Vladimir Putin

This fine episode from the long-running A&E Biography series focuses on the shadowy rise and disturbing reign of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Piecing together what is known of Putin's mysterious past, including his career as a KGB agent during the height of the Cold War, the documentary relies on candid interviews with Putin's former colleagues to illustrate the forces that shaped his personality and politics (Putin himself isn't one for detailed interviews). At Russia's helm, Putin's steely demeanor and seeming disregard for the basic protocols of an interactive democracy have raised red flags (pardon the pun) of alarm throughout the former Soviet Union and around the world (the continuing war in Chechnya has devolved into a military quagmire, while the brazen dismantling of a free media and intimidation of political opposition has generated more than a few comparisons between Putin and the Kremlin brass of the Cold War era). Sadly, this profile has already become somewhat dated as world events spin Putin's regime into a collision course with the Bush administration's campaign to spread democracy throughout the world. President Bush claimed that when he looked into Putin's eyes, he saw his soul, but either he caught something the rest of us missed (in this program, what we mostly see is an icy gaze) or he is following the folly of other presidents who grievously misread the enigma of Russian leadership. Highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (P. Hall)