tugceatay Since the fall of the Soviet Union, we listened to the second world war from the United States.But Soviet Union where lost millions of people is changed the fate of the war.This is a reminding. So if you bored this 'America, hero of the the world' , this production could be good beginning for you. Now if we turn our film, this is really explain conflict between devotion and betrayal.Besides miserable conditions of peasants who had to struggle with Nazis, cold and hunger... There isn't exaggeration, unnecessary extensions.Russian films which have simplicity and the fact, the film has it. Especially poignant end of the film, description of human dignity that we lost nowadays demonstratively are drawn.

neigenoirejz Is one's life the most valuable thing one can possess? Are all ideals and philosophies mere fallacy, not worth sacrificing one's life for? These are the questions this film touches upon. And does so brilliantly.By today's standards, the film might be viewed as somewhat slow-paced and indeed, without giving too much away, certain scenes are a bit stretched out and in my opinion, could have been made shorter for stronger emotional impact. Nonetheless, the amazing performance by all the main actors kept me glued to the screen most of the time. The hopelessness and the terror of war, intensified by the unforgiving Russian winter, permeates the film from start to finish.The film presents us with food for thought not covered much by modern cinema, touching upon something that isn't often discussed openly in modern society. We avoid it because it lurks inside each of us and we fear it - venality and betrayal in face of death. Our life is everything we know - the entire world ends with it, as Portnov, the Nazi interrogator says in the film. Would YOU sacrifice it for something? For anything? This film will force you to ponder this question and reflect on your values and yourself as a human being.

Joe M Shepitko's The Ascent portrays the literal and metaphorical journey of two Russian soldiers deep into enemy territory and into the depths of their consciences. Sent to find food for a hungry division of partisan soldiers fighting Germans in Belarus during World War II, Sotnikov and Rybak make their way across a wintry landscape, attempting to evade German squads. The film was made in 1977, but is filmed in stark black and white. This format, in coordination with the bleak snow-covered landscape, makes the beginning of the film almost completely two-tone: black soldiers on white snow. The motion of the camera complements this with shots that call attention to the contrast between white and black, an unmistakable symbolism that refers to several dichotomies represented by the two principal characters. Throughout the beginning, Sotnikov is sick, marking him immediately and physically as different from Rybak, who selfishly tells him he never should have come. The differences between the two men only grow when, while fleeing German troops, Sotnikov is shot in the leg, spilling dark blood onto the white snow. It is almost as if all darkness leaves him, then, an idea reinforced as Rybak drags him into the woods, covering him in snow and rendering him completely white. The moral purity that distinguishes Sotnikov from Rybak becomes more apparent from this point on, after which the film also largely abandons the black-and-white motif–its symbolic work being done–in favor of shades of gray. These seem to represent the varying degrees of truth and betrayal demonstrated by the new characters who are introduced, from the innocent mother who houses the soldiers to the headman who worked for the Germans for fear of his life: light collides with dark.Upon their eventual discovery by German troops, the two partisans face very different interrogations. Unwilling to betray his cause, Sotnikov reveals no information and withstands terrible torture, whereas Rybak proves immediately pliant and even jumps at the opportunity to join the German police in exchange for his life. The illness, wounding, and torture that bring Sotnikov ever closer to death reinforce his inner need to be true to himself and his cause, a need that leads him even to attempt self-sacrifice to save the prisoners who are condemned to be hanged with him, giving him a Jesus-like aura as he is led up a hill to his death. Unlike the pure Sotnikov, Rybak betrays his cause and himself by joining the Germans rather than face the death his ostensible convictions would earn him, earning jeers as a "Judas," from the Belorussian villagers. In the last shot, with a final scream, Rybak realizes that–in the culmination of Shepitko's incredible journey through the visual–he truly is the black to Sotnikov's white, completely incapable of holding true to himself, unable to muster the will to escape the Germans who have fomented his betrayal by either committing suicide or running away through even an open gate. All of this internal struggle, revelation, and symbolism is built slowly and brilliantly up by the director from the mere initial binary of black and white.

MacAindrais The Ascent (1977) Larisa Shepitko is a name very few are familiar with. Her bright career as a director only lasted a single decade, ended abruptly by a tragic car accident. Despite her short career, she however managed to create some of the best Soviet films of her time. Her last film, The Ascent, is widely regarded as one of the finest Soviet films of the 1970s. Nevertheless, her work remained in obscurity throughout the years that followed, usually only available on rare and poor copies on video. That has now changed thanks to the folks at Criterion. They've released two of Shepitko's best works through their Eclipse department - Wings, and her penultimate masterpiece The Ascent.Set during the darkest days of WWII in snowy rural Russia, two partisans trudge their way across the land in search of food after their party is attacked by Nazi patrols. They're originally only to go to a nearby farm, but when they arrive they find it razed by the Germans. Not wanting to return empty handed, they continue on deeper into enemy territory. Along the way they must confront not only enemy soldiers, but the harsh conditions of the Russian plains, potential betrayal and their own souls.The movie does not fall into simplistic plot devices or destinations. It addresses difficult questions with painful rationality. It never takes the easy road or gives us comforting answers. The second half of the film is filled with moral dilemmas. Shepitko shows us the intimate horrors of war through the internal conflict between fellow Russians - those who collaborated and those who fought back. While she does show the collaborators as the clear heels, she nevertheless also shows why many turned to such tactics - survival.The film contains a number of religious references, particularly to the lead up to the crucifixion. This is a spiritual journey, into the hearts, souls, and minds of the two partisans and those they encounter. Shepitko and her cinematographer capture the journey in beautiful black and white photography. The camera moves in long shots, similar to the camera-work of another of Russia's greatest filmmakers, Andrei Tarkovsky. Shepitko, like many others, was clearly influenced by Tarkovsky's style, and the Ascent takes some of its rhythmic notes from Ivan's Childhood. It is a stunning film to look at, and does a fantastic job of capturing the cold and terrifying atmosphere of occupied Russia.Shepitko's husband would pay homage to her great film a decade later. Elem Klimov made his own war masterpiece with one of the greatest films I've ever seen - Come and See. The story and themes of that film were clearly influenced by The Ascent. Though that film is also a fairly obscure one, it received far more attention that any of Shepitko's films. That however acted as a bridge to Shepitko, and has been one of the best helps to keeping her work alive.The Ascent is a truly magnificent film, and rightly should be considered one of the best films of the 70s. It's stunning cinematography is inspiring; its mood is frighteningly authentic; and its lessons are unforgettable. It is, in any definition of the word, nothing less than a masterpiece. How unfortunate that Shepitko's career was cut short just as it was hitting its peak.