The most realistic war film you will ever see.

Rating: 10/10 (12 December 2011)

To say that director Elem Klimov does A good job of putting you right in the middle of World War II would be an understatement. Not only are you granted A front row seat to some of the more horrific and beautiful images film has to offer (thanks to mostly hand-held camera work), you can almost smell the toxic fumes emanating from the swamp as Florya desperately plods through it. The soundtrack meshes perfectly with the mood of the film and only heighten the experience. This film is taxing both emotionally and psychologically. By the end of the film our young and naive star has aged what looks to be about 30 years or more. Does this represent him growing into a man? Maybe it symbolizes how much his soul ages right before our eyes. This is something any fan of film needs to see. This film will leave it's mark on you.