Blizzard of Souls - Zwischen den Fronten

Considering the budget cast is working with.. its very well made. Acting on other hand.. Could have been better but in general enjoyable movie to watch.

This film tells a story based on a novel "Dveselu putenis" by Aleksandrs Grins. Novel is too long for the film, so Scriptwriter Boris Frumin took the best parts to match 120 minute playtime.

Film resembles war tragedy, as scriptwriter Boris Frumin puts it. Many people gave their time and energy, you can literary feel it in the movie. That important it was. Our nation needed it. This is a people's film. Very inspiring and uplifting.

This film have a wide appeal. Just go and see it!

First ever thought after movie credits started to appear on the big screen line after line was - I want to hold on to the feeling this movie has been awakening inside of my soul. It's hard to tell a story about a time that has been long gone, yet is in people's memories trough books and history lessons in school. Nevertheless - creators of "Blizzard of souls" are touching audiences with the simplicity, with extracted one person perspective, one joy and love, one... This is actually extremely hard to shine light on history trough a personal journey trough war days and relationships that are formed by the rush of war - everyone understands the urgency to take action and live this very second, to fullest, since there's great chance that might be the last sunrise, last meal, last kiss. Yet everyone is hoping to be able to live long enough to have that peace after.. Movie balances, telling us all the mix of emotions via superb camera work, brilliant movie soundtrack and acting that is heavenly simple and to the point. Some of the episodes are proudly written in the golden heritage of Latvian cinema, some will be. This is the movie that starts great line of stories - after the Alexander Green masterpiece here as cinematic marvel, people should watch "Chronicles of Melania" - these both are letting foreign people to understand the utmost importance and pain we feel and can make you understand why all the time under the soviet oppression was so dark for people who just recently had to fight so courageously to have own time, own country and own values.. No - this is not an easy and entertaining movie. This is a soul shaker. I would love to see 11 stars out of 10 - but giving here full 9 - as my effort towards "less biased" ratings. Must see!

I completely agree with reviewer, fernandojnfalmeida's short but right on the money review:

Quote: "Fantastic, better than 1917 fernandojnfalmeida-672-22614620 November 2020 Let's say it's a 1917, with better cinematography, with a plot at a much higher level and a density and complexity of historical facts stratospheric compared to 1917." Unquote

The movie 1917 that won an Oscar is still a clueless myth to me. The whole movie was merely about two British grunts volunteered or been forced to carry out an alert mission. What we saw was just a camera followed those two young men went through the battlefield with actually nothing to tell, except when a German plane after bombing was shot down by the British riflemen on the ground. That was the only incident worth mentioning. Other than that episode, there's nothing special to tell. We just followed the damn camera which followed those two grunts backs went through the whole lame movie to the end.

But "Blizzard of Souls" is a totally different achievement. Telling us how a young kid under 17 from a farm boy to grow up into a seasoned veteran, who lost his mother, father and later lost his big brother. Wounded so many times, almost was killed several times, even escaped from an execution.

The movie itself is a saga, a journey throughout the four seasons, so many deaths, so many losses, so many bloody battles, bleeding, wounds. When the movie ended and the credit appeared, you would see those photos in black and white shot at that time were all subtly acted, directed and edited with the real actors to realize truthfully. The harshness of the fate of that little country, first invaded and raped by the German, then cheated, manipulated by the Tsars, then again coerced, forced and cheated by the Soviet Russia. A small but tough nation not liberated from the slavery of the Red Communist Russia until late in the 20th Century and finally allow the world to know what a beautiful country it is. What a journey!

If the lousy "1917" could win Oscar, then this "Blizzard of Souls (The Rifleman)" should win more! I am also quite amazed that a small country could produce and present to us such a mature and wonderful war movie. Everything looked authentic and real, battle scenes, costumed, make-up, editing, directing and acting are very very good. Every scene was so detailed and carefully shot. What a nice work! I never got bored, lost focus and became impatient from the beginning to the end.

Highly recommended!

A moving story of teenager, who joins army to fight for his people, and his coming-of age against the backdrop of terrors of first World War I, then Russian revolution and finally Latvian War of Independence. A film making at its best, and an especially moving story for Latvians, as it all really happened just a hundred years ago, a birth of our nation state.