DbcultAccessing Vault...
5.9/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.9/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Diary of a Revolutionist remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have a thing for old Soviet cinema and don't mind feeling like you've just been put through a meat grinder of historical angst, this one is for you. If you want something light, or just a fun movie to kill a Friday night, skip this entirely. It's not trying to be friendly.
It starts with a lot of shouting and people looking very serious in poorly lit rooms. There's this intense vibe throughout that felt a bit like watching The Black Circle, but with way more moralizing and less focus on the actual mechanics of the plot.
Daniil Vvedenskiy carries the screen with this look of constant, exhausting panic in his eyes. He’s playing the revolutionist, obviously, but he plays him like a man who forgot his keys every single day of his life. It’s a bold choice, I guess. Maybe too bold?
There is a scene halfway through in a cafe—or at least it looks like a cafe—where the background actors seem to have completely forgotten they are in a movie. One guy is just staring at a spoon for a solid minute while the lead is having a breakdown in the foreground. It’s weirdly distracting.
The pacing is honestly all over the place. It slows down to a crawl whenever someone starts giving a speech, then rushes through important plot points like it’s trying to catch a train. It feels like the editor got bored and just wanted to go home.
I found myself thinking about Lullaby while watching this, mainly because I wished for the quiet simplicity of that film instead of this constant, grinding noise. It’s not a bad movie, but it is definitely a tired one.
It’s worth a watch if you are a completionist for this era of film. Otherwise, it’s mostly just a curiosity. A very loud, very earnest curiosity. 📽️