Dovbush - Warrior of the Black Mountain

The story of Oleksa Dovbush is the story of a man in a feudal system. And moreover, this feudal system was made worse by the fact that the territory of Ukraine was occupied by Poland. In this story, the injustice of the lords towards ordinary peasants, oppression, humiliation, and all this provokes resistance. And this resistance in the film takes on a blockbuster scale.

The film is in some aspects similar to Quentin Tarantino's films, and echoes the story of Robin Hood. The plot develops dynamically. The acting is at a decent level. There are some questions about the performance of the mainstream actors.

A nice advantage of the film is that it was not made in Hollywood, which makes it unique, devoid of clichés.

This is a great film to learn a little more about Ukrainian culture and the suffering of this people throughout their difficult history.

This movie is something else... It is an inspiring, beautifully shot, well choreographed and generally well-rounded biopic about life and glory of the legendary Oleksa Dovbush.

Historically accurate costumes and real castles make the impression of a sincere and honest depiction of that age, shining as a star above most fantasy movie that are shot indoors with a chromakey background. Shot in the most beautiful Carpathian mountains, as well as other colorful and authentic to the story locations, it is a masterpiece to behold.

Charismatic actors, nice battle scenes, deep symbolism make you want to watch it again and again.

DEFINITELY RECOMMEND.

Stunning direction, breathtaking cinematography, a vivid journey through history and time this film delivers suspense, beauty, and intrigue in equal measure. The colors are rich, the set design and costumes are exquisite, the music is enchanting, and the story is thoroughly engaging.

This was my first Ukrainian film, and I was genuinely impressed by the level of artistry and creativity on display. I will certainly be exploring more Ukrainian cinema in the future.

The characters were well-developed, and the performances were highly effective and convincing across the board.

The one element that did not sit well with me was the inclusion of certain extreme lines that crossed into territory religiously inappropriate!

I wholeheartedly recommend it to audiences of all tastes.

Spectacular. Important. Deep. This film about a legend gives the feel of a legend. Stunning (!) cinematography, reflecting the pristine nature of the Ukrainian Carpathian mountains, historically accurate reproduction of the early 18th century life and costumes, the living language... Extremely convincing acting, couldn't imagine these roles being played by someone else, or characters looking any different. The film manages to render the spirit of convincing mass scenes of combat (therefore age limit 16+), unimaginable stunts with horses and carriages - features of an action film - and at the same time, unlike many action films, it is thought-provoking, has a deep meaning underneath it all. The protagonist - Oleksa Dovbush (could be compared to England's Robin Hood) - and his brother. What is the meaning of being a fighter? Do you want to liberate your people? Do you want glory? Or love? Would you choose personal well-being over your people's? On top of all, some political intrigue, some betrayals, deaths, big and small victories... The film is fast-paced, with flashbacks, twists and turns of the plot, but you don't think about the pace, you just live there and want to stay there. Every scene (if you think about it) seems to be extremely well thought out, titanic work. Based on numerous legends, as well as historical records, the film is the director's version of the hero's life. Being historically accurate in many ways, the film, at the same time, creates the atmosphere of being close to a legend. It's not glum, it's inspirational, and makes you want to watch it again (and again).

This film is a testament to practical filmmaking, with a small (~USD$4m, 2018) budget, the talented filmmakers created amazing scenes, sets, costumes, and action scenes that kept me eagerly waiting for what's next.

The action was incredibly well choreographed and executed, and not to mention just downright fun to watch.

The practical effects were simple, well executed, and incredibly effective. I couldn't find any obvious CGI, and I was just blown away by the action scenes.

The chemistry of the actors was perfect and the performances were all top notch.

I was honestly surprised with how funny it was. The dialogue was often hilarious, and most jokes translated very well into English.

I watched this with someone fluent in Ukrainian, and they said the subtitle translations were very well done. I often find subtitles aren't translated properly and it can distract, but it was very well done.

I'd wager, it's a film that will put Ukrainian filmmaking onto the map.

SLAVA UKRAINI!