Friday, October 3, 2025

Two Prosecutors (2025) NYFF 2025


During Stalin's reign of terror in 1937, a letter from a political prisoner gets out of a prison and into the hands of a state prosecutor who goes to visit the prisoner. Once there he is effectively told to go home, but he persists.

While I can sing the praises of TWO PROSECUTORS from the technical stand points, it looks great and is flawlessly acted, the truth is this is a two-hour trip to nowhere. I say that because there is a point very shortly after the prosecutor shows up that you will know how this is going to end, down to the final shot. It's going to end badly and all the extended takes and Kafka like turns can't hide it.

To be honest, I was with the film 100% during the opening sequence where a prisoner is tasked to burn letters to Stalin from the prisoners. This was something I hadn't seen before. However, once the prosecutor arrives at the gate of the prison and the film slows to a crawl as he is forced to sit and wait, walk all around the prison, take a train ride before being told to wait some more. Nothing unexpected happens and we know this good man is doomed by the corrupt system.

While not bad, it's wildly over long (this would be a fine short film) and terribly obvious.

I cannot recommend it.

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