Category: war

Pigs don’t know how to hate. “Conspiracy” (2001)

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directed by Frank Pierson
© 2001 HBO Films. All Rights Reserved.

Except the fact that I watch a lot of films, I’m also a bookworm who tends to choose rather difficult books. Recently, I’ve read a reportage about the crimes that were taking place in the first half of the 20th century in psychiatric hospitals in Poland. I imagine you know what was happening in Poland during the WWII, but except the death camps, people were being killed also in such hospitals. Nazis believed in eugenics, so eliminating people that weren’t beneficent to the society or needed a more advanced support from others. It means they were killing people with disabilities (both mental and physical), with specific health issues, or even those who seemed annoying to them. Numerous parents were forced to give away their children to such hospitals where the little patients were supposed to be taken care of, but instead they were being poisoned and weakened until death. Absolutely horrible. When I finished reading the book, a film popped out on a streaming platform – and that’s the film I’m recommending you today. I always laugh that I have a secret agent stalking me on the internet, because it’s enough to think about something and suddenly my browser and social media are full of the necessary content. I call my secret agent John. So, thanks John! This time I had a chance to see a film I’d never heard of before, yet I’m absolutely amazed by it, despite its general topic. It tells us about a secret meeting Nazi officials had in 1942 during which they discussed how to eliminate Jews from their territory. Let me remind you that occupied countries were also considered their territory. The whole film basically happens in one conference room, yet it’s very dynamic and emotional. You see a bunch of men sitting and talking, but your head is all over the place. Most of us know the basic history, so we’re aware of the events from that time, but it’s totally different to actually hear certain dialogues being said. The actors playing in the film are fantastic, so they made the meeting look even more realistic and disturbing. To be honest, I got honestly terrified watching this film, because one – the real meeting happened not that long time ago, and two – I cannot imagine someone talking about people’s lives in such ignorant and hateful way. The main question at that table wasn’t whether it’s moral to do what they’re doing, but how to do it more efficiently. I was speechless. And I believe the film should be remembered, especially on days like this one. 1st of September 1939 – the beginning of World War II. That is why I’m sharing the post today, after 85 years, hoping such 1st of September doesn’t happen again. But to finish the post in a more cinephile mood, I’d like to say that “Conspiracy” really reminded me of “12 Angry Men” when it comes to the form. The topics of the discussions were obviously very different, yet the pace and general picture were quite similar. That’s just my little observation, so check it out yourselves.

My rating: 8/10
S.

Why don’t you know it off with them negative waves? “Kelly’s Heroes” (1970)

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directed by Brian G. Hutton
© 1970 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. All Rights Reserved.

Losing actors and actresses is always very shocking to me. Perhaps it’s because in the films I watch those people never age. They are always young (or young-ish), fine and healthy. And then, one day we get horrible news and this cinema magic is slightly lost. Donald Sutherland has recently passed away at the age of 88. The actor was struggling with a long illness, which I had no idea about, so this loss moved me a lot. How come such a brilliant actor with an incredibly characteristic voice and great charisma has suddenly left us? I guess cinema is the only acceptable treatment right now, because thankfully, we may get back to Donald’s films and make him stay alive at least on our screens. Today, I’d like you to get back to 1970 and remind yourselves (or learn) about the character of Oddball in “Kelly’s Heroes”. Personally, I’m not a big fan of war films, but there are those few gems that I appreciate of this genre. In this one, we follow a group of American soldiers who learn about a bank full of gold bars and decide to rob it. Because why not? I mean, at first there’s only one soldier, Kelly (Clint Eastwood), but he cannot work alone so step by step he recruits the whole little crew. After all, the bank is storing about 14 thousand bars of gold, so even if they share the treasure, it’s still a lot per person. However, robbing the bank might not be the biggest issue here considering the fact that it’s situated behind German lines. So in order to even reach the storage, the soldiers have to be smart, sneaky and pretty crazy, let’s face it. Luckily, they have Oddball (Donald Sutherland) who’s the crew’s madman, often full of ridiculous ideas, but surely not lacking positivity. If you’re not into war films like me, I suggest you watching this one, especially now, after losing one of its actors. Except the fact that Donald played a memorable role there, it is a pretty entertaining production. I’d say it’s more of a comedy than an actual war drama, so many different cinephiles may actually like it. Fun fact, it’s kind of inspired by a true event. The screenplay was written basing on one story in Guinness World Records and the further investigation confirmed that such robbery had happened, even some stolen gold bars have been found. To make the background of the film even funnier – let me remind you that the story takes place during the WWII, Americans fighting against Germans in France, but the comedy was mainly filmed in… Yugoslavia (currently Croatia). Because why not? So if you’re looking for some good production to watch in tribute to Donald Sutherland, there’s no better option. His role of Oddball really shows what a wonderful actor he was. May he rest in peace, with no negative waves.

My rating: 7/10
S.

What kind of American are you? “Civil War” (2024)

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directed by Alex Garland
© 2024 A24. All Rights Reserved.

Each time I see a new film labelled as A24 baby I’m stamping my feet like an overly excited Minion. It’s because I know that there’s a huge possibility I’ll enjoy the film. However, when I learned about “Civil War”, I wasn’t much tempted because I generally try to avoid films about all kinds of wars. Being sensitive isn’t the thing, rather my allergy to films that do not stand out. Of course, we have “1917” which is still highly underrated, in my opinion, but generally war movies don’t impress me that much. Still, I had a day off so I thought “let’s spend 2 hours in a dark room watching how people are fighting with each other”. It was either that or another romantic comedy, so the choice was obvious. If you expect “Civil War” to be that typical action film, don’t even bother. Indeed, we have shooting and running scenes, but they are just the background to what’s put in the spotlight here. We get to meet Lee (Kirsten Dunst), a photojournalist who specialises in documenting wars. She’s a middle-aged woman who’s seen more than you can probably imagine, so she’s obviously struggling with all those pictures in her head. However, doing such job you cannot really sympathise or reflect too much – you simply take photos and try not to be hurt yourself. She’s working with Joel (Wagner Moura), a journalist as well, and at some point they are joined by Lee’s old friend and mentor Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson) who asks for a lift to Charlottesville where the Western Forces are preparing for a big offensive. However, the two colleagues will continue their journey and wish to reach Washington, D.C. to interview the president (Nick Offerman). Everybody knows that he will soon be killed considering the situation, so Lee and Joel have a goal to be the last and only people to ask and photograph the president before his final breath. Unfortunately, even though as press they are neutral in the conflict, they cannot feel safe everywhere. What’s more, they are joined by a young photojournalist who’s just starting her adventure with this profession and begged the team to take her with them. Jessie (Cailee Spaeny) is in her early 20s and she’s still not immune to war pictures, which makes her character a great contrast to Lee and her years of seeing pure evil, fear and helplessness in a human form. What I absolutely loved about this film’s narration is that the story is told from the perspective of journalists who don’t try to get involved, don’t try to support any of the sides – they are just working. And they are so focused on their job that we may even think they don’t realise what’s happening, although we know they do, but in order to stay sane, they have to remain unbothered. In the world (or in this case the USA) where people are fighting for their lives, the press is worrying about not overexposing their photos or getting some quotes that would sell on TV. I guess that’s what creeps me out the most – not the fact that such civil war may actually happen, but the fact that people like journalist will stay “professional” and continue doing the same job. You may say that medical staff also has to stay professional in such circumstances, but to me it’s a different kind of approach. We need the doctor or nurse to treat us, but do we really need journalists to take photos of group shooting, hanging captives or abusing the innocent? Perhaps we do. Perhaps their job is extremely important since thanks to those photos we may receive some more or less true information. But it doesn’t change the fact that doing such job is terrifying from the psychological point of view, because you’re not yourself – you’re at work and it’s like being stuck in your own body. Your mind might be screaming “run away!” or “help those guys!”, but your body presses a photo camera button and moves forward. So if you think this is a simple action film, I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed. To me it’s a very specific psychological horror, whose background is a potential civil war that may occur in the USA or anywhere else. Speaking of that, this film also reminds us how ridiculous it can be – people fight for the sake of fighting, not even willing to reflect why and what for. There’s this moment in the film (I hope you won’t mind this little spoiler) where Joel asks some soldiers why they’re shooting if they don’t know who the other person is. And one of the men says “We’re trying to shoot them, because they are trying to shoot us” (might be slightly different, but that’s what I remembered from the cinema). End of story. Eye for an eye, without any hesitation. There are also those who stay away pretending like nothing wrong is happening. On the one hand you may say they are ignorant, on the other – if they can’t change anything, why should they agree to be in danger instead of protecting themselves? And there are journalists trying not to lose their minds documenting such reality. This film asks a lot of questions and you have to deal with them on your own. I hate it and love it at the same time. Thank you A24 for nurturing this pathological relationship between us. Please, continue.

My rating: 8/10
S.

Determination of a woman. “Mother of Apostles” (“Maty apostoliv”, 2020)

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directed by Zaza Buadze
© 2020 Golden Fleece Studio. All Rights Reserved.

Today, I’m offering you a real gem I saw during a Ukrainian film festival last year. I generally try to avoid productions about war as they are emotionally tiring and I need to be in the right mood to appreciate them fully. However, this one is slightly different. We’re following Sofia (Nataliya Polovynka), a woman whose son is a pilot. She receives news that the plane he was flying was shot down. The woman is trying to get any information about her child, yet the military shares nothing, so she decides to travel to the war zone herself. She’s not a soldier, she’s just an ordinary woman who wants to make sure her son is still alive. Despite the obvious danger, Sofia’s determination is too strong for her to give up at any point. The filmmakers take us back to 2014 when the war between Russian and Ukraine began. If you think that the occupation has been taking place for about a year, then I’m sorry to tell you it’s been over 9 years now. This production was especially significant during the last year’s Ukrainian film festival, because of the ongoing attacks on a huge scale in Ukraine in 2022. However, I wouldn’t like to focus on political issues here and instead, discuss the film itself. I was absolutely amazed by the character of Sofia. Not only it was very well played by the actress, but also it made me truly sympathise with the woman. I believed everything the character was presenting and I had chills watching her steps. She just looked innocent and weak, but deep inside she was a real lioness who wouldn’t stop until her goal was achieved. And her goal was to find her son, even if that means losing her own life on the way. Despite political and cultural aspects of this production, I admire the story for showing this unimaginably strong mother’s love that may lead to putting the woman in danger, but for sure leads to brave actions. All the interactions that Sofia has with other people are also a separate topic worth discussing. Even though there’s an ongoing war, people find some mysterious empathy that tells them to help Sofia and make sure she’s safe. I’ve never experienced war in a direct way, but I can only imagine how little everything matters – people simply try to survive. Yet, not sure whether it’s human solidarity or the energy that Sofia shares, but she’s got more luck than we could imagine. I was fascinated by this production and I hope that you’ll find a moment to see it as well. It really is a film about love and determination more than about the war. I hope you believe me.

My rating: 7/10
S.

What is a soldier without war? “All Quiet on the Western Front” (“Im Westen nichts Neues”, 2022)

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directed by Edward Berger
© 2022 Netflix. All Rights Reserved.

I have to admit that I was rather sceptical before watching today’s film. It’s because I’m a bit tired of continuous adaptations instead of creating fresh productions. “All Quiet on the Western Front” by Erich Maria Remarque had already had two film adaptations, one of which won two Oscars (Outstanding Production and Best Director). I’ve seen that first adaptation from 1930 and, indeed, it’s a film worth your time, just mind the fact it’s been almost 100 years since it was made. Plus, as the novel itself is culturally and politically significant, I’m not surprised that production was the winner back then. So, since we already have such cinematographic gem, what’s the point of making another one? Well, here I come saying: thank you holy spirits, tooth fairies and anyone above us for making this film happen. To make things clear, I’m not saying it’s an absolute masterpiece, but I do believe it’s needed. For those who haven’t read the book or haven’t heard of the story, it’s about the German soldiers who were fighting in World War I. The novel is very much appreciated mostly for its anti-war messages coming from it, especially for the indirect accusation of manipulating and murdering thousands of young men purely for political reasons. In the film, we’re following yet a teenager named Paul (Felix Kammerer), who enlists to fight in the War together with his friends. Even though we have a protagonist, I feel like we experience the story from all possible perspectives on the way. And the reason why I’m glad this film was produced is because we really need constant reminders about the ridiculousness of wars. Forgive my honesty, but I do believe there’s nothing to be proud of in leading your people to battles. In the novel and both adaptations (I haven’t seen the one from 1979) we may see how lost all those youngsters were in that situation. They were often not aware of what’s happening and what it takes to be on the front. Authorities were manipulating them to believe it’s a matter of respect towards their country and they should be proud of joining the army, while all those boys were was a human target for the other side. For what? Nothing more valuable than a human life, if you ask me. And I’m glad that we refresh such stories and make them visible to people all around the world. I also have to admit that I was thrilled how meticulously this adaptation was made, with all the details, short scenes that speak for themselves (for example the one where Paul receives his uniform and notices a label attached to it – I had chills), wonderful camerawork and editing. I know that it’s quite strange saying it considering the theme of this film but it’s truly beautiful from the technical point of view. And perhaps because it’s so perfectly done, it hits even harder with the content it presents. Plus, I’m sure more younger viewers will decide to see this one instead of the two previous adaptations because it’s more accessible and visually attractive. So, in the end, I’m glad this film happened. Do I wish it an Oscar? I don’t know. But I wish you to see it and reflect on the lesson we apparently haven’t learned as humanity.

My rating: 7/10
S.

Fathers live for the promises that they make. “Ayla: The Daughter of War” (2017)

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directed by Can Ulkay
© 2017 Warner Bros. All Rights Reserved.

Recently one of my friends has recommended me to see today’s film and since it’s a Turkish production, I knew I had to keep it for a right day. Even though Turkish dramas are often sappy, perhaps slightly cringy, and we’re aware of what might happen next, they always hit us. Or at least me. So yes, I cried at the end angry with myself I let them do this to me again. But if you’re sensitive about real life dramas, then you may need tissues as well, my dear. The film tells the story of Sergeant Süleyman (İsmail Hacıoğlu), a Turkish man sent to South Korea in the 50s in order to support the country in the war with North Korea. During one of the battles he finds a little girl (Kim Seol), whose parents were murdered. The man decides to take care of the child and gives her a temporary name Ayla (which means “moonlight”), as they have no idea what’s her real one. At first Sergeant just wishes to find some guardian for the girl and continue his work, but they create a very strong bond between each other and it’s difficult for them to separate. I could tell you what happens next (and trust me, I’d love to!), but I also want you to discover it on your own. Personally, I have a difficult relationship with Turkish cinema as their screenplays remind me of all those cheap soap operas where anything can happen (including aliens invasion), but technically they are so good… I mean SO good, and I’m always thrilled about the camerawork and their choice of shooting. Plus, it really hits me when a film is based on a true story, and so is this one. I was still pretty strong watching the fictional part, but when they showed a footage from the real event, I was done. Waterfall on my cheeks. Good job, Turkish cinema. Anyway, if you enjoy historical/war films and you’re also a slightly sensitive creature, you will like this one. There’s also a documentary about Süleyman and Ayla called “Ayla, My Korean Daughter”, but I wouldn’t recommend watching it first (you know, spoilers). And also, the film was the Turkish entry for Oscars in 2018, but wasn’t nominated. And since the Academy members have a questionable taste, you better see yourself.

My rating: 7/10
S.

Now you have my heart. “The Lost Valentine” (2011)

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directed by Darnell Martin
© 2011 CBS. All Rights Reserved.

The year 2022 hasn’t started in the brightest colours. Or maybe I should say 2021 didn’t end in them. On the last day of 2021 we lost a true diamond – Betty White. I guess there’s no need for me to explain who this wonderful woman was as everybody knew Betty. She was a human legend we didn’t deserve. Her charisma and smile will stay with me forever and I really hope she’s having a big party wherever she is right now. And those who are with her are lucky, indeed. To remember Betty, I recommend watching a film she’s starring in. Choose whichever you want. And if you’re not sure, I’d like to encourage you to see “The Last Valentine”. It’s a story about Caroline Thomas (Betty White), who’s an elderly woman that lost her husband Neil (Gil Gerard) during World War II. Even though it’s been over 60 years since that tragedy, Neil has still been considered missing in action, which for Betty means hope that he’s not dead and will come home one day. Obviously, after many years she realised that Neil wouldn’t return, but she kept loving him and has been practicing a small tradition of hers. Every year on Valentine’s Day, Caroline goes to the train station where she last said goodbye to Neil many years ago and she sits there remembering and still kind of hoping to see him. And here appears Susan (Jennifer Love Hewitt), a journalist whose TV station wants to present the story of Caroline. At first Susan isn’t much interested in the task, but the more she gets to know Caroline and learns about the relationship between lovers, the more she wishes not only to make a nice programme, but also to help the elderly woman. Of course, in the meantime Susan starts crushing on Caroline’s handsome grandson, but that’s another story. You may think it’s a typical romance that should comfort you on a rainy day, and perhaps it is, but I was somehow extra moved by it. Firstly, because it’s with Betty and Betty is marvellous. Secondly, it presents the nightmare that many women were going through during the war. They were losing their husbands and often needed to manage everything on their own, including raising children. We often praise men who have died in battles, but let’s just take a moment to praise their women, who’ve been going through a different kind of hell. So that’s my recommendation for you today. To all strong women out there and their glamorous leader, Betty White! May she rest in peace.

My rating: 7/10
S.

We are always ready. “The Earth is Blue as an Orange” (2020)

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directed by Iryna Tsilyk
© 2020 Albatros Communicos. All Rights Reserved.

I’ve just finished watching films during a Ukrainian film festival and I have to say that I’m a bit confused. On the one hand, there were several films that were simply tiring. They were written is a rather chaotic way, and even though the actors were trying hard, I just couldn’t see any point in those productions. Not sure if it’s Ukrainian style of making films or I was simply unlucky to see such exceptions. However, I’ve watched a few memorable documentaries, so for now I can say that I’m not the biggest fan of Ukrainian cinema, but their documentaries are worth noticing. And today I’m recommending you one. Maybe it’ll encourage you to see it if I tell you the director, Iryna Tsilyk, was awarded at the Sundance Film Festival in 2020? Yes, now we’re talking. And I’m not surprised, because it is a unique production. We get to know Hanna and her four children. The family is living in a war zone in the eastern part of Ukraine. For those who don’t know, the country is in a constant armed conflict with Russia, but I’m not going to share more details as it’s not what this blog is for. Let’s focus on the documentary. Even though the family cannot feel safe in their own house, they try their best to create an illusion as if everything was okay. They decide to shoot a film based on their own experiences, which is their way of cutting themselves off from the reality. The family is obviously lovely and it’s nice seeing them all together, but on the other hand you, as a viewer, have a constant reminder in your head that they are in danger. No matter how cheerful and positive they stay, they have to fight for their lives. Everyday. So you’re watching the film as if you were on some emotional rollercoaster, at least this is how it was for me. It’s fascinating how people can learn to accept such extreme situation. I mean, do they have a choice? Still, such productions remind me of the power we have in our minds and the power we have as a family. And if a film leaves you with a lot of quality thoughts, I guess it must be good.

My rating: 7/10
S.

To this day the war is not over. “Inner Wars” (2020)

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directed by Masha Kondakova
© 2020 Ukrainian State Film Agency. All Rights Reserved.

As you know, recently I’ve decided to join a Ukrainian film festival and since you were interested in my recommendations, here’s one. To be honest, I’m not thrilled about the films I’ve seen so far, they were either not consistent in their form or with a screenplay that was missing a bit of polishing, in my opinion. However, today’s documentary made me stare at the screen and left me with a lot of thoughts, so I guess we can say I’ve found a gem. Perhaps you don’t know this about Ukraine, but since 2014 they’ve been in an on-going war with Russia and the army is constantly present at the eastern border. The filmmaker, Masha Kondakova, decided to present the situation from the perspective of three women: Lera, Ira and Elena. All of them are or were supporting their soldiers and each of them has been going through her personal inner war. I wouldn’t like to describe their stories, because I find learning about them while watching an interesting experience. But I’d like to share my feelings after seeing this documentary. In my opinion, we don’t only get a picture of brave and patriotic women, but also ladies, who prove that they can go through this nightmare “like a man” (ugh, I hate such expressions, but I had to use it here, you know why) and still remember about their female self. Lera, Ira and Elena are totally different from each other, yet they have something in common: stubbornness. A very healthy stubbornness. Perhaps some of you will find it insane that they risk their lives voluntarily, but at least they are aware of their actions, have found their purpose and are strong enough to handle the consequences. For me it was a decent picture of a very smart battle with patriarchy, so add this one to your to-watch list.

My rating: 7/10
S.

We are on the list! “Quo Vadis, Aida?” (2020)

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directed by Jasmila Žbanić
© 2020 Deblokada Produkcija. All Rights Reserved.

What a night that was! Extremely boring, wasn’t it? At least in my eyes that was the most boring Oscars ceremony I’ve seen. I understand that we have the pandemic and a lot of us have lost our beloved ones in the last year, but isn’t such night an occasion to take a deep breath and relax? To clear our minds and forget about the reality for a second? Let’s all thank Yuh-Jung Your and Glenn Close for entertaining us though! And today I’d like to write about a film that was nominated, but didn’t get the Oscar. I’m talking about “Quo Vadis, Aida?”, which was my personal winner as the Best International Film. “Another Round” was my second favourite and I’m also very happy to see it winning, especially since it was a very meaningful production for Thomas Vinterberg (I recommend you to see his speech). Still, “Quo Vadis, Aida?” is a real gem which I hope will be seen by many of you. We move back to 1995 and meet Aida (Jasna Đuričić), a UN translator. During that time, the Army of Republika Srpska (Serbian Republic) has taken over one mountain town called Srebrenica. I wouldn’t like to explain you what was going on there, because it’s a very difficult part of history, but shortly speaking it was a battle between the Serbian Army and Muslim civilians. Aida is protected as she’s at the UN camp, but her family aren’t. She’s trying her best to let her husband and two sons in, but at the same time she has to follow orders and focus on her job. She knows that outside there her family isn’t safe, but there are also thousands of other people begging for protection. Their only chance is to negotiate with the Serbian Army. But you know, war is war, there are no official rules. So for the whole time you feel like watching a ticking bomb and you’re not sure when the massacre begins. Or will it? I was amazed by the idea of showing this historical moment from the perspective of a woman working for UN. Aida is such a strong female character and I felt huge respect towards her. The whole film was very emotional and kept me uncomfortable, but on the other hand I knew I needed to stay as strong as Aida. Honestly, haven’t been so engaged in a film for a long time. It’s an absolute must-see! My personal Oscar goes to Aida.

My rating: 8/10
S.