Review: Child 44

Any publicity is good publicity in the movies. Just think of cheese-loving North Korean despot Kim Jong-un declaring blazing retribution for all countries who allowed the release of mediocre The Interview. And the governmental censors are at it again. This time, Soviet spy thriller Child 44 has found itself as unwelcome in Russian cinemas as Triumph of the Will. The Russian culture minister has compared its portrayal of the USSR to that of Tolkein's Mordor. (Then again, this is how Tolkein's fictional world is seen in Russia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sl7w2Z0vGpA). Whether or not the banning is justified there is little doubt that the current media whirl will be vastly more helpful in selling tickets than the reviews, which have been lacklustre to say the least.

So, is Child 44 worth such political energy? In short – no. Swedish director Daniel Espinosa’s production lurks somewhere between murder mystery and stylised dystopian blockbuster. In this way, Espinosa seems to have punched above his weight and lost the powerful essence of the story: the crushing, illogical brutality of the Soviet Union.

Part of the problem is that the translation from page to screen has been too boldly cinematic. What could have been a nauseatingly claustrophobic study of grim reality has become a popcorn movie that showcases well-worn tropes, character developments and plot lines. Sensationalist shoot-outs and predictable clichés are more numerous than an unpacked Russian doll.

The story is interesting enough, if muddled. Tom Hardy is Leo Demidov, an orphaned survivor of the Ukrainian famine, a World War Two veteran who placed the Red Flag above the Berlin Reichstag for the iconic photo, and an agent in the MGB (the KGB’s predecessor). He is surly, taciturn, brutal when necessary and intelligent. He is not, inexplicably, as vindictive as he could be, with a soft underbelly to his gruff demeanour. Demidov is married, although his wife, played by Noomi Rapace, is more scared by than attracted to him. So he gets on with arresting traitors in an effective and speedy manner. When his comrade’s son is brutally murdered, Demidov diffuses a potentially dangerous situation: there is officially ‘no murder in paradise’, so a human-on-human killing in peacetime USSR does not exist.

He goes on that way until, that is, his wife is named by a colleague as a traitor, and Demidov refuses to give her up. Thus he is demoted and the two relocate to some two horse hellhole outside the relative luxury of Moscow. But fate has more in store for Demidov. A boy, clearly murdered, is found close by. Demidov convinces his general, portrayed by Gary Oldman, to allow him to investigate. And this means that he is effectively fighting the state.

The plot should be straightforward, yet Espinosa has allowed it to become muddled and bloated. Subplots wrench the action in different directions, the film subsequently lurching down one road then another. Espinosa seems as if he was unaware of what the story’s central theme is, so covered all areas. Should we care more about the capture of the serial killer, Demidov’s career, his marriage or the various orphan plotlines? Ultimately, we care less about each than Stalin did for his citizens.

Child 44’s biggest attraction is, political wave-riding aside, the acting. Tom Hardy is a safe pair of hands, forcing some feeling onto the viewer. He is well supported by the cast, not least Rapace, and, of course, Oldman. They are worth watching simply for their performances but, unfortunately, it is not enough to carry the story.

Historically we are on thin ice. The weaving together of the Red Flag being hoisted atop the Reichstag and a serial killer from the 1980s has created an elaborate and inaccurate recreation of reality that any dictator would be proud of. I’m not sure where the ‘no murder in paradise’ bit comes from, as homicide detectives worked openly on the real case on which this was based. Nonetheless, the double-speak of officials and the fearful alacrity with which citizens swallowed the lies neatly demonstrates how such governments act. The relentless executions, plotting and physical violence of a harsh society is captured on-screen. Thus, what Child 44 does so well is it showcases the ceaseless and nonsensical nature of the USSR – or, indeed, of any similar dystopia.

Child 44 has doubtless been unfairly savaged. I suspect that it was so promising that critics have been disappointed and thus too harsh. It could have been so much more, but compared to the Ukrainian famine the film is a perfectly pleasant experience. It is a flippant murder mystery that neatly encapsulates the absurd, devastating brutality of an oppressive state ruled by a paranoid leader.