Home Movie Reviews ‘Superpower’ Review: Ukrainian War Takes a Film Hostage in Sean Penn and Aaron Kaufman’s Documentary | Berlinale 2023

Sean Penn and Aaron Kaufman’s work here is admirable, but unfortunately, ‘Superpower’ becomes little more than propaganda.

Superpower was conceived by directors Sean Penn and Aaron Kaufman to dissect the political ascension of Volodymyr Zelensky, an actor who played the part of a teacher turned president in the comedic series Servant of the People before he was elected in real life. However, while Zelensky’s unbelievable trajectory to power is weird enough to sustain many documentaries, Superpower was forced to become a completely different story due to the 2022’s Russian invasion of Ukraine. That’s because, while they were in the country to produce Superpower, Penn and Kaufman found themselves in the middle of an unexpected war, which compelled them to redirect their cameras toward the trail of destruction left behind by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s twisted ambitions. Unfortunately, what could be a revealing look at the entrails of the War in Ukraine quickly becomes an uncomfortable mixture of self-promotion and shallow sensationalism.
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Superpower starts strong, as the 2019 political scandal involving former President Donald Trump and Ukraine leads Penn and Kaufman to learn more about the country and its leader, Zelensky. In doing so, the filmmaker duo dives deep into the recent history of Ukraine, learning how 2013’s Revolution of Dignity and 2014’s invasion of Crimea fed the people’s hate for the Russians and united Ukranians in their goal of preserving their national independence. The documentary also explores how the political crisis in Ukraine led the people to vote for an outsider, flirting with a critical discussion of how the mediatization of politics can serve either to give the power to authentic delegates of the people or to strategists who know how to use social media to conquer hearts and minds. Finally, Superpower explores the shaky support Zelensky got after his election, despite his massive victory.

Things start to get messy as bombs hit Kyev, after Putin’s threats stopped being empty and begin to put thousands of innocent lives at risk. At first, the chaotic tone of Superpower seems to mirror the shock and surprise of the Russian invasion, which many of us couldn’t believe would actually happen until it was too late. Unfortunately, it doesn’t take long for Superpower to become all about Penn’s tenacity and Zelensky’s unshakable courage. And even though we can agree that the Ukrainian president has become a symbol of authority and leadership in the face of danger, Superpower abandons the analysis of the Russo-Ukrainian War in favor of a neverending repetition of the same bland ideas.

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For most of its tiresome 115-minute runtime, Superpower will put Penn on the front stage as he takes up the self-appointed task of being the spokesperson of Ukraine and Zelensky in the Occident. We all remember when Penn burst into every news station calling the world’s free nations to arms in defense of Ukraine, with many good intentions and not so much strategic vision. However, in Superpower’s confusing editing, Penn becomes the leader of the insurrection of Russian people against the war after the invasion. He’s also the man who convinced the US to send weapons to Zelensky. There’s something genuine in Penn’s admiration for Zelensky and his desire to support Ukraine in a desperate moment of the country’s story. Still, his new documentary wastes too much time transforming the star into a brave warrior who dares to go to the front lines, dragging a production crew into a dangerous and irresponsible situation just to emulate some unnecessary courage.

When Superpower is not busy with Penn’s adventures amidst the wreckages of real human lives, it does whatever it can to put Zelensky on a pedestal. While Penn and Kaufman have the opportunity to talk with civilians about the destruction they face every day, the interviews conducted by the duo constantly push people to either ask for more weapons or say Zelensky is the leader who united the nation. All the subtlety of the movie’s first arc is lost, and even when Superpower stumbles in critical discussions, as how the speed of communication leads people to forget relevant subjects that go out of fashion, the documentary is incapable of letting go of its advertisement aspirations.

It’s hard to blame Penn and Kaufman for taking the easier road, as the global solidarity for Ukraine is more than enough to make Superpower a new documentary sensation. The whole world is looking to Ukraine with compassion and rightfully condemning the inhuman actions of the Russian military in the Slavic country. Nevertheless, Superpower does little to elucidate the complex geopolitical forces acting in favor and against Ukraine and doesn’t even try to explore the layered consequences of the Slavic conflict. Penn and Kaufman reduce the whole message to a single note, hoping to convince the world to drop more weapons in Ukraine or directly fight Russian forces.

As a result, the shocking images of Superpower can move us, but the movie ends up being nothing more than a piece of propaganda. Even worse, the documentary is a wasted opportunity to give a proper voice to the people who still live and fight in Ukraine. Instead, Superpower seems more concerned about contributing to the mystification of Zelensky and the image of Penn as a lonesome and brave hero.

Rating: C-

Superpower had its world premiere at 2023’s Berlin Film Festival.