Ilya Khrzhanovsky’s film “Dau,” a sprawling historical drama, premiered at the Venice Film Festival amid controversy over allegations of abuse on set. The film, spanning four decades in the life of a physicist involved in the Soviet atom-bomb project, has been met with mixed reactions, with some critics finding it dramatically thin despite its impressive formal construction.
The film is inspired by the life of Lev Landau, a Soviet theoretical physicist and Nobel Prize winner who contributed to the development of the first Soviet thermonuclear bomb. The film’s protagonist, known only as Dau, is portrayed by Greek-Russian musician Teodor Currentzis. Dau, a Greek-born physicist, is presented as an outsider within the Soviet system, beginning with his unconventional appearance.
“Dau” clocks in at just over 200 minutes, not including a 15-minute interval. The film shares thematic similarities with American films like “Oppenheimer” and “The Brutalist,” which also explore the social and ideological turmoil of a historical era through the lens of a single, tormented man. However, critics note that Dau remains a somewhat enigmatic figure throughout the film.
The Venice Film Festival’s decision to program “Dau” has sparked debate, particularly given allegations of physical and psychological abuse during the film’s years-long production. Festival officials have defended the film on political grounds, arguing that its focus on Russian state oppression and imperialism has gained relevance since the invasion of Ukraine. The film’s artistic merit, however, remains a point of contention.
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