235 000 000 review – re-released Soviet doc is a hugely ambitious museum piece

At the tail end of the last UK lockdown in 2021, MUBI released Sergei Loznitsa’s State Funeral, an epic (but tiring) documentary made up of footage of pretty much the entire Soviet Union reacting to the death and funeral of Joseph Stalin. Almost two years on, we’re getting a re-release of a film that must surely have inspired that Loznitsa effort, 1967’s 235 000 000. With a scope just as grand as State Funeral – the number in the title refers to the full population of the USSR – it, like its successor, does feel more like a museum piece than, you know, a movie, but its shorter runtime and jollier tone make for a much more enjoyable watch.

As put together by Latvian director Uldis Brauns, 235… scoured the USSR in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Lenin’s October Revolution, finding snippets of everyday Soviet life from Moscow to the Caucasus to the Pacific Coast. It’s all presented without any commentary, the scenes allowed to speak for themselves but for the occasional addition of atmospheric music cues.

It’s an incredible insight into the day-to-day of the Soviet citizenry and, though it’s clearly been made to shine a positive light on the USSR, the sheer breadth here does seem to paint a complete-ish picture of Soviet life, which is immersive and sometimes even moving. There’s a focus on the joys of life, from weddings to playing in the snow, while some scenes – like a toddler having a tantrum against a backdrop of a vast, rocky seafront or a gripping spelunking sequence – carry a welcome surreal charge in amongst the often unadorned realism.

Even at less than two hours, 235… is likely to test the patience of all but the most committed audience members, but there are more than enough moments of magic – from horse-riding contests on the Steppe to Brauns picking out chic and stylish faces in dense urban crowds – to make it worth the investment.

235 000 000 is now streaming on Klassiki.