This film is a documentary equivalent of "All Quiet on the Western Front" meets "Ordinary Men" by Browning. Which is to say, it showcases the futility of war, the hell of it, and the fact that it's fought by normal people, people like us, with confusing and confused motivations, contradictory values, and very little sense of agency over their own lives.
The point that many critics make, that this film humanizes the aggressor, is true, but I fail to see how that's a useful or relevant frame to see war through, unless you're from Ukraine. It makes sense that people being bombed, driven out and suffering the brunt of this war would go into the good vs. Evil mode of thinking. I hardly think any of us could do otherwise in their position. But most critics, as far as I can tell, have never set foot in Ukraine and don't have grief as justification.
We, who have the privilege of not living in a war zone, must remember that the soldiers on both sides are mere instruments of their leaders, and often pay the ultimate price for it, second only to civilians.
"Russians at war" showcases this better than any other I've seen, as well as the unbearable drudgery and futility of it all. The people saying this doc is Russian state propaganda need to get their heads checked.
