>>45475
As for propaganda. It is. Not just because almost all films/movies can be considered as propaganda (even those which were made for the sole purpose of making profit, they follow certain trends, and add to the sound of the others, amplifying the message unconsciously), but this was made for shaping feelings and thoughts, not to spur deeds, but to put to ease, help to process the past, to give some closure. The humour also offers solace among the oppression of the present. Humour in general was used by the powers that be as an outlet to channel the anger, and make the people more docile and manageable. Political humour was alive and well, thriving in the system.
Sure the film was banned for a decade, but we can think of it as putting it onto ice, with the passing years putting some distance between the now and the past events. And someone upstairs had to give the green light to make this movie in the first place, after the script went through several layers of the bureaucracy.
Picrel is the leader of culture politics, who banned The Witness. He was one of the convicted during the show trials of 1949-50, the film refers to.