Utterly Jaw-Dropping Intensity!

Rating: 10/10 (18 December 2003)

I stumbled upon this film when it was screened one evening a few months back on the CUNY TV channel. Ever since then, I cannot get some of the images out of my head. For me, this is one sign of great film making. In particular, there is a scene in which the protagonist and another partisan steal a cow late at night from a farmer who is (apparently) collaborating with the Germans. The farmer discovers the theft before they have had time to get very far and summons the Germans. The Germans can barely make out the silhouette of the cow in the distance across the vast Belorussian fields (close to a mile away or more!) and begin firing. The pair takes cover behind the cow as numerous tracers fly horrifyingly close overhead. Eventually the tracers depress closer and closer to the ground and the cow is hit by a number of them and goes down. The camera hovers over the cow's eye as the life runs out of it. I am convinced that real ammunition was used and a live cow was actually shot on camera. I cannot adequately convey the surreal horror depicted in this scene. Nor can I quite put my finger on why the scene struck me so powerfully. It has remained with me ever since. There are numerous other moments like that throughout this masterwork, which linger in the memory. I cannot recommend this film highly enough, although it is not for the faint-of-heart. If you have the chance to see it on the big screen especially, DO NOT pass it up! Be forewarned though--you will be utterly shaken to the core. This film may be unrivaled in its depiction of the absolute horror and futility of war.