Too much of what passes as satire is merely crude abuse; there’s no wit in simply calling a politician or public figure a wanker. Likewise, a comedian airing their own political prejudices, often with more than a whiff of conceited sanctimony, also misses the point.
The great satirists are, without exception, brutally honest; not afraid to take on those of any hue or persuasion and skewer the absurdity or downright enormity of their targets. It’s why George Orwell remains so relevant 70 years after his death.

The Death of Stalin mocks mercilessly the actions of the Soviet politburo as Stalin lies mortally stricken after a stroke and the, mainly, Jewish doctors who’ve been banished for make-belief plots are returned to administer to this antisemitic ogre – an ogre of whom everyone remains terrified even when he’s comatose. The politburo’s jostling for control after his death brings to mind Bertrand Russell’s maxim that much that passes as idealism is disguised hatred or disguised love of power.

The screenplay by Armando Iannucci and David Schneider is razor sharp, treating its audience with great respect. Unfortunately, Iannucci’s direction is rather ordinary – too often it has the feel of a filmed stage play. Fine comic acting from a mainly British cast is perfect for the film’s material, Jacob Isaacs standing out as the ruthless Field Marshal Zhukov, forcibly delivering his lines in a strong northern English accent. Indeed, it’s a good trait of the film that all actors speak in their normal accent, including New Yorker Steve Buscemi.

The Death of Stalin is political satire of the highest order. It spells out with excruciating exactness what happens when despots are treated as infallible Messiahs, when their every act of wickedness is excused away by sycophants who mistake mindless idolatry for loyalty. It’s a running joke in the film that these same sycophants assert ‘Long live Stalin’ as they’re about to be shot in the head on his orders for some perceived thought crime.

It’s always great to see satire delivered as sharply as it is here as it is so rarely done well. Enjoy it when you can.