Los 28 hombres de Panfilov

I usually prefer to talk about the a film, what's on the screen and not about what's going and what's being said around it, but I'll make a slight exception.

Russia churns out a lot of war films and a lot of films with patriotism as the key (sometimes only) ingredient. There is an understandable fatigue of these films (just like some are tired of comic book or superhero films) so people are now giving low scores to any war film, regardless of its merits.

Russia also has a lot of people that love to see Russian films fail. Russia produces a lot of trash and cash-grab (popsa) films so you have people that call everything that comes from Russia as popsa and want to see it fail.

No, this film is not a box office failure nor a financial failure. Yes, the budget is underreported, (which is strange considering people want to see bigger budget films) but it seems to have made its money back already. One cannot compare it to American films with bigger budgets, star power, the advantage of English, etc.

Without going into spoilers, this film is about a battle, or series of battles, between a Nazi Germany Panzer division and Soviet (Russian and Kazakh) defensive positions. If you want a love story, you've come to the wrong place. If you want a superhero, you've come to the wrong place. Rambo doing it all by himself, taking down the Wehrmacht and killing Hitler himself? Wrong place.

This film has been de-Sovietized, reducing references to Stalin, red flags, Marxism, Communism, etc. People seem to take issue with that and feel that this point makes this film a 1/10 film.

The fact is defending a trench is defending a trench. It makes no difference if one does it for the union of republics (USSR) or for a particular republic (RSFSR). In this case, the soldiers were defending (the road to) Moscow and it was not inaccurate that they were defending Russia. Yugoslav WW2 films also have people talking about taking/defending particular regions (Slavonia, Vojvodina, Kosovo, Serbia, etc.) and that does not necessarily mean they denied the existence of Yugoslavia.

Not that this film has not been de-Sovietized. It has, but it's not such a big deal. People still referred to each other as comrade, and yes, there were not a lot of flags and hammer-and- sickle stuff, but this was an undersupplied unit, lacking both men, guns, ammo and supplies.

The production values are quite high and this film lacks the TV-cheesiness of many Russian films and shows.

The Russians are not presented as good people, nor are the Nazis presented as evil. There is no need for that. We know who's who. This was like two boxers in the ring - "this is where we are now. Let's settle this."

It's dark, without being gloomy and depressing. It's violent without being disgusting.

It has professional acting, professional camera work, professional lighting, sound and CGI.

The script is not very deep because this is a film about men defending a trench. It sets out to do one thing and does it very, very well.

8/10.

First off, don't pay attention to frostvortex's review since he/she is a troll spreading lies.

Panfilov's 28 battle is not a myth and is documentally proved by both Russian and German sources, the only inconsistency is the number 28 which is not correct. There were more than 100 fighters, and the movie also reflects that.

The movie is very dry but unique in its language. Don't expect anything Hollywood-like. It does not depict complex plots, flashbacks or tear-filled love story, no bursts of emotions, it does not have a main hero. It is almost documental since the viewer is indifferently thrown into one day of Panfilov's men life without being much prepared for it. No one cares about being introduced or explained to the viewer as everyone are busy preparing to fight the Nazi tanks. But each character's individuality can be recognized though the dialogs.

Next comes the battle which is just great. You have to hear that sound. You have to see it. No gibs, no gore, but it is really scary ang gives great impression of what Red Army soldiers have gone through. It literally puts you into their trench. Also, no super-heroes. Just the ordinary people who modestly gave their lives to stop the Nazis.

The level of realism and historical details is very high. You will see proper explosions, proper guns, proper tanks, proper uniforms and other things from that exact time.

Go and watch it.

FOREWORD

So "28 Panfilov's" came out. Only 1.700.000$ in budget. For a start, i'm very sorry for bad English, but i trying, because never teaching in school (in my school in city - only German language), only in internet (films, games, forums, without teacher, i hope you will forgive me). I have not seen such a realistic film about the Great Patriotic War, filmed in modern Russia. But what is really there, the normal film about this war we have, in fact, and not removed. "Brest Fortress" stands out, of course, but it is not quite realistic - after all the drama and all the love stories are present there. In the "28-Panfilov," all this is not a realistic film to the limit, and this will please any fan of military history, like me. I very much awaited release of the film, and believed in him. It wanted to get it to something stirred up the people, the hope of a good movie appeared, the fact that such films can be done for little money, giving a soul into his work and solid professionalism.

Today, finally, went to the movies and after watching I can safely say - the film was a success, he came out exactly the way he expected. If you live in USA, for example, and you want to watch no Hollywood film - enjoy! Later, creators give this film for free (for all), maybe without English subtitles, but i hope somebody can to create this for you!

STORY AND ACTORS

Not by chance, these two points are together. In the film, the action and the characters are so laconic dialogues are interwoven with each other, that one and a half hour movie fly by unnoticed. Heroes - not idiots cardboard, ready to rush to recess screaming, but real, living people with their characters and points of view. Can and make a joke, and "for the tactics talking" and friend to cheer - all without screams, panic, or any other devilry, and on a normal, living language - these people believe and they are going through.

For a long time I have not seen such a lively acting. The film is not shot no one famous actor that is also likely to play into the hands. And yes, the actors are very alive in their dialogues believe, and some to pull out there do not smell.

War - a war, it is in the film is simple, no frills, pressing, breaks, clanging "tracks" of tanks and pressed into the viewer's chair in the bombings. The film takes several days and includes a piece of peace (in the context of military operations and the German offensive on Moscow) life, preparing for battle and the fight itself.

Take the example of the 28 Panfilov, Russian creators of films - that's how you need and nothing else.

In the film, no gram of pathos, a single gram. It commander for soldiers - concise and clear, the political instructor - imagine! - Not screaming, not shoot in the back, and generally behaves like a normal person who is experiencing for themselves, for their country and their homeland, for their fighters.

SOUND

The sound in the picture is gorgeous. He is not just good, it masterpiece, not afraid of the word. In the film, the sound of it, the way it should be in these paintings - or not to pass on what people feel, sitting in the trenches under artillery fire. If a shell falls - there is a clear understanding that falls something that can kill you - a large and deadly. If the bullet is beating on the surface - do you believe that this is a bullet and not a dragonfly or (sic!) Spider. If riding a tank, the roar of its engine runs through your insides. All at the highest level, bravo! Once again, thank you Gaijin.

MUSIC

She deserves a separate paragraph. For the first time in a long, long time, music from the movie I remember: it is different, it emphasizes the stage helps the narrative, makes worry about the characters. As an example cite the scene where he first showed relatively peaceful preparation for combat, heroes joke, cheer each other, the audience feels it - and then again! - There is an abrupt change of the frame, show the Germans - tanks, soldiers, artillery - the tireless German power in general, which playfully pulled down half of Europe. And at the same time frame, changing music, it comes to the viewer that it is moving to the position and what it all might end (before the Germans did not show in the frame), - no small role in this understanding has played just the same music.

In total, this is the best the best that has been written for the Russian cinema.

EFFECTS

Here help "Gaijin", the creators of online game about the war - "War Thunder" (Free-to-Play).

From a technical point of view, the film is based on the level of the American cult films about the war, or the eerie "Purgatory" Nevzorov. Fighting, shelling, the technique itself - all realistic, nowhere reproach. Fantastic light, traces of great tracks, great smoke, everything is done on a professional level, and it is for so little money that the guys spent on film! Here, nothing to complain about, with commuter graphics all in the end became even more realistic.

Without Russophobia, no propaganda, no policy, no desecration of the Soviet or Hitler regime. Everything that you feel - this is how simple guys, men, faced with such a choice, never for a moment doubted that it be done.

You won't believe that movie with the budget of 5 million dollars (by the time it was produced, now with the current currency value it is lower) can look like a 100 million dollars blockbuster. In the cinema it hits your brain like a truck. No CG-rendering of tanks, all those models of Pz-III, Pz-IV were scratch-built or borrowed from museums, though some models were smaller than real (like 1:1,5) and put after combined view processing. Guns shooting real bullets (experts of WWII might prove that), that's why sounds are real. All the blasts are real as well. Also the details of clothes, ammunition and tactics from both sides are perfectly given and approved by team of historical experts helping the director. The only woman in the movie takes like 16 seconds of your attention, all the 2 hours are about War. All in all, if you didn't understand earlier how Nazis lost 80% of their total armies in the East Front, that is a quite an example of real battle happened 16th November 1941 under Moscow near Dubosekovo (Petelino).

Amazing movie! The story is simple, close to ascetic. It might be not what you used to hear/see, but it is served to you marvelously! Every single scene is a piece of cinematography art. The preparation work is extraordinary. Attention to every detail is exceptional, though this is not merely a reconstruction, but a full war drama, based on real events. Visual impression is extremely engaging. Simply put, You will be one of them. Sound is convincing, giving the audience the effect of being right there on the spot. Though in this case you wouldn't have heard the music, which is excellent too. I am not sure if all the dialogues in the movie will be (or could be) interpreted into English (or other language in your Country) adequately, but I hope so. Wish you enjoy this masterpiece like I did.