'Meeting Gorbachev' A Review

Meeting Gorbachev is a documentary by Werner Herzog, a series of conversations between Herzog and final president of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev cut with archival footage of his life and political career.

Although not particularly flashy cinematically and without the typical roiling existential insights of Herzog's documentaries the film still delivers something unique and refreshingly open-minded. It is a relatively straightforward and positive portrait of one of the most prominent leaders of the late 20th century that has mostly been sidelined, demonized, and/or diminished by the industrial West.

Herzog brings the same openess and curiosity he brings to all his subjects and Gorbachev is amiably game to share his prospective of and vision for the Soviet Union as a nation and within the geo-political community. And the result is fascinating and certainly offers a balm, blue print, and implicit warning regarding our current international political situation.

Not a rousing piece of cinema but an engaging one and perhaps required viewing given our current political situation.

See It.