Adam Curtis's 'TraumaZone' documentary series critiqued for lacking his signature voice

Adam Curtis's BBC series 'Russia 1985-1999: TraumaZone' (2022) uses archival footage to depict the Soviet Union's collapse, but critics argue it lacks his usual essayistic narration. The documentary attempts a ground-up narrative similar to Svetlana Alexievich's 'Second-Hand Time' (2013), yet struggles with Moscow-centric footage and limited scope. Curtis, known for works like 'All Watched Over By Machines of Loving Grace' (2011) and 'Can’t Get You Out Of My Head' (2021), minimizes his voice here, relying on text flashes. Scenes include a woman seeking an abortion due to economic crisis and a child begging in Moscow, but the seven-hour series feels protracted. The narrative covers Gorbachev's reforms, Yeltsin's shock therapy, and Putin's rise, yet fails to capture broader post-Soviet life beyond Russia's capital. Comparisons to Alexievich's Nobel-winning book highlight the film's shortcomings in portraying everyday experiences across the former USSR. The review notes the series' timeliness amid current British and Russian political parallels, but deems it an unsatisfying experiment.