The figure before you is seated calmly, waiting to be introduced. An unfamiliar wave sweeps over you, as flashbacks from history run like a ticker tape: Chernobyl, the collapse of the iron curtain, the nuclear arms race. This man not only sat in the centre of some of the most pivotal moments of the 20th century, but also played a crucial role in the changing of the world’s political landscape.
MEETING GORBACHEV spans six months and three interviews, during which the notorious director Werner Herzog takes a candid approach to finding out what really went on behind the scenes during Gorbachev’s time in office. One has some initial hesitations about how these interviews with the last leader of the Soviet Union will play out. The portrayal of communism, socialism and the red states in Western History books strongly assert the demonisation, corruption and slavery of this political agenda across the Baltic countries. It therefore comes as a great surprise when we see the way Gorbachev is able to break down these conceptions and arguments in a succinct and digestible manner.
Herzog and Singer nail the balance of informing newcomers to the subject as well as engaging the attention of those who lived through the reunification of Germany and the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The way that Herzog can build a narrative through his interview technique as well as through his filmmaking is quite something to behold: he ices out his line of questioning with a firm grasp. The documentary is deeply humanising, with a keen focus on its core as we are allowed to examine the person behind the image. The film harnesses a fair analysis of the political ideologies across the globe, and reflects on the completely precarious state of the world from 1985 to 1991.
MEETING GORBACHEV reasserts the importance of approaching historical documentaries from both past and future, exploring the subject contextually with a fair and critical eye.
MEETING GORBACHEV is released in the UK on November 8th 2019, and screens at the Cambridge Film Festival: 9pm, October 21st (Arts Picturehouse) and 3.30pm, October 23rd (The Light Cambridge).