Communism: History of an Illusion

Communism: History of an Illusion

2006

Documentary

It started with Lenin and ended with Gorbachev. In this three-part documentary we highlight the people and events that played key roles in the rise of a revolutionary idea and the fall of an empire. How was it possible that this idea could fascinate so many people, including hundreds of intellectuals? How did so many thousands of people put up with suppression, indignity and economic hardship and still remain true to the fundamental concepts of communism?

Open in PickFlick

Language

DE

Status

Ended

First Aired

January 1, 2006

Last Aired

January 15, 2006

Created By

Christian Weisenborn

Where to Watch

Region US · Lang EN

US

No providers available for this region.

Seasons & Episodes

Select a season to view episodes. Reddit links may contain spoilers.

Season

E1

Part 1

Air date: 2006-01-01

Part 1 of 3

E2

Part 2

Air date: 2006-01-08

Part 2 of 3

E3

Part 3

Air date: 2006-01-15

Part 3 of 3

Recommended

History 101

History 101

Infographics and archival footage deliver bite-size history lessons on scientific breakthroughs, social movements and world-changing discoveries.

History 101

2020

7.1

The Story of Film: An Odyssey

The Story of Film: An Odyssey

A worldwide guided tour of the greatest movies ever made and the story of international cinema through the history of cinematic innovation.

The Story of Film: An Odyssey

2011

7.7

Eli Roth's History of Horror

Eli Roth's History of Horror

An in-depth look at the history and pop cultural significance of horror films.

Eli Roth's History of Horror

2018

6.4

Doctor Who Confidential

Doctor Who Confidential

Doctor Who Confidential is a documentary to complement the revival of the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Each episode was broadcast on BBC Three on Saturdays, immediately after the broadcast of the weekly television episode on BBC One. The running time of the first two series was 30 minutes, being extended to 45 minutes in the third. BBC Three also broadcast a cut-down edition of the programme, lasting 15 minutes, shown after the repeats on Sundays and Fridays and after the weekday evening repeats of earlier seasons.

Doctor Who Confidential

2005

8.1

The New York Times Presents

The New York Times Presents

A series of standalone documentaries powered by the unparalleled journalism and insight of The New York Times, bringing viewers close to the essential stories of our time.

The New York Times Presents

2020

7.2

The Reluctant Traveller with Eugene Levy

The Reluctant Traveller with Eugene Levy

Award-winning actor and nervous explorer Eugene Levy steps out of his comfort zone for a whirlwind tour of the world's most beautiful and intriguing destinations.

The Reluctant Traveller with Eugene Levy

2023

7.4

Top Gear

Top Gear

Motoring programme featuring reviews of and reports about cars of all types.

Top Gear

1978

7.9

Leaving Neverland

Leaving Neverland

Explores the experiences of James Safechuck and Wade Robson, who were both befriended and sexually abused by singer Michael Jackson, and the complicated feelings that led them both to confront their experiences.

Leaving Neverland

2019

6.4

The Movies

The Movies

Explore American cinema through the decades and the cultural, societal and political shifts that framed its evolution.

The Movies

2019

6.5

Horizon

Horizon

Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.

Horizon

1964

7.4

American Masters

American Masters

American Masters is a PBS television series which produces biographies on enduring writers, musicians, visual and performing artists, dramatists, filmmakers, and others who have left an indelible impression on the cultural landscape of the United States.

American Masters

1986

7.3

Disney Gallery / Star Wars: The Mandalorian

Disney Gallery / Star Wars: The Mandalorian

Executive producer Jon Favreau invites the cast and crew of The Mandalorian to share an unprecedented look at the making of the series. Each chapter explores a different facet of the first live-action Star Wars television show through interviews, never-before-seen footage, and roundtable conversations hosted by Favreau himself.

Disney Gallery / Star Wars: The Mandalorian

2020

7.5

Similar TV Shows

Abeceda komunistických zločinů

No overview available.

Abeceda komunistických zločinů

2011

Stalin

Stalin

Three years in the making, this comprehensive study of the Soviet dictator blends documentary footage and interviews with experts and surviving witnesses.

Stalin

1990

9.0

The Red Empire

The Red Empire

The story of an empire: From its founding in 1922 to its dissolution in 1991, the Soviet Union was shaped by revolutionary idealism, but also by oppression and decay. The USSR evolved from Stalinist terror through the Thaw under Khrushchev to political processes such as glasnost and perestroika under Gorbachev. Finally, in 1991, it collapsed.

The Red Empire

2022

8.0

Faith of the Century: A History of Communism

Faith of the Century: A History of Communism

Communism spread to all of the continents of the word, lasting through four generations and over seven decades. Hundreds of millions of men and women were affected by this political system, one of the most unjust and bloodiest in history. Using newly discovered propaganda films and archival photos, these four episodes explore the mysteries of this totalitarian political machine that lured its share of important followers into the fold. Known as the red church, communism seduced its ardent followers like some earthly religion.

Faith of the Century: A History of Communism

1999

8.5

The Cuba Libre Story

The Cuba Libre Story

Recounts the tumultuous history of Cuba, a nation of foreign conquest, freedom fighters and Cold War political machinations.

The Cuba Libre Story

2015

6.6

Russia 1985-1999: TraumaZone

Russia 1985-1999: TraumaZone

What it felt like to live through the collapse of communism and democracy. A series of films by Adam Curtis.

Russia 1985-1999: TraumaZone

2022

8.6

Dvojí život jedné strany

No overview available.

Dvojí život jedné strany

2021

China: The Making of a Nation

China: The Making of a Nation

China: The Making of a Nation is the story of the painful transformation of the vast Qing Empire into the Chinese nation after the 1911 revolution. Spanning more than a century up to the Xi Jinping era, the story pits the two pivotal leaders of this transformation against each other: Chiang Kai-shek, leader of the Republic of China for 47 years, and Mao Zedong, who rose from ‘red bandit’ to master of the mainland in 1949. Sworn enemies, they fought a merciless battle: first military, then diplomatic, and finally, beyond their deaths, in the conflicting memories of the Taiwanese and the Chinese of the People's Republic. Beyond their fierce hatred, the two tyrants also had much in common: a certain vision of Chinese territory and the greatness of China, the desire to regain the country's sovereignty and the quest for a Chinese identity in a nation that also includes Tibetans, Uighurs, Mongols... and a certain ability to rewrite history.

China: The Making of a Nation

2026

8.0

The Lost World of Communism

The Lost World of Communism

The Lost World of Communism is a three-part British documentary series which examines the legacy of Communism twenty years on from the fall of the Berlin Wall. Produced by Peter Molloy and Lucy Hetherington, the series takes a retrospective look at life behind the Iron Curtain between 1945 and 1989, focusing on three countries in the Eastern Bloc - East Germany, Czechoslovakia and Romania. Through film and television footage and the personal recollections of those who lived in these countries, the series offers a glimpse of what daily life was like during the years of Communist rule. The Lost World of Communism debuted on BBC Two on Saturday 14 March 2009 at 9:00pm. There is also a book which accompanies the series.

The Lost World of Communism

2009

6.0

Russia's War: Blood Upon the Snow

Russia's War: Blood Upon the Snow

An account of the Eastern Front, epic in scale and savagery, as Soviets experienced it and Stalin commanded it.

Russia's War: Blood Upon the Snow

1996

9.0

The Vietnam War

The Vietnam War

An immersive 360-degree narrative telling the epic story of the Vietnam War as it has never before been told on film. Featuring testimony from nearly 80 witnesses, including many Americans who fought in the war and others who opposed it, as well as Vietnamese combatants and civilians from both the winning and losing sides.

The Vietnam War

2017

8.2

Phantom India

Phantom India

Louis Malle called his gorgeous and groundbreaking Phantom India the most personal film of his career. And this extraordinary journey to India, originally shown as a miniseries on European television, is infused with his sense of discovery, as well as occasional outrage, intrigue, and joy.

Phantom India

1969

5.4

PickFlick Assistant

Hi! I'm your PickFlick Assistant. Ask me about movies, TV shows, OTT sources, or anything about PickFlick.

Powered by CopilotKit