Battle for Sevastopol (2015)

Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

Although it's mostly in Russian with subtitles, I was drawn in deeply and remained so throughout the duration. This is the most gripping WW2 film I've seen since Saving Private Ryan. The direction, acting, cinematography are all top notch. It tells the story of heroic Russian sniper without glamorizing war. Instead the horror of war is pervasive and though she is a survivor her story is tragic. It's also very interesting to get a glimpse of Stalin-era Soviet culture. It's a must see for anyone interested in WW2, history, biographies, or intense drama.

Lyudmila Pavlichenko is a good student who can never match the ideals of her austere NKVD, Officer father. Then war breaks out and it is discovered that she is a crack shot. So she is made to join the snipers after the Germans invade in 1941 through Operation Barbarossa. She is also a woman with the needs of such and has already attracted a few suitors, one is aspiring doctor – however, she is more enamoured with her commanding officer.The fates of war mean that you must seize today what may be gone tomorrow and that is a theme that is more or less a constant throughout this. It follows the plight of the Russians as they retreat across their vast country until they are able to build up their forces to give the invading Nazi's the righteous kicking they so keenly deserve. This though ends with the stand at Sevastopol and Lyudmila's personal and actual battles on and off the field of battle. Now the action scenes are all very good, the character development is fine too. The acting is all above average and the CGI is good in most parts. Some of the Americans are dubbed though which I always find annoying but that is a small gripe for what is in the main part a really good war film with full on emotions thrown in for added pathos and drama; this is not up to the calibre of say 'The Admiral' but is still deserving of a watch – recommended.

This is one of modern Russian movies made for the lowest common denominator. The plot and character motivations are over-the-top explained as if makers of the movie was very afraid someone at the very lowest end of intelligence scale will not understand everything. The main character is not likable and her background or motivations for being extremely reserved and grim person is never explained. Because of unsympathetic main character the whole movie is very hard to care about.Battle scenes are very few for such a movie and serve as illustrations rather than plot points. Some of the things taken from modern combat and movies are just silly, like navy seals style training and collecting tags from sniped enemies. That simply did not happen at that time in history. Sniping scenes are very weak, especially when main character hold the rifle it visually wobbles a lot until she pulls the trigger and gets perfect shot. It's just laughable. There's a cliché sniper-vs-sniper standoff subplot which ends way too quick, and ends in confusing "Han Solo shot first" situation.Also laughable are all the death scenes. Like actors came from some provincial theater and try to portray dying in a most over-the-top dramatic way.

The producer was able to pull the Russia-Ukraine title all in one piece despite the events of 2014 in Kiev. Probably the bulk of the scenes was shot in 2013.The storyline goes on about a true WW2 Red Army female sniper with the highest confirmed hit list ever. Check out the Wikipedia.A sad personal drama wound into the 1941 context when Wehrmacht was advancing in Southern Ukraine, USSR.With a moderate budget, as it appears to me, the makers were restricted to a moderate combined arms warfare footage, but of a very decent quality.Most moving is the tragedy of the main character who lives through the first two years of war and a personal tragedy.It is not a blockbuster action-filled war theme that must be a dangling carrot for a moviegoer but rather a biographical sniper daily routine and mentality.On seeing the movie I was a bit puzzled why its name bears "Battle for Sevastopol" as it is only touched upon. A mind-blowing alternative to the American Sniper. You decide on your own.