Lichnoe delo: A messy, heavy-handed look at Soviet sacrifice

Is it worth your Sunday afternoon?

Honestly, only if you have a weird fascination with Soviet-era industrial drama. It’s not exactly a romp. You’ll probably hate it if you’re looking for subtlety, because this movie hits its themes with the force of a sledgehammer. But if you dig historical oddities where people stare longingly at factory parts while looking conflicted about God, maybe give it a spin. It’s got that specific, dusty vibe.

Fedor Kuzmich Shtukov is the guy at the center of this storm. He starts as a church bell-ringer—which looks surprisingly peaceful—but gets pulled into the gears of the shipyard. It’s jarring to see him go from pulling ropes to yelling at guys in jumpsuits. Andrei Apsolon plays him with this constant look of, "How did I end up here?" on his face.

The communists in the film aren't just loud; they’re exhausting. They follow him around like a bad smell, trying to get him to denounce the church. It reminded me a bit of the suffocating pressure in Poet i tsar, where everyone has an opinion on your personal business. Fedor’s daughter, Anna, is the worst of the bunch. She literally laughs at him for having faith. The writing for her is so one-note it’s almost funny.

Then comes the metal crisis. The factory is behind on a ship launch—classic, right?—and they need metal, fast. The solution is so heavy-handed it made me groan out loud. They want to melt down the church bells. Because of course they do. 🔔

The sequence where Fedor finally agrees is weirdly quiet. He doesn’t give a grand speech. He just looks tired. It’s the most real moment in the whole film. Maybe he realized that in this world, the bells aren't going to ring anyway. Or maybe he just wanted the coworkers to stop pestering him.

Some of the shipyard shots drag on forever. There’s a scene where they’re just adjusting some machinery that lasts about a minute too long. I found myself looking at the background extras, who mostly seem to be waiting for lunch. The pacing isn't just slow; it’s practically sedentary.

It’s not as slick as The Man from Nowhere, that’s for sure. It feels like a project made by people who really wanted to prove a point about industrial efficiency. But there’s a flicker of humanity in Shtukov’s eyes that keeps you from turning it off. He’s a guy losing his world piece by piece. 🛠️

Random thoughts while watching:

• The sound design on those bells is actually pretty crisp.
• The daughter’s laugh is definitely the most grating sound in the movie.
• Why does everyone in this shipyard look so clean?
• I still don't get how melting a bell saves a whole ship launch, but hey, it's cinema.

Ultimately, it’s a relic. It doesn't ask you to like it, and it doesn't really care if you find it convincing. It just exists, a bit like the scrap metal they’re fighting over. Watch it if you want to see how propaganda tries to wear the mask of a human story.