The assassination of Boris Nemtsov is yet another example of how tragedy continues to mysteriously befall critics of the Putin regime. Although Putin’s name is never mentioned in Yuriy Bykov’s latest film, his friends should keep a close eye on him.
Bykov unambiguously indicts the corruption and lawlessness of Putin’s Russia, but he goes even further than Andrey Zvyagintev’s ”Leviathan,“ condemning the complacency and complicity of the average citizenry that allows such abuses to continue unchecked. Viewers will find Bykov’s ”The Fool" is a bitter cocktail with a powerful kick. It screened in March during the 2015 edition of New Directors/New Films, and opens this Wednesday.
Director Bykov's long dark night of soul is completely engrossing and profoundly alarming.
