Voskhozhdenie (1977)

Partisan and civilian suffering during World War II.
A film, beautifully expressed, about courage, self-sacrifice, betrayal, collaboration, and... death. The execution scene towards the end is an unforgettable and unique piece of film, and the scot scene is hardly inferior to it.
Very beautiful visual compositions and masses of close-ups that portray human emotions with unparalleled beauty (the little boy beating the execution into action and the mortal fear of the girl who clearly wonders "why, I am still so young" are just a few examples), while the extremely skillful performances should immediately be underlined, with the collaborator-interrogator Portnov standing out particularly.
Subtle soundtrack in this raw, moving work.

Translated from Dutch · View original

The first half-hour is a beautiful film in those barren, snow-covered plains. Due to the abundance of white snow and the black-and-white photography, the imagery becomes almost abstract, with a few vertical trees here and there and branches stretching in all directions. Very beautiful. The cold and misery are almost palpable. After that, the film shifts mainly towards indoor locations, and the characters cease to be part of their surroundings and become walking symbols that left me feeling nothing. However, those indoor scenes are also considerably less interesting to watch, slow, and even bordering on boring. The film does end reasonably well, but the level of that amazing first half-hour is never reached again. Rounded up to 3.5*.

Translated from Dutch · View original

It is clear that The Ascent is a brutal war drama. The first part focuses on the survival journey of the two partisans who must overcome hellish winter conditions, and Shepitko manages to capture the wintry landscapes beautifully.

However, it is the second part of the film that appeals to me the most. The scene where the two men are found by the Germans in the stable is portrayed with incredible suspense. The interrogations and torture by the collaborator Portnov (very strongly acted, by the way) also hit hard, but it is the ending that makes the biggest impression. The hanging of the various people, during which Ryback defects to the Germans, is depicted very powerfully. The scene where Ryback has to hold his comrade's scaffold, in particular, gave me a very chilling feeling.

Powerful Russian war drama that left me with a rather chilling feeling.

3.5*

Translated from Dutch · View original