The Balkan Line

As a kid who survived NATO bombing '99 Yugoslavia I can only say that anyone who watch this movie will see what we have gone through. They maybe served you other picture on news all over the world, but the real truth lays in this movie. Movie has some hard scenes, be prepared to everything. For brutality and not hiding those scenes I give 9.5 rating. Something that Hollywood will never make.

Fantastic movie portraying Albanian atrocities they refuse to admit. Don't listen to all the one star reviews, it's Albanian propaganda trying to hid their crimes.

P First, I have distant relatives who suffered due to Serbia elsewhere in the Balkans so I am no fan of Serbia. And my eyes hurt, from rolling, at the frequent lies, and revisionism, by all the parties in the Balkans-Serbs most of all. P This movie is no more an accurate account of the real world Pristina Airport I ncident than ZULU was an accurate account of the Battle of Rourke's Drift. Or for that matter the Spanish movie on this conflict, GUERREROS. As with all too many films these days, "The Narrative" is front and center. P What distinguishes this movie is the excellent acting, pretty realistic combat scenes, and the leitmotif of The Last Stand. Strong character development and, unlike in ZULU, the opponents here- the Albanians-have real faces, emotions and lives outside the battle. Plus the line later in the movie when a character observes that of the Magnificent Eight" only one is Russian, the rest are diverse, even two Muslims with the "Eight". Want to watch a documentary-accurate account of the Incident? Skip this one for sure. Want to see a good actioneer that highlights the martial values of loyalty, bravery and honor (for BOTH sides)? The watch this one. Accuracy: 2*; Action:: 8*; Pathos:: 8*.

Really good action films are rear on the big screen these days. There are dozens of comics and science fictions with baby plastic pistols and funny unbelievable deaths with no blood and zero realism. Though things are far way worse for Russian cinematography. It is crammed with stupid vulgar comedies and sob-stuff melodramas. If you want to watch normal action film it'll be 99% about the Second World War. So I was totally thrilled to learn that the new 20th century fox film describes twenty-year-old events in Yugoslavia. Moreover, the target audience is adults, not twelve-year-olds. It actually intrigued me. Finally, after watching first trailer I already knew the film's going to be awesome.

It turned out to be right. Balcan line gives us not only with a fresh interpretation of the historical facts of the confrontation between Russia and the NATO countries in Serbia, but also skillfully casts the main character's romantic relationships into the plot, turning one local conflict into a tragedy of all life for them. We sympathize Andrey who is ready to overcome any difficulties in the way of his beloved's salvation. Even if it is heavily armed Albanian terrorists. Unlike other recent Russian war films the romantic line is just a subplot, there are loads of hardcore, action and explosions. Conflict here is bloody and dirty as it was. It worth to be seen.

Whilst it was not the Siege at Jadotville per se, it brought a lot of other qualities to the screen. Some solid acting, albeit a bit more Russian than to my liking (you know, though as nails, wrestling a bear kind) the action sequences were spot on. I also like it very much when violence is unpredictable. It is in real life too. The horror of war lies in its unpredictability, the randomness with which the dead and alive are chosen. The backstories are ok, and yes there is some propaganda and Russian flagwaving in it. Just compare it to some of the American movies where everything is stars and stripes, I always take them with a ton of salt, too.

In war there is no good side, only losers. These heroes are the ones that took a loss too, for their beliefs, their family, their comrades. And everyone can feel for them, for there is a little hero in all of us. And we dream of one day being meaningful, too.

I like this better than the superhero movies of late. This type of film is a bit more mature, grim but not to the point where it gets unbelievable horror. It is a bit unrealistic in it's premises, but so was the fish my neighbour caught the other day. It still made for a great story.

I'm beginning to like Russian cinema, Belly Tigr,from 2012, also had this strange but likable feel. Doom lures, but we live on nonetheless. We accept fate but keep on trying even against all odds. It's a cultural thing, it must be.