Subjectivist, first person, impressionistic and elliptical war movie that gets the point of war (establishing truth over lies) but not always the outcome, from the position of someone whose entire village is massacred by occupying German troops. This immersive and disorienting technique almost literally covers us in the muck and the bullets; yet firmly anchors us, emotionally. It shows the inherent brutality of war – particularly Total War – without brutalizing its audience.
The life changes wrought, not by war as such, but by the realization that war is inescapable, are shown with chilling candor. Thus, to become truly effective in an anti-fascist war, the Russian partisans must act in accordance with the old rubric: The only good Nazi is a dead one. Here, unfortunately, the film runs into a problem it does not solve. It tries too hard to be intense and thought provoking; making the film longer than necessary to make its points – that is, of course, unless one has actually had the unpleasant experiences depicted.
The acting is as grueling to watch as it must have been to perform in its search for extreme authenticity. There is a deft understanding of the absolute and profound anger and bloodlust Total War causes, without indulging in narcissistic emotionalism. Ultimately, a clever indictment of one of the most abominable examples of White racism, as we witness a young man visibly aging in his literal and psychological journey through the killing fields of Byelorussia. It is his unlined face, more than any other (presented direct to camera) which gives this film its haunting, silent movie quality.
Copyright © 2009 Frank TALKER. Permission granted to reproduce and distribute it in any format; provided that mention of the author’s Weblog (http://franktalker5.blogspot.com/) is included: E-mail notification requested. All other rights reserved.
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