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ATTENTION.
For a complete awareness of the very fact of existence of such a picture, please, watch the first part of the review.
Second half of the film moves us to 1943.
An officer of SMERSH is filling the form printed by NKVD.
Mikhalkov decides to add some humour again. *** and cake were not enough.
The point is that facing the officer is a man, who is speaking about occupation with tears in his eyes.
And officer of SMERSH, while pretending to listen, is writing an acknowledgement of guilt on behalf of
Alexander Pushkin stating that the least had shot d'Anthes.
Did they have the same humour with collecting statements in German camps?
-Why are they keeping us here like prisoners?
-Because it's SMERSH.
Officer reports that several times Kotov was offered with transfer from penal battalion because of injuries, heroism,
expiration of his service time but he rejected every one of them.
Then we're carried again. This time it's October, 1941.
We see cadets. Could it be that Mikhalkov will finally show us some valour and honour?
Not only of his characters, namely 10th Company, which together with other units under command of
major general Panfilov held back superior enemy forces at Volokolamsky battlefield.
They were trained well enough to hold the line from Oct.12th to Nov.20th,
then retreat and secure new defense line.
Suddenly, it turns out that regiment is added not to ranks of 16th Army but to some mob of criminals...
which are going to stop tanks with bedsteads. After that follows a couple of pretty good scenes.
The overall ambience that tried to raise its head out of the trench is unexpectedly buries itself even deeper.
-I'll make a couple of straps...
-What straps? It's a door!
-I'll go with rifle in front and a door behind. And it'll catch all the bullets.
So, the allies are going to shoot from behind or you're going to turn around and run from Germans?
For Gods sake, it's a door! It'll hardly stop even a pistol bullet! Probably, it's more comfortable
to move around trench like this. You see, all the people surrounding Kotov are traitors and deserters,
except cadets in this case. And those who are closer to him are, to put nicely, not bright, aren't they?
-What the hell is this?
-...
-***' sapper
-Oh, lemme...
-Get lost.
A great movie about great war. Then Mikhalkov goes into allegories again and by allegories I mean...
Oh, you already know.
-Stop feeding us baloney.
-I'm a commander of Red Army after all.
-What?! Who's the commander of Red Army? You're a ***, not commander, understood?
Outset: A commander of cadets and a legitimate request to report. Also, awareness of penal battalion commander
of imprisonments and executions for the slightest misbehavior.
Plus, a line in book of regulations ordering severe punishment for public insult during war time.
Solution: -Sir, reporting in order, sir!
-First, I don't give a *** what rank you're in.
Mironov says he doesn't need this "elite" but anyway this tactic genius puts everybody in one trench.
It seemed that flanks are open and defense is ineligible, it seemed that for theoretically advanced captain
that would be obvious. And all of that would be understandable if they didn't have enough people but here...
It turned out that penal battalion has its own cannon. A high-achiever of training comes by and starts
to describe its characteristics but forgets to mention that this cannon is from the future.
Evidently, it's an experimental penal battalion that comes from the future too.
But this, as mentioned by Mikhalkov, is one of the little artistic assumptions.
A calm before the storm comes and is interrupted by a pray of penal soldier. A cadet comes near and says
that his father was a mullah and was executed.
But he doesn't tell how did it happen that a son of an executed mullah, Muslim by the way,
was accepted into Kremlin regiment.
Then we see shots that show this could be a good movie about war. At least, a scene with fortuitous gunshot
came out great. Vehicle noise is heard coming from the rear. Soldiers in trenches are convinced those are allied tanks.
In despite of commanders direct order and self-preservation sense one of the Kremlin's cadets runs toward the noise.
And nobody of the comrade-in-arms tried to stop him. A high-achiever of training, a Kremlin cadet doesn't recognize
a German tank.
Many people reproached this silly scene but not me. How can a cadet in 1941 recognize a tank that
will come into service only in '42? Oh, yeah, at least by the color...
Then, this high-achiever wants to find out about his brother who is a tank driver. A hatch opens up and throws out
a chocolate bar and stupid soviet soldier catches it. A polite and noble German only asks to step away from his path.
Germans, as known, come in peace to free Russian people. And landfills, camps, documented atrocities are all fake
and bolshevik propaganda. I'll repeat myself, looks like Germans didn't fight in neither Europe, nor Russia.
They reached this point calmly without any fear for their lives.
That's why he feels safe, fascists had a humanitarian mission!
A brave but terminally stupid soviet soldier provokes Germans by trying to defeat an enemy tank with knife bayonet.
So Germans had to run him over. It is known that soviet soldier is incapable of unhanding the rifle
because it's only one for three men.
Since even sentries weren't deployed by perimeter (don't say that Kremlin cadets didn't know they could) Germans,
as supposed, flanked everybody. To repay their debt to motherland faster commander and other defenders crowd
by the cannon. It seems they even hit one tank. They accompany their bold provocation by outcry of joy.
Only a lazy one wouldn't shoot that. And that's the WAR in all its magnitude: gun rattle, flashes in fog...
This scene is like a book - finish the picture with your imagination. While stupid soviet soldiers are dying the only one
fighting back is gallant penal Kotov: he's shooting, he's swearing,
shred Germans with a shovel. In general, he's the only soldier in a crowd of figurants ought to die. Just like Miller
he shoots the tank clearly not understanding the meaning of word "ricochet". *a decent allegory
That concludes the last fight scene of the great movie about great war. Then comes a symbolic and powerful scene,
which I believed to be so before seeing the movie "This is us, Lord!..." That one also had assumptions and
also mismatched the real history but moved you anyway with its look on 10th Company.
A Door-man is pinned down by 10 ton tank turret, which Kotov raises a little
MAXIMUM POWER
thus freeing Yurok. Since both commanders rejoiced together, the sorrow of defeat should be shared too.
We see the intestines. One captain dies fast and second without any discomfort reflects on stupidity of government.
-***, 240 people that were children...
-And where are our tanks? Where are our red falcons, our heroic pilots, where are these ***?
-Where are their planes? Oh you...
Of course, he forgets to mention his own tactical achievements in this unwrapping speech.
Contrary to "Saving private Ryan" or "The Brest Fortress" in which people's agony could almost be felt as one's own
and all the violent moments actually terrified in "Burnt by the Sun" all this looks fake and not just from the acting
point of view but from empathy POV as well. To invoke an empathy in audience the last should at the very least
associate itself with the character. But what if the character is a complete idiot who's told that gun can kill
and he's pointing it to his own head?
After a difficult battle and direct hit of shell fragment into his stomach Mironov pulls out
a ceramic cup from his pocket. My God...
-Does anybody in Kremlin even understand... anybody... how to fight a German, how to defeat him?
Actually, in reality cadets knew how to fight the fascist. They neutralized 500 soldiers, captured 8 cannons,
12 mortars and 20 vehicles. Their regiment was disbanded only because it accomplished its mission.
But let's get back to Mikhalkovs reality where regiment was destroyed in 5 minutes and the only one fighting was Kotov.
Mironov, because of the surreality of scenario, commits suicide. The planes come and with terrible drone they drop
perforated spoons with "for training" inscription on them.
The point is that during quick march the recruits were given a rifle with perforated barrel and word "for training"
written on them. For a laugh, spoons like these were put into recruits kitbags.
So the Germans pillaged thousand of recruits for spoons, wrote some illogical calls to desertion
and dropped them from plane? Ok, ok, let it be.
But why drop it on an already dead regiment? I thought dead bodies don't succumb to psychic attacks!
Don't tell me that Mikhalkov couldn't find a real struggle in 1941. That year it was damn struggle everywhere.
Why not show Mogilev, Vyazma or real 10th Company? Of all that half-witted crowd only cadets look pitiful
because of good visual element.
Later we're told that penals reached allied forces presumably to receive another non-existent weapon
and another suicide mission.
We travel in time again. This time to August, 1941, to a village, which is invaded by a really strange advanced unit
of German army: it consist of tanks, self-propelled guns, armored cars, trucks, motorcycles, automobiles
and even a whooping squad of cyclists. As the saying goes "In according to secret documents".
Three of them break away from the squad. Looks like for the army that already conquered Europe
and continues to battle in Russia it's perfectly normal. Gypsies come running and of course they've never heard
that since 1934 on occupied territories a genocide of gypsies takes place. They yell and sing, grab the German
by his uniform thus slowing him down and altogether provoking him.
Then suddenly crowd rushes onto him and fascist opens fire on gypsies.
And they deserve as much pity as people nominated for Darwin Award.
-Why did you do it?
It seems in Mikhalkovs universe "Decree on the jurisdiction of martial law and on special measures of the troops"
signed May,13th, 1941, never existed. This one gave no compulsion to prosecute members of Wehrmacht
for any military crimes. Furthermore, it ordered to dispatch guerrillas without mercy.
A good example of compliance to Convention is Babi Yar where all of 150,000 executed
must have been guerrillas or posed a threat to Wehrmacht forces.
-What are you, an SS one?
You must remember that our ancestors fought a chivalrous enemy that followed codes of dignity, nobility and honor.
And 14 million people were killed by SS. Why normal Germans could not be portrayed the other way like in real life?
There is a lot of documented evidence of humanity. They are people too! But here I just don't believe it.
Nadia tries to hide but nobody wants to let her in their house. She should be thankful people didn't gave her away
to Germans (cuz we're in Mikhalkovs universe).
Meanwhile, Germans, who don't know what "guerilla" and "formation" is, break up.
One of them runs after Nadia into the barn, then another one runs in and out run two women.
Third German detects atrocities by Russian people of occupied territories.
And while being totally unaffected by gunfire the whole formation rushes back alerted by a whistle.
On ein-zwei they gather the whole population of village
and demand to give away the criminals for punishment and in exchange for freedom.
Nadia is surprised that with so much people in the village nobody helped her. Just like that one time with the mine.
-Listen to me, you Pioneer ***...
Her friend says that it's their fault, they didn't fight Germans and kept quiet like cowards. Kotova says it's wrong
and guilty conscience drives her friend to saving the villagers from burning alive. But Kotova doesn't want to
take responsibility for her actions so she heroically stops her friend. Of course, a flamethrower shows up
and burns the innocent people in a barn. Could it be all of them are from SS?
After watching the barn burning to the ground Kotova rushes to help, then hysteria comes along
and movie reaches the climax of its lousiness:
-Do you believe in God? If you do, please, don't stand in his way. It's God that doesn't want us to die, it's him, it's him!
It's so easy justify your own mistakes by God.
Baaack in 1943, it appears that Kotov declined transfer from penal battalion again
and was awarded with medal for 1942.
We're teleported to 1942, where penal Kotov let go of highly important prisoner for interrogation.
Why this task was given to him at first place? Now he has to run and swear.
Out in the field with one church only he loses sight of prisoner.
We see the harbingers of stupidity. Fascists have a problem: a 250 kilogram bomb is stuck in their plane.
One of Germans bravely tries (through non-existent bomb hatch) to free the bomb with his leg. But wait,
what about the Convention? What if down below a gipsy band of Red Cross goes by? Are they from SS too?
On the ground in church Kotov finds his daughter's possessions and the German prepares for a crutch attack.
A surprising observation: from the ground we see a clear sky while airplane is flying through impenetrable clouds.
Now we have to think from what altitude the bomb is falling if despite the weight of 250 kg it pierces through roof
but hooks onto a chandelier which prevents the explosion. What kind of nonsense is this?
To somebody it might seem like a minor detail just like an *** from a plane. But 8 years of shooting, 50 mil of budget!
Of course, they have just enough time to run out of church...
Beside the bomb there by all appearances were barrels 1. The bomb explodes
of gasoline which somehow ended up in church. + 2. Gasoline
That's why explosion looks like this. After that, Kotov gives a father-like thrashing to a fascist with his belt.
And the least is having fun explaining how to tie hands up behind the back correctly
so the probability of escape could be minimal.
I thought Fritzes and Ivans had a confrontation but
looks like explosion erased memories of scorched land and killed fellow soldiers.
We see a plot line of an icon which travels from open field, where it was situated in church,
to an unknown ruins, where Kotova is looking for injured.
She finds a burnt and crippled tank driver who is suffering in agony. After bandaging she injects him with painkillers
which take effect instantly and pain is replaced with ***.
-Show me ***.
After studying the documents of the subject I had an impression that times were different and people
were greatly different from modern in a lot of ways. I understand, it's a war, many things happened.
In essence it's understood what Mikhalkov was trying to say with that scene.
But why it couldn't be done more sufficient, so the viewer could get it right?
Just take a look at memoirs - there are lots of examples making you realize that dying out there were young men
who hadn't seen life at all. Isn't that obvious that all the drama of this scene is spoiled by one phrase?
-Show me ***.
-If we are here destined to... I would ask the God before my death to cover a woman with kisses.
The tank driver dies and Nadia Kotova doesn't hurry to dress back even though it looks like its freezing out there.
That's how the "Prestanding" ends. A great movie about a great war.
Taking isolated incidents as a basis and showing only one side of a coin Mikhalkov has made
a pseudo-historical art house movie timed to 65th anniversary of Victory over fascist invaders while
promoting it as a historically correct large-scale picture. Even if we don't notice lots of bloopers,
even if remarkable actors play more Mikhalkov than their characters, but "Burnt by the Sun" as opposed to
"The 9th Company" (which had very little to do with real history) shows us not the heroes we would sympathize with,
not a feeling of bravery, honor and duty, which earned the victory.
It shows stupid, dull-witted deserters, cowards and immoral freaks, who undoubtedly were present at the time,
but it seemed to me that they had very little to do with victory. Only cadets look pitiful if we forget that
they are displayed as total morons, who has nothing at all to do with reality. To all those, who's crying:
"For 65 years it were always movies about heroic deeds and decent people, time to show something else!"
I want to ask a question: "How to sympathize with a bad character?"
Not embellished bad like Hannibal Lecter or robbers from "Heat" but really bad?
How can someone sympathize with ***, murderer, traitor?
How far a character must be developed so viewer would forget how this character murdered his friends
at the beginning of the film? After all, the 9th of May praises some other kind of people,
some other kind of merits than showed by Mikhalkov.
Also, I would like to add a thing about "The Brest Fortress", a movie than doesn't blacken the history,
which is a great deal of, I think, a Belarussian crew. I thank with all my heart Alexander Kott and Igor Ugolnikov, who,
in spite of insufficient funds, almost total lack of advertisement, managed to finish the project.
Somehow, in their movie Germans didn't use airplanes to show their ***, but to drop heavy bombs
that don't hook onto chandeliers.
The Germans themselves are not the noble knights, but soldiers, who reach their goals by all means possible.
And heroes you sympathize with somehow behave like people - panic, sometimes chicken out and fear for their lives
but overcome their shortcomings for their family, or ideals, or murdered comrades.
And war is shown not as something abstract in fog, but a horrible, and really frightening event.
It is amazing, but there was a place for allegories. Meanwhile, this film, which for me is on the same level as
"Saving Private Ryan", costs 6 times less than "Burnt by the Sun 2".
By the way, in a good movie eyes do not search for bloopers and defects, eyes watch the movie.
If Tarantino shot his "Inglorious Basterds" initially showing that he's fooling around then Mikhalkov shot
the homegrown version of "Inglorious Basterds" with a completely straight face. In the outcome it wasn't "the response"
or "our version of". But even if we forget about all the bloopers and lies, manage to feel sympathy for characters,
forget that movie costed 50 million dollars, I think it would still be a bad set of badly connected novels.
I still can't believe that the very same man shot "At home amongst strangers..."
In result, with a positive example of "The Brest Fortress" or even German movie "Stalingrad" produced in 1993,
I want to raise a question:
"Why the movie couldn't be about normal people and heroic deeds founded on real facts and real history?"
From the heroes of former times
Sometimes even names are lost
Those who engaged in death match
Have turned into earth and grass
Only their threatening valor
Had settled in living hearts
This eternal flame
Which is given to us by will
We keep in our chest
Take a look at my fighters
The whole world remembers their faces
A regiment still in formation
I recognize my old friends again
Although they're not older than 25
A hard path they had to travel
They are those who with bayonets
Stood up as one.
Those who took Berlin.
There's no family in Russia
That didn't remember its own hero.
And the eyes of young soldiers
Gaze from withered photographs.
This gaze is like an ultimate judgement
For children that grow up now.
Those boys cannot lie, neither cheat, [Author: Yevgeniy Bazhenov]
Nor change their path. [Subtitles: Borisovich]