I Was Stalin's Bodyguard is not a mere cheapjack Hollywoodized "expose" but the genuine article, filmed by Russians for Russians. Director Semeon Aranovitch brilliantly blends rarely seen newsreel and documentary footage of the three-decade Stalin regime. The centerpiece is a long, fascinating interview with the last surviving personal bodyguard of the Soviet dictator. Also included are home movies of Stalin, his family and his inner circle. I Was Stalin's Bodyguard is neither blatantly pro- nor anti-Stalin; it offers the facts, then allows the viewer to make up his or her own mind. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Overall, this was a disappointment. There are a few snippets of interesting information and archival film, but the documentary lacks structure and evidences poor production quality.
Dreadful film. If I were Stalin I would have shot this bodyguard for being a boring dullard. Or maybe I would have shot him for being such a lousy accordian player. And why does this film keep returning to Stalin's mother ladeling some goop into a bottle? You would have to be a Russian political prisoner working off your sentence in a salt mine to find this interesting viewing. If this is the sort of claptrap that Marxist/Leninism produced for the masses it's no wonder Reagan beat them. His Bonzo movies are The Godfather next to this piece of crap. Show it to your friends if you want to get rid of them.