At the beginning of ‘Superpower’, Sean Penn tries to anticipate the criticism that his previous trips to conflict zones brought with him. “No matter how weathered it is,” he says in the story, “my famous face gives me access to places and people I might not otherwise have known.”
That’s undoubtedly true, even though he has used that access in the past to lob softball questions with El Chapo. When it comes to chronicling the war in Ukraine, the subject of this documentary, which Penn co-directed with Aaron Kaufman, it’s hard to begrudge the actor’s mission. Like the French intellectual Bernard-Henri Lévy, who makes his own documentaries about the war, Penn seems to have one eye in the mirror, but at least he is taking action.
‘Superpower’ started as a film about the unlikely presidency of Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky and his path from comic actor to politician. Much of the first volume consists of material collected by Penn from the period before the invasion. Experts expose the complexities of the country’s 21st century history. Ukrainians reflect on the legacy of the Maidan protests and express skepticism about Zelensky’s potential.
Penn pulls off a coup by obtaining an on-camera interview with Zelensky on the first day of the Russian invasion, and he films him twice more, in a video interview and in person during a later visit. Zelensky’s words – about what his country needs, about how his nine-year-old has prematurely grown into a “wise political man” – are often familiar but still moving. Potentially more of a stunt is Penn’s journey to the front, which seems as much about proving his mettle as it does about getting the story.
Superpower
Not judged. In English and Ukrainian, with subtitles. Playing time: 1 hour 55 minutes. Watch on Paramount+.