Testimony

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The story of the great Soviet composer Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) and his life and career during the rule of Stalin.The story of the great Soviet composer Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) and his life and career during the rule of Stalin.The story of the great Soviet composer Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) and his life and career during the rule of Stalin.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.0/10

296

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 2 wins

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Last theatrical movie of Robert Urquhart (The Journalist).

Goofs
At 1:41:24, during the press conference in New York, the character seated beside Robert Urquhart has an unmistakably 1980s haircut, although the scene takes place in 1949.

Quotes
Marshall Tukhachevsky: Finland. We could need her for our forward bases, should anyone attack us.
Dmitri Shostakovich: Finland is our friend, we have a special relationship.
Marshall Tukhachevsky: And if she denies us bases, we'll attack her. That's what 'special relationship' means.

Crazy credits
By the time of his death, August 9, 1975, Dmitri Dmitrievich Shostakovich, People's Artist of the Soviet Union, had completed 15 Symphonies, 15 String Quartets, 4 Operas and 45 Ballets and Film Scores; in all, at least 147 works. By the time of his death, March 5, 1953, Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin, Marshal of the Soviet Union, had murdered, or caused to be put to death, in peacetime, in all, at least 30 million people.

Connections
Referenced in Evening Urgant: Ben Kingsley/Zemlyane (2013)

Soundtracks
Violin Concerto No. 1
Performed by Yuzuko Horigome (as Yuzuko Horigome)

User reviews15

Review

Featured review

Be Careful

Be careful what you believe after viewing this film. It is based on a "memoir" that has been proved to be fake by scholar Laurel Fay. Shostakovich's state of mind as he was dying was not as morbid as the movie would have you believe. If you would like to know how he felt about dying just listen to the Viola Sonata, Op. 147. It's the last music he wrote as he lay dying, and it most definitely does not end in a morose, sad way.

This movie over emphasizes the supposed connection between Stalin and Shostakovich. Shostakovich did not see himself as being anything like Stalin. I would wager to say that Shostakovich saw himself as being very different from the brutal dictator. Stalin did not inspire Shostakovich; his later works are not lesser compositions as the movie implies.

The previous commenter mentions that there is little narrative in the movie. That's because Testimony has no narrative either. It's an amalgamation of pilfered writings and spurious facts. Solomon Volkov has never defended himself in any condemnation of his work. His silence speaks volumes.