The Gift to Stalin

Name: The Gift to Stalin
Genre: Drama
Released: March 18, 2011
Duration: 97 min
Rating: 57

2011

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Mixed or average reviews based on 6 Critic Reviews

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Movie Details & Credits

"DIA" Productions GmbH & Co. KG | Release Date: March 18, 2011 | Not Rated

Summary: Set against the sweeping beauty of the Kazakh steppes, Gift is the heartwarming tale of a young orphaned Jewish boy who is sent into exile during a Stalinist purge, but saved by a gruff older Muslim. Gorgeously photographed, the film exhibits the kind of charm that critics have compared to Cinema Paradiso and Il Postino. (Seagull Films)

Director: Rustem Abdrashitov

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 97 min

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Critic Reviews

Jeannette Catsoulis

Mar 18, 2011

Immersed in the alien beauty of the Kazakh steppe, "The Gift to Stalin" moves slowly but engages thoroughly. Read full review

Russell Edwards

Mar 17, 2011

Script weaknesses overwhelm ethnographic interest, historical tragedy and some solid performances in period drama "The Gift to Stalin." Read full review

Eric Hynes

Mar 17, 2011

Alternating between impressive and pedestrian shot-making, professional and amateurish acting, the film aims for gravitas and entertainment but only occasionally achieves either. Read full review

V.A. Musetto

Mar 18, 2011

Beautifully filmed and well-acted, "The Gift to Stalin," directed by Rustem Abdrashev, has its schmaltzy, cliched moments, including an unnecessary finale in Jerusalem. Read full review

IndieWire Christopher Bell

Mar 18, 2011

The Gift to Stalin could have benefited from a less complex approach, something that would've actually hit the notes the filmmaker had aimed for. Unfortunately, he needed to try it all. Little of it succeeds, which can be rather draining at times, and not in the way he intended it to be. Read full review

David Fear

Mar 18, 2011

The historical tragedy that's dramatized is heartrending; the movie itself is merely one cliché piled atop another. Read full review

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