Guwahati: Jude Law stepped into the role of Vladimir Putin in Olivier Assayas’ film “The Wizard of the Kremlin,” which premiered Sunday at the Venice Film Festival.
Law said he approached the project with full awareness and did not fear any backlash for his portrayal.
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“I felt confident working with Olivier,” Law explained. “We aimed to tell this story thoughtfully, with nuance, not to stir controversy without purpose.”
Using prosthetics to transform into Putin, Law described his character as part of a broader narrative.
“We didn’t intend to define or judge anyone,” he added.
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The film adapts Giuliano da Empoli’s bestselling novel of the same name, focusing on Putin’s ascent alongside a fictional advisor named Vadim Baranov, played by Paul Dano. The story unfolds partly in the turbulent early 1990s after the Soviet Union’s collapse and extends through 2014.
Dano’s character draws inspiration from Vladislav Surkov, a real-life political strategist who helped shape the political system under Putin’s rule. Surkov resigned as deputy prime minister in 2013.
Much of the narrative centers on Baranov’s rise within the political machinery he helped build.
Dano described the “wizard” as a behind-the-scenes figure casting a metaphorical spell.
As Russia’s war in Ukraine continues, “The Wizard of the Kremlin” is poised to spark conversation. Despite diplomatic efforts, no ceasefire or peace agreement has halted the ongoing conflict, Europe’s largest since World War II.
Assayas remarked, “This film explores how modern politics were invented in the 21st century. What we witness today is frightening, and even more so because we haven’t found solutions.”
Though da Empoli wrote the book before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he believes its themes remain relevant.
“The story captures a period before the war, but it still resonates three years later under new circumstances,” da Empoli said.
The film also marks Assayas’ English-language debut. Known for works like “Clouds of Sils Maria” and “Personal Shopper,” he reunites with Alicia Vikander, who stars as Baranov’s complex on-again-off-again girlfriend—a character meant to symbolize freedom.
“This story mainly involves men in rooms talking,” Vikander said. “But Olivier wanted to show the women who live in that world—moral, strong female figures.”
Due to filming restrictions, production took place in Latvia rather than Russia.
Assayas described the film as more than a political biopic. In his director’s statement, he called it a reflection on contemporary politics—full of deception and toxic methods that hold society hostage.
Playing in Venice’s main competition, “The Wizard of the Kremlin” competes alongside films like “Frankenstein,” “Bugonia,” and “The Voice of Hind Rajab.” Winners will be announced on September 6.
Though the film lacks a North American release date, actor Jeffrey Wright, who portrays the journalist Baranov’s interlocutor, emphasized the film’s importance.
“In America, we once believed in a better future, a kind of utopian ideal,” Wright said. “Losing that hope, as the film suggests, risks us becoming what we fear.”