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, Leonid Brezhnev

2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Yuri Andropov	...	Self (archive footage)
James Baker	...	Self
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:

fall of soviet union | fall of communism | interview | retired politician | soviet leader | 

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Genres:

Documentary | Biography | History

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Gorbachev's policies of glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) and his reorientation of Soviet strategic aims contributed to the end of the Cold War.

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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

A Valuable and Moving Account of One Man's Place in History

I had the good fortune to see this engrossing documentary on the opening night of the 2019 Trieste Film Festival - and what an appropriate choice it was to begin the 30th edition of the festival (also the 30th anniversary year of the fall of the Berlin Wall). Ignore the short-sighted comments of the reviewer who laughably awarded this 1/10 (probably working on behalf of the wretched Putin, who could never measure up to the stature of a political titan such as Gorbachev). Naturally, being one man's account of the part he played in such a volatile era, it's bound to be subjective. However, Herzog attempts to place Gorbachev's recollections in context, using some rarely seen archive footage in the process. The way Gorbachev was elevated to the top of the Soviet Union is seen here in almost comical terms, as his three predecessors - relics of the old Communist Party - are despatched in quick succession to their resting place at the foot of the Kremlin Wall. The real emotion comes towards the end when we learn about the final days of Mikhail's beloved - and much-admired - wife, Raisa. It's a truly fascinating look at a remarkable time in world history, and seeing again some of the heavyweight political players of the past only goes to emphasise the paucity of great leaders the world is suffering at the moment. The 90 minutes of this film passed quickly - always a good sign.

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