Assalt on the senses

Rating: 10/10 (31 July 2010)

Before seeing the movie, the Film Studies professor told the students: "It is an assault on the senses", but nothing could have prepared me to deal with mixed feelings that the film produced. Floyra, the child that the story revolves, ages just in front of the viewer's eyes. He ages based on the most frightening experiences one can imagine. The responsible for the terrible injuries in soul and body are other human beings for the ones that not descriptions exist. I could use the word beast to describe them, but animals do not act like they do. The Nazi soldiers attack Floyra's village, subdue, torture and murder its inhabitants. Entire families are burned alive and soldiers rejoice in their work. Most of the perpetrators are drunk. This can be considered a sign of humanity that can speak of the desire to numb and even block the conscience to commit such barbarism. Nature embodies degradation as well. What was green and lush is transformed, by the grace of the German bombs, in bleak remains of trunks and bare branches, a metaphor for the condition of this young soul. The bomb that deafens to Floyra echoes in the audience. The buzz is part of the assault to the senses about professor spoke before the film opened. It is particularly disturbing the scene about cow that is stolen by Floyra and his comrades not to eat, but to provide milk to the hungry people who remain hidden in the outskirts of the village. An initial burst of bullets kills his comrades and the second wounds and kills the animal. Its eyes show the agony and it is impossible to look, you must close your eyes to avoid those feelings. Exhausted, Florya falls asleep under the heat of the dying animal and wakes up with the coldness of death only to rise up and think how to drag the animal to where his people are, but it is impossible. The viewer lives Floyra's experiences. Stress is not just emotional, the body is stiff and there is nothing to mitigate the feeling until the end of the film, even when those who commanded the massacre were captured by the guerrillas and are subjected to a sort of trial that ends with a benign death sentence. Instead of burning them alive, as it was the first intention, they are put to death with bullets. Floyra's revenge is different; he shoots Hitler's photograph and as clear demonstration of the resilience of the human being, he picks up his rifle and joined his comrades. He is not longer the rookie in search of adventure. Now he is a man readily participating in this awful cycle. I like this movie. I highly recommend it. Director Elem Klimov shows us a harsh vision of war and, it's a very persuasive message against any confrontation.