Stalin's James Bond
By Davis Cook,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Documentary of spy's life features mature wartime themes.
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Stalin's James Bond
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What's the Story?
There are two intertwining stories that STALIN'S JAMES BOND sets out to tell. The first is that of Richard Sorge's life, including his upbringing and private life as it related to his wartime spy duties. The second story is that of World War II, especially as it played out in Japan and Germany. The documentary tells these stories chronologically and side by side, cutting back and forth between them and telling them through the use of narration over black and white footage, reenactment scenes from modern day actors, and interviews with academics and experts. The beginning parts about World War I and its harmful effects on Sorge's psyche are effective in forming a general story arc as well about his own reasons for disliking war and wishing to prevent it in the future.
Is It Any Good?
Throughout Stalin's James Bond, the narrator and various expert interview subjects tell the story of a Soviet WWII spy, Richard Sorge, with the use of black and white footage and a few reenactments using modern-day actors. Because Sorge's work and life lay at an extraordinarily complex nexus of places, governments, enemies, friends, and motivations, his story is epic in scope and brings in a great wealth of educational content that should stoke more curiosity in viewers as well as teaching them on the surface level about a person that they might not have known anything about before watching the documentary.
In terms of entertainment value, the documentary sometimes suffers from its incredibly detailed explanations of the subtleties of personal and geopolitical maneuvering, so it won't be gripping for many kids unless they're already interested in history or World War II. Stalin's James Bond is extremely carefully made, articulate, and comprehensive, however, and succeeds at accomplishing the educational goals it sets out for itself.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the various technologies that are available to modern audiences today as opposed to those that were available to people during the 1940's. How might it be easier and/or more difficult to be a spy today?
Why are there so many historical documentaries like this one? What do we gain from making and watching historical documentaries?
Do you think the documentary shows a bias towards any particular historical figures or ideas that it presents? Why or why not?
TV Details
- Premiere date: March 26, 2020
- Cast: Alexander Absenger , Dieter Bacher , Peter Faerber
- Network: Max
- Genre: Educational
- Topics: Adventures , Book Characters , History
- TV rating: NR
- Last updated: October 8, 2021
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