Wings Over Berlin

On August 1941, less than two months after the start of the German invasion of the USSR Stalin ordered a bombing attack on Berlin by the Soviet naval aviation. Since Berlin was out of range from most Soviet bases the attack was launched from an airbase on the island of Saarema, Estonia. Damage to Berlin was slight, but the success of the raid against formidable air defenses (flak, fighters) was a morale booster to the Soviet people at a time when the Wehrmacht was racing towards Moscow and the Luftwaffe was subjecting the citizens of Leningrad to indiscriminate terror bombing. The purpose of the raid was much the same as the RAF bombing of Berlin on August 1940, during the Battle of Britain, and the Doolittle raid on Tokyo on April 1942 shortly after Pearl Harbor.

The movie details this first raid into Germany without emphasis on heroics; on the contrary the poor preparation of the Soviet forces (runways in disrepair, lack of fuel deposits, worn out airplane engines) is plainly shown. It has some brilliant moments (such as the exhilaration of crews at their mere survival after a nearly suicide mission). There are also some typical war movie cliches (wartime romance) but in the final balance is positive. Director Konstantin Buslov moves the tale along at t a steady pace. Acting and cinematography are excellent. Special effects are somewhat limited but generally good. A war movie that does it job.

1941 - Krylya nad Berlinom (roughly Wings Over Berlin) (2022) tells the tale of the first Soviet bombing raid into the German capital, carried out by black sea naval pilots with their out-dated bombers. This is a story that's been told by every country during wartime since at least the 1940s from 30 Seconds Over Tokyo right into the '60s with Battle of Britain not to mention films on the German, Japanese, and English side and, unfortunately, director and co-writer Konstantin. Buslov brings nothing new to the story. Virtually every genre cliche is put on screen leaving no time for any of them to be fleshed out or any new perspectives added that might have provided more interest.

That said, I happen to love this sort of film and was quite happy to roll along on the utterly predictable path as the technical side of things are competent with the CGI work not being too apparent. Battle scenes are surprisingly lackluster and no tension is created as the results are bone stock right down the line leaving no doubt of the outcome. It's impossible to divorce this film from the current situation and if one is looking there are definitely some propaganda bits thrown in here and there although it's not overly heavy handed but they are definitely there. Not an awful way to kill a couple of hours but not a particularly notable cinematic achievement.

All Soviet... er, I mean Russian, films about the war are required to contain five elements: light to heavy propaganda, silly dialog, a romance or two, villagers who are smiling and happy to be peasants in the Soviet Union, and an accordion. This one is pretty typical and as another reviewer wrote, it checks off the boxes.

It had one possible factual mistake. The regiment makes a nighttime bombing raid on Berlin and the whole city is lit up completely. I know that the cities and towns in England that were within range of German bombers were required to use blackout curtains on the windows at night. I'm assuming, though I don't know, that Germany had the same requirement.

There's nothing about it that stands out.