Jude Law Confronts Portrayal of Putin Without Fear at Venice Film Festival

Jude Law made a daring and well-timed debut at the Venice Film Festival 2025, playing Vladimir Putin in Olivier Assayas's politically heated movie 'The Wizard of the Kremlin,' on 31st August. The filmmakers' approach to handling the tale with intellect and nuance instead of sensationalism gave Law the confidence, and not the fear, to take on such a challenging role, he said during the press event. The film reportedly received a 10-minute standing ovation at its Venice premiere. 

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Playing a Powerful Enigma

Jude Law acknowledged that assuming Putin's role was intimidating and compulsive. He disclosed that in order to understand the nuances of the Russian leader's renownedly guarded public persona—his so-called "mask"—he dug deep, watching hours of tape. "It's amazing what a beautiful wig can do," the actor said, dismissing prosthetic-heavy changes. However, he pointed out that the true difficulty was in allowing an externally stoic character to convey strong emotions through their interior states.

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Law was surprisingly candid when asked if he was afraid of criticism for portraying such a divisive character: "I hope not naively, but … I didn't fear repercussions." He credited director Olivier Assayas and the script for ensuring the portrayal remained thoughtful rather than provocative for its own sake.

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A Chilling Portrait of Influence and Manipulation

'The Wizard of the Kremlin,' which is based on Giuliano da Empoli's best-selling book, follows Putin's ascent through the eyes of a fictional insider named Vadim Baranov, who changes from artist to spin doctor and is portrayed by Paul Dano. It examines how narrative and media influence political rise against the backdrop of post-Soviet turmoil. 

Assayas presented the movie as a terrifying commentary on the decline of contemporary politics, when authoritarian methods and smoke-screen propaganda predominate, rather than as a biography of a single guy. According to him, the movie "resonates beyond Russia" by reflecting the rise in authoritarian rule across the globe.

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The ensemble cast, which includes Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, Alicia Vikander, and others, highlights the erratic moral landscape of political authority. "If you were to just label a character bad, it would be a massive oversimplification… looking into the gray… is better than letting us go further into black and white," Dano said, emphasizing that the movie avoids making black-and-white judgments.

'The Wizard of the Kremlin' is one of Venice's most thought-provoking productions, and its complex depiction of the dark metamorphosis of authority is sure to provoke contemplation—and possibly unease—far beyond the festival's glittering canals. The film is set for its theatrical release on 21st January, 2026 in France and its neighbouring countries. 

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