Meeting Gorbachev (2018)

The life of Mikhail Gorbachev, the eighth and final President of the Soviet Union in chronological order.

Directors:

Werner Herzog, André Singer (as Andre Singer)

Writer:

Werner Herzog

Stars:

Yuri Andropov, James Baker III, Leonid Brezhnev

2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Yuri Andropov	...	Self (archive footage)
James Baker III	...	Self (as James Baker)
Leonid Brezhnev	...	Self (archive footage)
Konstantin Chernenko	...	Self (archive footage)
Mikhail Gorbachev	...	Self
Raisa Maximovna Gorbacheva	...	Self (archive footage)
Werner Herzog	...	Self - Interviewer and Narrator
Miklos Nemeth	...	Self
Vladimir Putin	...	Self
Ronald Reagan	...	Self (archive footage)
George Shultz	...	Self
André Singer	...	Self
Horst Teltschik	...	Self
Margaret Thatcher	...	Self (archive footage)
Lech Walesa	...	Self

Storyline

The life of Mikhail Gorbachev, the eighth and final President of the Soviet Union in chronological order.

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Plot Keywords:

retired politician | soviet leader | reminiscence | soviet politics | fall of soviet union | 

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Genres:

Documentary | Biography | History

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev was the eighth and last President of the Soviet Union from 1988 until 1991.

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Quotes

Mikhail Gorbachev: It's because people like politicians like Yeltsin, the reckless types.

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Connections

References Gorbachev. After Empire (2001)

User Reviews

Great subject; okay film

Werner Herzog, a co-director of this documentary (along with André Singer), interviews former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev over a period of six months. Excerpts of the interviews are included in the film along with footage regarding Gorbachev's term as leader of the former Soviet Union during which massive, positive changes took place in the 1980s and early 1990s. "Meeting Gorbachev" is a UK/Germany/USA co-production and is in four languages: English, Russian, German, and Polish.

It is great to see a film highlighting one of the greatest times in history of the past forty years. In addition to being a primary player in ending oppressive Communism in eastern Europe, Gorbachev had worked with US president Ronald Reagan to limit nuclear weapons and end the Cold War of that time period.

The film is a great nostalgia trip for anyone who recalls this era - and for those wishing desperately that the current world leaders could come close to emulating those during the era covered in the film. One of the most striking images was a human chain across all three Baltic states in a peaceful protest against Soviet oppression. There are also moments of cheeky humour in reflecting the stubbornness of hard-line Communists who insisted that only those born before the Russian Revolution were worthy of being Soviet leaders. (Three funerals of leaders took place in a short four-year period as a result.)

The man and his history are certainly worthy of a tribute but the film doesn't live up to its subjects. It begins to sag in the last half-hour. In addition, Herzog's voice (and perhaps, his ego) grates as a narrator/interviewer as much as it did in "Grizzly Man" (2005). While his English is good, the film would have improved with someone else with better narration skills. Also, near the end, Herzog asks Gorbachev embarrassingly stupid questions regarding Gorbachev's dealing with the absence of his beloved wife, Raisa, who died in 1999.

But the project was made and it's a good start in returning this great man to the spotlight. Hopefully, another filmmaker will up the ante and make a better film than this one on the same subject. And high praise must also be given to Gorbachev for being so strong and astute in his late eighties.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

UK Germany USA

Language:

English Russian German Polish

Release Date:

3 May 2019 (USA)

Also Known As:

Meeting Gorbachev

Filming Locations:

Moscow, Russia

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$18,128, 5 May 2019

Gross USA:

$251,837

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$319,230

Company Credits

Production Co:

Werner Herzog Filmproduktion

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Color:

Color