Ledokol

THE ICEBREAKER, tells a story, apparently based on true events in 1985, of a Soviet ship which gets stuck in ice and is in danger of being hit by an iceberg, all the while waiting for help which, due to Soviet bureaucracy, may not arrive in time.

The strongest point of this film are the visuals: some of the landscape scenes, whether real or CGI, are simply breathtaking. There is also personal drama involving two rival captains which is used to convey social commentary on Soviet culture and the various inefficiencies and injustices it brought about.

Unfortunately, the lousy dubbing kept taking me out of the movie. Technically, it is so bad that at points we know exactly when the original sound is being silenced so that we can hear the dubbed voices. The first time I heard it, I laughed out loud at this amateurishness, which stands quite in contrast to the rest of the film. Also, a kid in the film was dubbed by an electronically distorted adult voice, which sounded just bizarre.

The ridiculously poor quality of the dubbing made it hard for me to evaluate the dramatic aspects of the film because it kept taking me out of it. It also gave me reason to doubt the quality of the translation. At least the overall story, interlacing personal drama with sociocultural commentary, is a good one, and that is what I went by.

This film is mainly for fans of maritime drama and those who enjoy beautiful icy landscapes, but either way, if you do not know Russian, watch the subtitled version.

A Russian disaster film; A story about an ice-breaking ship that collides with a huge iceberg and is forced to drift along the coast of Antarctica. Based in part on real events that occurred in Antarctica in 1985, this film wastes no time in propelling us into the action. The cinematography is impressive. While the soundtrack is a bit too melodramatic at times and there are a few continuity problems, overall it serves up engaging drama. The struggle for leadership and direction between a new martinet captain and a younger demoted captain is interesting, touching on themes about unquestioned power.

The story is pretty interesting, but it feels choppy, and incoherent. I get the feeling the editing is the problem. On top of that, you are watching a Russia movie with English over dubbing. In spite of these things, the movie is still intriguing. I wouldn't call it spellbinding . . but it keeps your interest. Olga Filimonova is stunningly beautiful. // The Bushwacker 10/1/2021.

Ledokol surprisingly turned out to be a good Russian drama. Good picture, cast and storyline. The dynamics of the film is slowly swinging. There is little action for the first 30 minutes and there is action only in the beginning. But the second half is much more interesting. Surprisingly, Ledokol conveys well the atmosphere of people's survival in a confined space in extreme conditions. It seems that everything is just filmed, without special effects, without CGI and other things. And how the viewer believes in what is happening. Well, in general, the realism of what is happening is not bad. The final was well adapted for Happy End. In general, if you want a good Russian movie without a star cast, then Ledokol is a great choice.

I have rarely found a Russian movie pleasant. This one is realistic and very interesting above all because the life of men locked up inside a ship is always a great adventure. The quality of the events in the plot is also remarkable.