Doroga na Berlin

'On the Road to Berlin' is quite mellow for a war movie. Nothing spectacular or memorable. The plot is implausible but interesting. and there are quite ridiculous moments there, but the acting is good, and there is some chemistry between the two main characters. It was entertaining and thoughtful enough and thanks to the short running time the movie didn't feel to drag. It seems that the movie was made with quite a modest budget. Battle scenes are quite bland. They don't seem t arise above from the rest of the film and they fail to elevate the rest of the movie above from the rest of the likes. Of course there was obligatory love story thrown in (or the promise of it). You can't make a war movie without a girl falling for a tired soldier.

I can't recommend this movie, but it wasn't that bad. I wouldn't call it a total waste of time. It probably would have needed more development. My review was as lazy as this movie.

Having read a number of recent histories by Antony Beevor through whom I was introduced to the Russian war correspondent and author Vasily Grossman, this account of a lieutenant's life and fate on the Eastern Front is more than simply believable. It's a vivid testament to the cruel vagaries of war.

The movie touches the soul. No unnecessary loud drama and over acting. Just a straightforward story line and truthful execution. How war make a boy to a man and the journey with ups and down. Bond of the soldiers and high moral code. From rock bottom to stand up again. Compassion for each other. The ugly part of any war, where most of the times people are just dragging them up, loosing any hope to survive yet they do. Sound mind and emotion for country mostly the key factors of any winning side. People love to see great wars but forget the actual hardship and mental condition of the soldiers.

An interesting look at the war in rhe East at individual level. The absurdity of war and the silly bureaucracy of the army and in particular that of the totalerian Soviet union's Red Army is nicely shown. Think Valery Grossman meets the Good Soldier Schwejk.

The lead actors fo a good job.

Some of the bits in between take a bit lo g and the pace of the movie is rather languid.

The uniforms and equipment are fairly well done.

Some of the German tanks seem to be made to look like Tigers which would be inaccurate so early in ww2. I do believe I saw a Churchill tank which is pretty cool.

There even is a very brief love story.

In all a good watch.

Remembering old fashion westerns, using the fascination of the Soviet/Russian cinema for WWII, it is only a decent film. Nothing spectacular, nothing memorable. Only a long way of survive, a friendship and the war. And sure, the picture from a newspaper. It is far to be source of the enthusiasmus of public who knows the real Russian war films and the message is too weak to impress. But its virtue is to remind better films about same theme. A good film, a reasonable option.