Fortress of War (2010)

Fortress of War eloquently and with painful honesty, captures the true face of war.This film like other Russian productions, understands and conveys wars reality, without judgment or pretension. For the entirety of this film you gain an insight into the human condition when faced with the cruel horrors of war. You get to know characters, to empathize with them and then watch what war does to them. Its not an easy experience but its not mean't to be. Fortress of War ticks all the boxes on the artistic and technical front. The acting in this film is excellent. So much so, I quickly became engrossed and forgot I was reading subtitles all the way through. Its sets are fantastic too, as are the costumes, the action and the special effects. Indeed, I can not find a single thing to say about this film that's not positive. Its a remarkable piece of cinema in any language that ranks up there with other Russian classic's, like Come and See. Ten out of ten from me.

I've expected a bit more from Brestskaya krepost. Thanks to the rating, I was looking forward to experience a different (Russian) view on Eastern front and was awaiting accuracy on battlefield which I am pretty sensitive about. Everything went good till German attack.POSITIVES first: -All visuals are good and so are the uniforms, vehicles etc. -Film managed really good to build "calm before the storm" atmosphere. I could feel the tension in the air and it made me to continue watching. -The film covers everything important in my opinion. Some reviewers have written about a feeling that Russians act in Brestskay krepost like it is theirs for ages and that Russians have committed many crimes in Poland which should have been shown in the movie too. I had this feeling also but I disagree with these reviewers about a matter of showing the background of Russian occupation in 1939-1941. I don't think it would add anything important to the story. NEGATIVES:-Overall battle performance and tactics of both sides were at least strange. As the Germans were advancing in extended order towards the Russians first time, the Russians have counter-attacked into the close combat instead of ambush and relatively safe shooting from the building. There was absolutely no reason to do that. This scene would be much more typical for Napoleonic wars than for 1941. Furthermore, attacking in urban areas in extended orders is nonsense. In reality, it was about quick moves, searching for cover, covering comrades etc. German infantry could have used some armored vehicles and move with them while hiding themselves behind them.-Waves of Germans trying to get closer to the Russians, who were defending buildings and fortress, while running without cover or covering fire and therefore dying instantly. Although close quarter combat was not yet developed in these days, since 19th century there was a common practice in military of dividing infantrymen into at least two units or "platoons" where one covers the second during its advance and then they change roles. It would be more believable if one German unit would provide massive fire on Russian positions and the second unit would quickly advance and take some good positions, ready to cover the others. -One of the German objectives was saving lives of their soldiers which makes the scene with captives quite unbelievable. I don't think they could have exposed their soldiers to potential fire because of some doubtful intent, probably to make Russians negotiate or what.-Many times, Germans shout without a reason just ... to make them look more German? This is at least the Hollywood's idea of Germans but I didn't expect this in a Russian film. For example, they shout at each other: "Be aware of windows, fire at will, fire..." which are pretty "empty" useless phrases, while they are already fighting. When they are yelling this during taking a building, it becomes a problem because they tend to reveal their position to the enemy.In spite of the negatives, it was a solid movie. If you are not as sensitive about the battles as I am, you will definitely enjoy.

In its way, this is as good as Enemy at the Gates, and I know there is criticism of that film in Russia, but it still helps people in the West understand the heroism and contribution of the peoples of the former Soviet Union in our Allied Victory over Nazism.It is far better than the film Stalingrad which seems all too sympathetic to the Germans.I design military history boardgames - wargames - and most of them are about the Russian Front in World War 2 ... the Great Patriotic War, as it is known to the Russians (and Belorussians and ....) (Most of my games are free to print off and play, on my webpages.) There are wargamers in Volgograd/Stalingrad, and one of them has told me that the 6 year old little brother of his grandmother was taken away by the Germans to be drained of his blood for transfusions - murdered - something I had once thought was exaggeration and/or propaganda. As Omer Bartov has described, even the non-SS German Army was a pack of monsters, in the East.The film is unsparing in portraying the hopelessness but heroism of the initially unprepared Brest Fortress garrison. And I hadn't realized their families had been murdered by the Nazis a couple years after they had been allowed to come out and surrender.I was astonished by the accurate German Mark III panzers/tanks. (Were these actual reconstructions?) I was surprised and impressed that the Jewish commissar Fomin was portrayed so positively, as antagonistic as Israel and its supporters have been toward the Russians and Belorussians.Everyone in the West should see this film to better understand what the Russians, Poles, and other Eastern peoples went through, during World War 2. The world is a much better place, when we are working with the peoples of the East as former allies and friends, instead of against them.Lou Coatney

Great movie! Once again, I was convinced that the really high quality movies we have shot, filmed and will be removed in the future. The patriotic content, acting, thought-out developments - the upper class. This is good news, because from the first seconds of the film you become attached to him, his view can not refuse. Unable to allocate a certain actor - they all played like a great orchestra, a single mechanism, with great dedication and skill of the game paying tribute to those who gave their lives for our great country, for our freedom, for the clear sky above our heads. There are some movies that are dearer to me than any foreign high-budget "action games." "Brest Fortress", as well as several other military and patriotic films made in different parts of our fatherland, will remind us of the Great Victory, which is extracted in the glow of the battles our ancestors, people who are not sparing himself, rushed to defend the country from the very first hours of war, World War II. Our tribute to this great feat - my memory of them, which also includes the creation of patriotic films like "Brest Fortress".Again, the film affects the magnitude of the explosions and accuracy of events. Not for nothing, when you create a movie, documentary evidence used to reconstruct as accurately as possible the situation that arose in the fortress at that difficult time.As the fighting scenes were filmed - it is generally impossible to comment on. High level production of hostilities simply indescribable - before he delivered quality.It is significant that at the beginning and end of the film sounded wonderful song "On the Hills of Manchuria", which was originally devoted to another heroic feat of our soldiers, but that it is the best fit in this movie.I am infinitely grateful to the creators for the idea to remove this film and the actors who performed their roles very well, gave it to the max. Thank you for this wonderful picture! Eternal memory to all those who fought for the freedom of our motherland. Let's not forget about the difficult victory, which extracted a high price for us, our ancestors! Their courage, endurance, boundless will to win and a great desire not to give up, there is a great example for us! The town where I was born and lived, Odessa, is the proud title of "Hero City". The Brest Fortress is the only castle to be awarded such a high calling, earning him, as all city-heroes, the blood of its defenders, and their courage! About the great feat of strength, character and other cities-heroes do not forget ever!