power of the people in Putin’s Russia.
The pitiless way Zvyagintsev metes out punishments to all is savage.
It’s visceral, rebellious fare.
Leviathan director Andrei Zvyagintsev: 'Living in Russia is like being in a minefield'
Edinburgh Filmhouse, Edinburgh from Friday November 7, 2014, until Thursday November 20, 2014. More info: www.filmhousecinema.com
Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow from Friday November 7, 2014, until Thursday November 13, 2014. More info: http://www.glasgowfilm.org/theatre/
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