Meeting Gorbachev (2018) User Reviews

Werner Herzog interviews Mikhail Gorbachev: just watch!

[paul-allaer · 7/10 · 26 May 2019]

"Meeting Gorbachev" (2018 release; 90 min.) is a documentary about the life and times of Mikhail Gorbachev, the last President of the Soviet Union. As the movie opens, Gorbachev receives the crew in his office, where he is presented with chocolate (without sugar due to his diabetes) for his 87th birthday. Herzog informs us that it is April, 2018, and it is his third and last interview of Gorbachev in a span of 6 months. We then go back in time, as Herzog looks at Gorbachev's upbringing in the remote Stavropol region in the Soviet south. At this point we are less than 10 min. into the movie.

Couple of comments: this is the latest movie from writer-director Werner Herzog. Here he digs into the life of one of the pivotal leaders of the 20th century. Herzog sets the table nicely, showing us the early 80s, by which the Soviet Union was run into the ground, socially, morally and economically, and that drastic change (the Russian word for that being "perestroika") was needed. By the time Gorbachev came into power in the mid-80s, it was almost too late. Then the Chernobyl nuclear disaster took place in 1986, leading to another priority for Gorbachev: nuclear disarmament. The interviews themselves are okay (no major new revelations), what made the documentary work so well is the bigger picture, and how quickly it all happened. Werner Herzog, not a spring chicken either (he's not a crisp 78 years young) has made many documentaries before, and I typically love them. I've come to the point that as soon as I see Herzog's name associated with a documentary, I'll go watch it, period. Heck, he could probably even make a documentary about the Yellow Pages look and sound interesting. As for Gorbachev, he will forever be a beloved figure in the West, but not so much at home. When asked by Herzog what should be on his tombstone, Gorbachev responds: "We tried". (Incidentally, I visited the Soviet Union in 1983 while attending university in Belgium, and witnessed first hand the long lines of people trying to buy food staples from mostly empty store fronts. Absolutely amazing.)

"Meeting Gorbachev" premiered at last year's Telluride film festival to positive buzz, and it is no accident this movie is currently 100% certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie opened this weekend at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati. The Saturday screening where I saw this at was attended okay but not great (exactly 10 people). If you have an interest in geopolitics or important world leaders, you could a lot worse than this and I invite you to check it out, be it in the theater, on VOD, or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.

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

[annunciatore · 8/10 · 19 January 2019]

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.

As much Werner as Mikhail

[ferguson-6 · 6/10 · 16 May 2019]

Greetings again from the darkness. Werner Herzog has been one of the most prolific filmmakers over the past six decades, and with so many projects, it's not surprising that his films range from very good (AGUIRRE: THE WRATH OF GOD) to fascinating (GRIZZLY MAN) to disappointing (QUEEN OF THE DESERT). With this latest documentary, co-directed with Andre Singer, Herzog sits down for interviews with Mikhail Gorbachev three times over a six month period, and yet somehow squanders this rare opportunity by ensuring his own mug gets equal screen time, and his own voice even more.

Mikhail Gorbachev was the 8th and final President of the Soviet Union and is considered to be one of the most influential political figures of the second half of the twentieth century. He is now 87 years old, and his diabetes likely contributes to his puffy, bloated look and his recent hospital stay prior to his third interview with Herzog. The film walks us through a chronological look back at Gorbachev's life and his beginnings as the son of peasants. His father became a decorated war hero, and upon returning to his war-torn country, offered this to young Mikhail: "We fought until we ran out of fight. That's how you must live."

Having joined the Communist Party at an early age, Mikhail went on to study at the prestigious Moscow State University, which soon led him into politics. He was a fast riser and a true man of the people ... unusual for the Soviet Union. We see many interesting photos and clips, including video of a senile Leonid Brezhnev presenting Gorbachev with an award. The film breezes through the 3 year period which saw funerals for Brezhnev (1982) and his successors, Yuri Andropov and Konstantin Chernenko. These deaths led to Gorbachev becoming the youngest leader in Soviet history as General Secretary of the Communist Party and Chairman of the Supreme Soviet Union.

Herzog as an interviewer spends entirely too much time on screen and narrating. We have come to hear what Gorbachev has to say, not take Herzog's word that he's authentic, or to waste time with the presentation of a box of sugar-free chocolate. It's a bit of a fluff piece, and Herzog is certainly no Mike Wallace; however, it is quite informative to go through the timeline of Gorbachev's life.

We are reminded of Gorbachev's reform platform that included Perestroika (re-structuring) and Glasnost (transparent government), and there are clips of Margaret Thatcher, Lech Walesa, George Shultz and James Baker offering their insight into dealings with this most unusual Soviet leader. Gorbachev does offer his thoughts on the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, the fall of the Iron Curtain, the tearing down of the wall and reunification. His historic "breakthrough" meeting and subsequent handshake with Ronald Reagan took place at Reykjavik, Iceland, in a building that is now a tourist attraction.

Ever the optimist, Gorbachev still firmly believes the world should be rid of nuclear weapons, and this segment provides some contemporary context as this topic has reared its head again in modern politics. He bluntly offers his take: "People who don't understand cooperation and disarmament should quit politics." He serves up a hot take on America after the Cold War ended, but is given little time to discuss Helmut Kohl and the 10 Points of Light. The 1991 coup where Boris Yeltsin seized the moment is clearly still painful for Gorbachev, and Herzog offers up a soft landing by ending the film with personal and legacy topics ... what he terms the tragedy of Gorbachev. The love of his life, his wife Raisa, is ever-present even after her death, and he understands that many consider him a traitor and responsible for the disintegration of the Soviet Union. His idealism for a social democracy remains impressive and is likely the reason his story is more humanistic than political. Looking back, he simply states, "We tried."

Interesting but too non-critical?!

[pruthvishrathod · 7/10 · 30 April 2019]

Werner Herzog interviews Soviet Russia's last president Mikhail Gorbachev, while exploring his life & political career. I wished the documentary covered more about Russia's power struggle and internal issues at the time than just the big headlines about end of cold war & fall of berlin wall that we could probably get from online archives. But anyway, listening to Herzog's chilling voice with deadpan humor is always a joy. He is the best narrator in the world indeed (sorry, Morgan Freeman :D). I thought Herzog was pretty uncritical but that's probably to get more things out of Gorbochev and also the fact that he has lived for so long in divided Germany. But again, I would have liked to see a more challenging take on him that reflects his shortcomings along with achievements.

Never Realized Before

[truemythmedia · 10/10 · 13 August 2019]

This film is one of the most informative and interesting documentaries which I have seen. If I were to compare it to another documentary it would be like a cross between "Won't You Be My Neighbor" and "The Civil War." On the one hand it is a character study but on the other it is the story of the fall of the USSR. Through it all, we have Werner Herzog casting his own brand of eccentric existentialism over the film.

Describing the film is hard because it is someone's life story and as I found it fascinating, I would love to expound it for you. That would be tragic though as Herzog has already told the story through film and in a much better and meaningful way than I could manage.

The story of Gorbachev's life is certainly very different than I expected. I suppose part of that is because of the natural distrust Americans tend to have still in our films and TV as a remnant from the 80s. What I found out instead was that he was a very admirable man, flawed to be sure, but admirable. He had tremendous love for his country and most importantly the people of that country.

One of the most interesting parts of the film is Gorbachev's involvement in the ending of the Cold War. Herzog does a great job of showing how vital it is for world leaders to work together toward the common ends of security and life for all people. One of the great takeaways from the movie is really how terrible a force personal greed and power grabbing is when it is allowed into national politics.

As I walked out of the film I couldn't help but think how desperately short of that kind of politician or even person our world seems to be. Politicians who can learn from their mistakes and change their attitudes for the good of the people rather than for their own personal gains seem to be not so much the norm or the minority anymore. Sometimes they feel more like the extreme outliers in a world shaped more by grabbing for resources and table scrap economics for those who need help the most.

Great subject; okay film

[proud_luddite · 6/10 · 15 September 2019]

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. - dbamateurcritic.

a Lie-Free documentary acknowledging the intelligent, empathatic& earnest world leader needed in his time

[G_P_ · 9/10 · 4 April 2019]

Initially, let's negate the canucky review as a blind-sided tRump supporter's ignorant response to not even seeing the film, or the likelihood of the ignorant review should not of occurred, but knowing the low education of such maga wearers who knows. annunciaroe's review is very good, yet devoid of substance which I admit may qualify as spoilers. I too wish the drunkard Boris Yeltsin, as he was known to unabashedly be, or the evil Putin, who continued to allow those with the greatest wealth to corrupt the current country collective, were allowed to be acknowledged for what it was and still is, yet this German director stays focused on the illustrious career and selfish coup, while Gorbachev was away on vacation, to be played out through only the events as they occurred. One does have pause to wonder how they were left out to properly show comparison to the great goodwill President of the former Russia to the progressive movements to unite the people's goodwill and well being of Russia, to the unifier of the two Germanys (thankfully little mention of Reagan as the decision to tear down the wall was made long before between Helmut Kohl & Gorby), as well as, Gorbechev's instigator of the world's nuclear weapons short & medium range nuclear arms reductions. There is only so much time a movie can allow to capture an audience, though much was left out itemizing specifics, other world leaders and Secretary of States acknowledge the greatness, sincerity, and intelligence of one of the modern worlds leaders, Mikhail Gorbachev, who legacy will be admired for hundreds of years to come, one can agree, if one watches this honest and lie-free documentary, something the US & world desperately need to report more of, knowing todays political environment.

Is ""Meeting Gorbachev" s bad as "Bad Lieutenant II" or "Salt and Fire"? No. But it is not near the level of Aguirre, Fitzcaraldo, or Cave

[random-70778 · 5 December 2019]

Rating of Subject (Gorbachov): 5 Rating of Herzog's lifetime body of work: 9/10 This hagiographic film: 3 stars at best

The simple fact is that in terms of the tearing off of the USSR control of over 100 million subjugated people in eastern Europe, Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher and Lech Walesa were the major players, and Gorbachev was more or less swept along by events rather than participating steering them. Even historians on the left in Poland, Hungary, the Czech republic, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, Ukrainian,e, Belorussian, the Baltic countries even Germany widely acknowledge this. Gorbachev ought to have been asked by Herzog if he would acknowledge the debt he and the citizens of former Soviet Russia have to the brave people in Lithuania, Ukraine, Poland, etc.

Don't get me wrong. Herzog is a genius. After Greenaway, he is my favorite. The imagery, the laconic way he narrates the surreal in his documentaries, and his crafting of his fictional work are without par. But he fails when he gets political. And he is at the very least, proffering up survivor bias, because, well, Gorbachev is alive and can spin his role, while Reagan and Thatcher are dead. Gorbachev makes so many frankly untrue statements unchallenged in "Meeting" that it is stunning.

Is meeting Gorbachev as bad as "Bad Lieutenant II" or "Salt and Fire"? NO. Anywhere near the level of Aguirre, Fitzcaraldo, Cave? also an emphatic: NO.

The life and times of the last (and best) Soviet premier

[wavecat13 · 6/10 · 16 December 2019]

Werner Herzog is always up to something interesting. In this documentary, he gets together with former Russian/Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev for an interview. Alas the old guy is not at all what he used to be mentally, but still has some interesting things to say. This is interspersed with a polite documentary covering his life and career. There is one bit of dark humor that is well worth seeing - a section covering the 3 aged Kremlin chiefs who all died within months of assuming power. The central committee realized they had to get someone younger at that point, and turned to Gorbachev.

Outstanding

[nikolas04 · 10/10 · 17 May 2019]

For all who don't know contemporary history and have an interest, Herzog's homage is perfect

Behind-the Scenes Look at an Important Time and World Leader

[larrys3 · 7/10 · 9 September 2019]

Mikhail Gorbachev was one of the most important world leaders of the 20th century. In this film, the acclaimed documentarian and co-director Werner Herzog interviews Gorbachev and we get a good inside look literally behind what was known as the Iron Curtain of the Soviet Union.

When Gorbachev became the youngest leader in Soviet history, he saw that their system had virtually broken down. Through implementation of his programs of Perestroika and Glasnost, Gorbachev tried to modernize the commerce of his nation as well as implement some democratic principles there.

Although, his tenure as President was cut short, in 1991, by a coup led by Boris Yeltsin, Gorbachev's reforms were influential in beginning nuclear arms reduction working with Pres. Ronald Reagan, the reunification of Germany, and more freedoms to the Soviet bloc nations of that time.

Aside from the interview with the then 87-year-old Gorbachev, which not only gave the viewer a good behind-the-scenes look at those times and highlighted his intelligence and sense of humor, the doc is also filled with vintage film clips many of which I had never seen before.

Overall, not for those looking for an action flick, but geared for those viewers who like history. To note, English subtitles were only available using my closed caption option, and when Russian was spoken the subtitles were quite small.

A film about Mikhail Gorbachev: Noble Prize winner, humanitarian, and champion for peace

[Sasha_Lauren · 9/10 · 19 September 2019]

Mikhail Gorbachev, the eighth and final leader of the Soviet Union from 1990-1991, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace for his leadership role in ending the Cold War and promoting peaceful international relations, came across as a genuine humanitarian and champion for social democracy in this documentary by Werner Herzog and Andre Singer. Herzog, an unabashed admirer of Gorbachev, takes a political and personal look at his subject's life in a moving, informative character study through three interviews he conducted, as well as interviews with former Hungarian Prime Minister Miklós Németh; Lech Watesa, the first democratically-elected President of Poland; former U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz, among others.

I'm not an expert on life in the Soviet Union, so I come at this topic with limits to my understanding, however, while watching the film, I repeatedly wanted to give Gorbachev a hug or at least a hearty pat on the back. Elected General Secretary, the de facto head of government, in 1985, he was the instigator of perestroika (restructuring) and glastnost, (openness and transparency), Gorbachev tried to reform his country with a modicum of safety; he was proud of his positive political accomplishments including his role in the fall of the Iron Curtain, the reduction of the world's short and medium range nuclear weapons, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of Germany.

Gorbachev rejected the idea - expressed by George Bush - that the U.S. had "won" the Cold War, arguing that both sides cooperated to end the conflict, and everyone won in this outcome.

The film introduces the audience to Gorbachev's humble childhood in the rural Stavropol region of Russia. His father, a WWII veteran who fought on the frontlines against Germany, told his son, "We fought until we ran out of fight, that's how you must live," and it seems that the son took this advice to heart. Through clips and narrative we are shown a young Gorbachev as he walked from village to village to meet the people and gather information in his quest to revolutionize farming equipment. As a political leader, his visions included a Charter for new Europe with a focus on a peaceful future. The last part of the film is a study in grief as Mikhail shared his raw, abiding anguish regarding the loss of his beloved wife, Raisa, decades ago. "When she died, my life ended," he says.

Gorbachev unexpectedly became leader of the Soviet Union after three of his predecessors died rather quickly in succession. His term was brief. While he was on holiday in 1991, a coup led by Boris Yeltzin overthrew the government. Gorbachev, with a straight, sorrowful gaze commented, "People like politicans like Yeltzin, the reckless types."

The film refreshed my memory and provided details that I never knew, including a window into Gorbachev's own views on his work and life; I found it fascinating, tragic, inspiring, and also sad due to the lack of this quality of world leadership today.

I did not know that Gorbachev was a folk singer, but indeed he is. He recited this poem in a breathy whispher to close the film:

I Go Out On The Road Alone by Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov

"Alone I set out on the road; The flinty path is sparkling in the mist; The night is still. The desert harks to God, And star with star converses.

The vault is overwhelmed with solemn wonder The earth in cobalt aura sleeps. . . Why do I feel so pained and troubled? What do I harbor: hope, regrets?

I see no hope in years to come, Have no regrets for things gone by. All that I seek is peace and freedom! To lose myself and sleep!

But not the frozen slumber of the grave... I'd like eternal sleep to leave My life force dozing in my breast Gently with my breath to rise and fall..."

I highly recommend this film.

Interesting but lacking ...

[suhstayn · 5/10 · 16 December 2019]

Interesting in parts but largely devoid of meaningful conversation. A few headlines on various topics is all you get most of the time.

Wonderful is the best word for this

[vladcristianbobe · 10/10 · 6 December 2019]

What a wonderful experience to see Gorbachev through Herzog's kind, empathetic eyes asking, maybe, one more question that he should to get out of Gorbachev the kind of response he knows is there. Just watch and let go, this is something that goes beyond politics and world decisions, that shows that those who lead are people, both for the good and the bad of it.

Another Great Herzog film

[billytheknd · 10/10 · 5 December 2021]

Remembering a great time when we were headed for a real Nuclear free future. What a shame that we have not followed up on his accomplishments. This is a great statesman and it's a shame we don't have leaders like him now.

Cliché-driven documentary with a senile politician. Still an entertaining source of nostalgic footage.

[argrig · 5/10 · 3 November 2019]

It was sad to see Gorbachev so old and incapable of producing anything but a few simplistic sentences on camera. It makes me wonder if that was even necessary to include any footage of an old sick man and whether it adds anything to the history-recap-101 genre to which this documentary gravitates.

In 90 minutes, It is impossible to present the political lay-of-the-land of the 1980s to establish context for this historical figure. The film intertwines history channel-like snippets of major historical events with trite commentaries of Gorbachev's contemporaries and Herzog himself.

Do we learn anything about Gorbachev beyond the wiki-level factoids? No. Does this film convey that there is another dimension to the person that it tries to explore? Absolutely not. If anything, people and events in this film are presented with almost distracting unidimensionality.

The main value of this film is probably limited to the nostalgic documentary footage that is sprinkled over the meaningless monologues and the lulling senile voice of Werner Herzog that creates an anticipation for something deeper than is being delivered on the screen.

Safe enough to be played in Russia

[canucky8 · 1/10 · 1 October 2018]

While providing insight into Gorbachev's upbringing and personal life, this film avoids any topics that could reflect poorly on Gorbachev or the Russian state under his rule. The film features many shots of the interviewer, Werner Herzog, praising Gorbachev. The interviewer is more interested in making Gorbachev like him than talk about real events. To be fair to Herzog, he probably wouldn't have gotten the interview if he challenged Gorbachev on any topics.

At least he lived to see it

[tonosov-51238 · 5/10 · 19 March 2023]

I'm not going to surprise anyone by stating this documentary was made exclusively with westerners in mind.

They remember the bringer of freedom, Gorbi the Punished. And the actual country he kneecapped is extraneous, let them eat Pizza Hut, my fellow freedom lovers.

Thankfully, Werner doesn't even try to pretend he is being objective. In the first 10 minutes, he states that he loves the man, and it's hard to even be resentful of his bias.

And so Mikhail solvently tells bits and pieces of his rise and downfall, seemingly not understanding the questions he is being asked. No, it's not a mistranslation in the subtitles; he sometimes genuinely doesn't understand what is asked of him, such as his response to the Chernobyl question. Ironically, he became the same fossil as Andropov and Chernenko.

The personal touches are not that compelling because, once again, you're barely given any actual personality of the man. For an hour he copes, thinking that he had some kind of chance to keep the union, and now we are crying about his wife.

With westerners in mind, no Russians are actually interviewed. And no one who actually lived through the decade he helped create has given their assessment of his legacy, you know beyond saying 30 times that he stopped nuclear war.

No, we only have Horst Teltschik with a straight face saying that the Russian border full of NATO countries is the safest border they can dream of and they should actually pay attention to Iran and China. A statement that seemed asinine in 2019 and now appears to be straight up schizophrenic for both sides of the border. It begs the question of what kind of documentary it would be in 2022-23.

provocative to nostalgic

[Kirpianuscus · 5 March 2021]

At the first sigh, a clash between a great director and the last Soviet leader. At the second, a ball of apparences and half truths. Nice for nostalgics, not bad for young public, interesting for the construction of truth, impressive for resurrection of memories. A good documentary. And a dialogue reflecting, in subjective manner, facts and changes.

Propaganda movie

[big_kmc · 7 October 2020]

This movie's goal is to make the dinosaur puppets of the ruling class look legit. Glorification of reduction of nuclear arms by only 30 percent wedded to the commentary that the main rulers of today are bad because they aren't as pure as Reagan and Gorby. Gee who could they be talking about? Hmmm