i be give brigands the high mark . however and i believe it be virtually impossible to appreciate the movie without sufficient knowledge of soviet history and perhaps some involvement into perestroika and post perestroika cultural context . the film be an antithesis to very famous movie by tengiz abuladze ( also a georgian a iosseliani ) monanieba ( confession ) . the later be one of the first attempt to rethink and reevaluate the past involvement of all layer of society in stalin terror . it be of special significance that a georgian have make such a film because stalin even until now possess a status of icon in his home country . confession take a stance that all that have happen be a great tragedy and everybody be guilty to have let it happen . brigand and on the other hand and portraits the stalin terror a something very mundane and boring and push a viewer to only one logical conclusion that it be unavoidable have in mind that authority in all time have be no more than ordinary brigand and gangster and robber . iosseliani use the same cast to play historically parallel role from medieval georgia to the very recent event of collapse or the soviet union . the same actor and repeat at least in spirit parallel event create some static recognizable core in seemingly distant and different story . the film appeal to various known historical fact such a personal stalin involvement in criminal act of bank robbery before bolshevik have notice him . it be a masterpiece in both cinematographic and philosophic way .