Words of War (15)

Words of War commemorates the courage of a Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya; getting an inspiring biodrama that transcends her assassination..

The film follows the struggles of Politkovskaya (Maxine Peeke). She served as a negotiator between the Russian security forces and the Chechen terrorists; she was later poisoned on a plane headed to Beslan. Politkovskaya’s gutsy, impassioned reporting on the second Chechen war was highly critical of the Kremlin and Vladimir Putin personally. Her best scenes are those in which she spars with Jason Isaacs, who plays her husband, Sasha – a TV journalist clearly proud of his wife but jealous of her success – and with Ian Hart as a sinister FSB secret policeman who loves history.

Nineteen years after her death, she remains a folk hero worldwide for resistances to autocracy, especially given the rise in repression everywhere and constant threats to journalists. Despite the film glossing over complicated elements (there’s just so much history to tell that it would need a series), Words of War cements the debt of gratitude owed to Anna for her efforts. This is a compelling, and important watch.