Im Morgengrauen ist es noch still

As I was working on a project on Soviet women in WWII, this movie was suggested to me by one of my professors who is a Russian herself. I was totally expecting some elaborate, romantic story, but I found the movie to be very realistic and consistent with my own research. This movie definitely highlights some of the general experiences and emotions felt by Soviet women soldiers at this time. I also enjoyed the many cultural references, for example to the film Tsirk. This film is a great tribute to all those soldiers who died in World War II, especially the women who I will never forget. I highly recommend this movie to anyone with any interest in Soviet history or WWII history.

I saw this movie several times. First, I watched this movie when I was a kid. At that time it didn't say much to me. There isn't much war-film stuff in it: except for some air-raid attack-counter-attack scene at the beginning and several shots in the second part of the movie. Last time I watched the movie, I was more knowledgeable about WWII and conscious about the calamities it brought to my country. My grandmom's favorite movie, as my Dad says, "A zori zdes' tihije", conveys more than Soviet propaganda wanted it to do. This movie greatly explores people's lives and destinies in a war period. It asks with passion:"How can we live an everyday life in an extraordinary time, the war proves to be."

"In reality 4-5 unexperienced women and one man (even if he is a genial soldier) would have no chance again 16 Gebirgsjäger."

I very well understand how an implausible script could kill the effort of a good director and fabulous actors. I understand equally well that some would dismiss this film as mostly Soviet propaganda simply because the story of German paratroopers meeting serious resistance from just a few inexperienced girls does not ring true. Well, strangely enough, the film (and the novel) are fact-based. Of course, this is not a documentary and, according to Boris Vasiliev, there were no women in the actual group of militia men stopping 16 Gebirgsjäger on a mission to cause serious discruption to the Murmansk railway. But otherwise the story was true! For me, swapping old militia men and wounded soldiers for young girls is perfectly excusable.

Very touching and very Russian.

This is arguably one of the very best war movies ever made. The story is touching and poetic. A great ensemble cast shine under the careful and sensitive direction under Stanislav Rostotsky. The use of montage and different coloring schemes for several different periods work nicely and the cinematography is stunning. This is a movie not to be missed by any serious movie buff. Ruscico is gonna release in on DVD sometime in 2004. Keep your fingers crossed.

People when rate this film as realistic or not, they try to equate it to a low-grade action movie alike "hit and run" type. You must understand that the movie is not in that category.

Imagine, that bandits broke into your house. Strong, armed, ready to kill. And you realize that will be no negotiations, that you are destined to die, without any questions asked. To die in your own home. The only question is now: how it will happen? You will meet death humbly kneeling, or would resist, maybe even realizing the futility of attempts? To die for to save somebody others.

And such a decision should be made by young girls who lived not so long.