Venice 2025: Jude Law defends decision to play Vladimir Putin
Jude Law has defended the controversial decision to play the role of the Russian president Vladimir Putin in the new film The Wizard of the Kremlin.
The actor was speaking ahead of the film’s premiere at the Venice Film Festival on August 31st, during which he said he did “not naively” fear any repercussions that may be headed for him from playing the part. Law also shared that he felt “confident” about the film, which depicts the story of the political actors who helped guide Putin’s rise to power in the 1990s.
During the press conference ahead of the premiere, Law explained: “I felt confident, in the hands of Olivier [Assayas, the director] and the script, that this story was going to be told intelligently and with nuance and consideration.”
He added: “We weren’t looking for controversy for controversy’s sake. It’s a character within a much broader story. We weren’t trying to define anything about anyone,” referencing the character of Vadim Baranov, the central spin doctor played by Paul Dano, who helps Putin take over the presidency of Russia in the film.
Explaining the personal qualities of his role in The Wizard in the Kremlin, Dano noted: “I don’t think you have to look for a positive, but I do think you have to be willing to discover the point of view of the character. If you were to just label a character like Baranov as bad, it would be a massive oversimplification, which does more harm than good.”
Questions have been raised about the appropriateness of the timing of the film’s release, especially with regard to Russia’s ongoing illegal invasion of Ukraine. Assayas said this made it all the more pertinent, saying, “What’s going on right now is not only terrifying, but it’s even more terrifying by the fact that we haven’t really found the answer.”
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