Vadim Berman "Ubit' drakona" is the last (up to date) movie made by Zakharov, blending modern realities and fairy-tale motives into a thought-provoking cinematic masterpiece. Unfortunately, most of Zakharov's movies are not easy to understand by those without the ex-USSR background. "Ubit' drakona", rooted in universal motives and using imagery familiar to the Western public, seems to be an exception. The nuances and the gentle humour of the late Soviet actors will probably be somewhat lost to the Western viewer, but much will be still understood.The movie delves deep into the psychology of the tyranny and oppression, and into the psychology of the oppressed. "I started to envy the slaves.", says Lancelot, "They know everything in advance. They have solid convictions; maybe, because they have no choice?" This message about the burden of freedom is especially powerful. Everything is simple in the first part - a cruel tyrant, people who are afraid of him, trying to steer clear of trouble. The second part, however, is more important. It shows that the dragon inside one's mind might be more powerful than the physical dragon. The ending is simply magical.It takes the visionary genius of Schwartz, who wrote the original play at the same time when Orwell wrote "1984", and the expressive genius of Zakharov, to predict the process that so many people went through decades later, and will keep going through as becoming free people is not the same as getting rid of a tyrant. (Lars von Trier's "Manderlay" comes to mind.) I wish Hollywood adapted this. The result probably won't live up to the original, but this message must be heard.

dmitrytchap I was expecting an average "rebellious" Soviet movie that shrouds its critique of communism in a critique of fascism. In truth, Zakharov, adapting a play by the legendary playwright Shvarts, takes the "critique" aboutthree or four layers deeper. This movie is a timeless examination of tyranny in all forms, and what effect this tyranny has on those who, willingly or unwillingly, submit to it. Ultimately, there is no clear answer nor a clean solution to any of this, even when the "dragon" is beheaded. The movie makes some great punches at our beloved soviet leaders while also examining, at great depth, a timeless and always pertinent issue. Highly recommended, hopefully an English (or any other language) subtitled version is out there for the uninitiated.

sunlion This film is not to be taken as just a gruesome fairy tale. It`s a sharp and biting glance of an effect of power on people. It follows how power corrupts people and especially highlights and shames those who quietly succumbs to tyrany just for the dear piece even if it means betraying your loved ones and everyone around. The blazing line that goes through film -"kill the dragon and you become the next dragon". Is it possible not to fall prey for a comfort of being a tyrant, not to become another dragon ? Wondering knight Lancelot has to find that out for himself.//--POSSIBLE SPOILERS--------// One shot from the film that I would like to mention especially - when the death of Dragon is pronounced to people and the voice shout from the city wall - "people, now you have your freedom !", for the minute crowd stands numb, than the voices raise in jubilation, but the camera turns and shows a bunch of scrawny mails, one of them suddenly yells "freedom!", turns over the nearby apple stand, grabs the passing by woman and tries to drag her in an ally.No rosy happy end here. Where freedom turns into anarchy ? What to do about it ? Instate another tyrany and become another Dragon ? Recommended to anyone who thinks that things are easy - just take the sword and slash something. This will make you think again.

Marat Parkhomovsky And It's a shame nobody actually knows this miracle exists. "Killing the Dragon" is the only film Zakharov, a genious theatre director, made for the big screen after quite a few TV masterpieces. He talks about freedom and human nature using fairy tale motives. His voice is pure, rough, powerfull and totally amazing. I cry every time this film comes to its amazing ending. SO GREAT!!!