New film by Zviagintsev
Andrei Zviagintsev’s new film, Minotaur, is an adaptation of Claude Chabrol’s 1969 film The Unfaithful Wife. It is set during Russia’s mobilization period in the war in Ukraine, exploring themes of cowardice and compromise among the elite.Zviagintsev’s perspective
Zviagintsev, who lives in Berlin after recovering from the pandemic, has focused on the family as a place where human conflicts are revealed. His earlier film, Leviathan (2014), exposed corruption and collusion between the state and the Orthodox Church, leading to tensions with political and religious figures.War’s influence on the film
Zviagintsev began working on Minotaur in 2021, before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The war had already influenced his 2017 film Faute d’amour, which ended in 2015, when Putin had already taken Crimea and started the conflict in Donbass. Zviagintsev, who distanced himself from the Kremlin, explicitly named the war in that film.Plot and themes
The film follows Gleb, a logistics company CEO, whose wife is trapped in a silent marriage. Gleb’s mother, who controls the household, has an affair with a photographer. Gleb plans to kill the lover. The plot is interrupted by the war, as the mayor pressures business leaders to send men to the front.Symbolism and climax
The title Minotaur refers to the myth of Athens, where fourteen young men were sent annually to be sacrificed. Zviagintsev likens Putin to the Minotaur, whose image is displayed in the mayor’s office. The film’s climax deviates from Chabrol’s original, as the regime’s logic disrupts the investigation.Final message and flight
The film ends with the younger generation, represented by Serioza, caught in family and national conflicts. As the family flees Russia, the clouds above them suggest they cannot escape the country’s grip. Zviagintsev avoided commenting on political issues during an interview request from Desk Russie, though his Cannes comments about the war were published.
