Das Tor zum Himmel

This is the second war film directed by the highly decorated Yevgeniya Zhigulenko, who, after her service in the Soviet armed forces as a night bombing aviator during WWII (the famous "Night Witches"), studied cinematography in 1976 and went on to make various films. Unlike her more personal first war film "Nochnye lastochki" (Night Swallows) from 1981, a poetic autobiographical narrative of her years as an aviator, this second film doesn't reach the same cinematic level as its predecessor. The first film, made in the tumultuous years immediately after the fall of the Soviet Union, with some viewing it as a great advancement for the Russian people and others, like Yevgeniya Zhigulenko, who had dedicated their youth to defending their country, seeing everything they believed in and fought for vanish, had a markedly melancholic tone and a poetic quality with feminine touches not often seen in the war genre.

This second production is somewhat flat, achieving a passing grade as everything is adequate but not particularly outstanding. The characters are believable but rather one-dimensional, lacking a depth in their personalities. The music is rather unremarkable, lacking the construction of a true soundtrack tailored for the occasion. If it weren't for some outdoor scenes, one might consider it a theatrical experience, which further accentuates the flatness of the characters.