Big plot problems but otherwise an enjoyable film. Why Ampicillin????

Rating: 7/10 (7 June 2009)

I really enjoyed this film. It showed how 4 brothers helped to save the lives of hundreds of Jews in World War 2 Belorussia / Poland. I thought it was excellently acted and directed, but a little more attention to the details would have helped. I don't know all the history of these partisan groups, but I thought even though the film was clearly showing the Bielskis to be the heroes, it did make references to their revenge and brutality, showing this group were no innocent Robin Hood style characters (nor would you expect anyone who had witnessed the Nazi treatment of their people to be only full of love and kindness.)
My problem with the plot is the supposed use of Ampicillin. This antibiotic gets a fairly big role in the film (for a medicine,) with the main character's survival linked to it and the Russian partisans being blamed for not sharing their supplies with the Jews. Unfortunately Ampicillin was not invented until 1961. Even the earliest forms of penicillin were in the very beginnings of production at this stage. By June 1942, there was only enough penicillin in the world to treat 10 patients, and almost all of this was in America. While I appreciate not many people would know this, it doesn't take 10 minutes to find out online, or by asking any doctor. Even I would have told them, for a small fee! Joking aside, it would have made the whole film feel much more accurate if they'd done a tiny bit more research while writing the script.