This is a great film, that brings home the horror of totalitarianism - and its very human toll - from a unique perspective: suppressed gays and secondarily writers. I was utterly riveted by this, from the emergence of talent to the spiritual destruction of a human being. This is as good as Solzynitzen.



The acting is simply a marvel, beyond the star, especially Depp: he plays two (at least that I noticed) sexually ambivalent characters in the film, with complete, mesmerizing total concentration. Bardem is an absolutely first-rate talent, and this is the first film I've seen him in.



Warmly recommended. This is a dark side of the 20C that we would be foolish to forget.