V2. Escape from Hell

A decent Russian war film about Devyataev, a Soviet pilot captured by the Germans and held in a concentration camp from which he plans his escape by plane. It's nicely shot and sufficiently suspenseful for most of the running time. The opening dogfight with the planes is decently dynamic and I enjoyed the concentration camp setting, which although in other movies was dirtier and more intimate, didn't lead to boredom. Everything culminates in a half hour escape where I gasped in places and really cheered for the main characters, as they screwed yo everything they could. It's not a big hit or a revolution in the genre, but a likeable war one-off with pilots, planes and a concentration camp, which is not exactly common. Story 3/5, Action 3/5, Humour 0/5, Violence 1/5, Fun 4/5 Music 3/5, Visuals 4/5, Atmosphere 4/5, Suspense 4/5, Emotion 3/5. 7/10. (17/08/2021)

The film was quite well done, at least in my opinion. Unlike many other Soviet films, I found the character of Michail Devyatayev to be more believable, and therefore more relatable. Additionally, the Russian creators steered clear of the typical patriotism and accompanying melodrama, opting instead for a grim portrayal of prisoner-of-war camps that resonated with me, though I felt they could have delved even deeper into the harsh realities. I was pleasantly surprised and thoroughly enjoyed the film, to the extent that I didn't even start nitpicking for flaws in the storyline. / Lesson learned: Don't waste ammunition; shoot in short bursts. (13/11/2023)