A journalist should never become the story, and yet, far too frequently, they do. Nearly twenty years ago, the assassination of American-Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya sent shockwaves around the world. She was a social commentator turned investigative journalist who unknowingly dedicated the final years of her life to giving Chechens a voice during the Second Chechen War and to exposing the corruption of Russia’s newly elected leader, Vladimir Putin. She was killed on Putin’s birthday in 2006, and is considered one of the first of his critics to die under his regime. Despite the ever-increasing relevance of Politkovskaya’s life and death, only two documentaries have been made about her.
‘Words of War’ Delivers an Important Message

Image via Rolling Pictures

With Words of War, writer Eric Poppen approaches Politkovskaya’s life with the respect it deserves, while still delivering a compelling and nerve-wracking moviegoing experience. When it comes to ripped-from-the-headlines style stories, there’s a very delicate line one must toe, and Words of War does well with catering to audiences who may be aware of Politkovskaya, as well as those who don’t even know about the Second Chechen War.
Words of War isn’t a particularly flashy film. It feels contemporaneous with Politkovskaya’s life, leaning more on the somewhat dated stylings that make it a rarity today. Words of War is distinctly aware of the importance of the message that it is delivering. While it is impossible to separate the comparison between Russia’s aggression towards Chechnya and their present-day attack on Ukraine (which Words of War’s executive producer Sean Penn is quite vocal about), the film speaks to a larger epidemic worldwide, and particularly here in the United States: the freedom of press is a dying act. Journalists are dying in the name of that freedom. In fact, last year was the deadliest year for journalists since the ‘90s. Words of War’s message couldn’t be more timely.
‘Words of War’s Cast Is Its Strongest Asset

Directed by the British filmmaker behind some of the most iconic episodes of Doctor Who, Torchwood, Broadchurch, and The Suspect, it’s no surprise that James Strong has assembled a real who’s who of quintessential British performers. Maxine Peake takes the lead as Anna, and she gives a truly nuanced performance. Words of War doesn’t stick to strictly exploring the battlefields of Chechnya — it narrows in on the battlefield within Politkovskaya’s own home. Peake does well by striking at the heart of who Anna was and threading a throughline between her home life and her experiences behind the lines of war. There’s not a moment where you doubt her willingness to take up the cause, with eyes wide open about what could happen, simply because it is done in the pursuit of truth.
Jason Isaacs plays her husband, Alexander “Sasha” Politkovsky, who, like Anna, was a journalist. As the film plays out, Alexander faces his own, more private war, though still just as relevant as the trials that Anna endures. While Anna dedicated her life to the written word, Alexander was an on-air political commentator and correspondent who faced backlash due to her outspoken criticism of Russia’s president. As journalists across the world are forced to kowtow to administrations to gain access, and parent companies meddle with newsrooms to assuage presidents, there’s a real weight behind this subplot that speaks to the present day in unprecedented ways. Rounding out Words of War’s ensemble is Ciarán Hinds as Dmitry, Anna’s beloved boss and confidante; Ellie Bamber as Elena, Anna’s promising young protégé; and Naomi Battrick and Harry Lawtey as the Politkovskayas’ children, Vera and Ilya, respectively.
‘Words of War’ Speaks to the Moment

Image via Rolling Pictures

Poppen’s script is very laser-focused in how it shapes the narrative with these characters, maneuvering them like figures across a battle map to ensure that the film’s ending delivers the right emotional gutpunch. The film is also quite intentional with the key moments that it highlights, and regards them with the same degree of neutrality that Anna attempts to maintain. This is particularly notable with the hostage crisis in Moscow, where she is called to mediate the tense situation between Chechen rebels and Russian forces. While the film is sympathetic to the plight of the Chechens at the hands of the Russians, the deadly situation paints both sides in a negative light, as if to underscore the fact that violence begets violence. It’s not quite a both-sides situation, but it does highlight the cycles of violence.
The timeliness of Words of War evokes thoughts of The Zone of Interest, which, while tonally and narratively different, spoke to the moment that it debuted. Words of War may not be a film that does anything stylistically or creatively to reinvent the wheel, but it has a message that transcends the bounds of art. And that decree is made all the more obvious by the brilliantly crafted end credits, which highlight dozens of journalists whose lives were lost in the pursuit of a story, from Anna to Jamal Khashoggi, and countless other journalists whose names should be remembered.
Words of War comes to theaters on May 2.