Citizen K

Mikhail Khodorkovsky was counted as the richest man in Russia in the 1990s. In the chaotic years after the Soviet collapse he was among a small group who built fortunes out of the privatisation of state assets. He was arrested in 2003 and served ten years in prison. After his release he became, from abroad, one of the most visible opponents of Putin. Alex Gibney's documentary does not present Khodorkovsky as a clean hero: it also lays out how the oligarchs got rich in the 1990s and how they were part of the bargain that carried Putin to power. Then it watches that bargain break down. Because Khodorkovsky himself is the film's main source, it has also been criticised for staying close to his view of things. It runs over two hours.