La Bataille de Leningrad

Average world war 2 movie, with the known Russian war spectacle, but a bit boring story, it has nothing to do with Leningrad only with a small boat, also Germans are portrayed here as ultimate civilian killers...

The Germans bombed a barge, it sank, and 800 or so people, mostly civilians, drowned. In the process, a few soldiers opened fire from rifles and downed both German fighters that attacked the barge. Seems like fantasy? Well, that's probably because it is. The barge in question did indeed sink, but not because of German attack. Mind you, the Germans did occasionally bomb vessels crossing the Ladoga lake, but this one was not bombed. It sank because it was overloaded and in somewhat poor shape, and because weather conditions were unfavourable. But instead of making a powerful drama about civilians fleeing starvation inside a besieged city, and drowning in the process, the film makers thought this should be an action movie with Russian supermen who down planes with a single bullet... Twice! It is also a poorly written love story, and yet another story of reconciliation, as NKVD captain becomes friends with the guy he was going to have shot along with his father. You see, recent Russian war films are obsessed with the message of reconciliation between Russians, despite ideological and other divides that existed in 1941. In the end, the film ends up being a manipulative mess that provides no payoff. It is also disrespectful towards the people who died.

I was not brave enough to ONLY try this crap fom Russia till the end. Hollywood on Neva. Clichés and propaganda at the worst. Maybe film making is good, and special effects CGI too, but I still have in mind the pure masterpiece that Sergio Leone had planned to direct, back in 1989. Imagine Sergio Leone making a film about the 900 days of Leningrad Siege. Imagine this film which will never be, and compare this scheme with this pure garbage stuff. I tried and puked all over the joint.

Nobody saves Leningrad in the movie as the whole action takes places during approach of German army. Other than that, it is hard to believe it was made in 2019 as it is lowly propaganda of the worst kind. Communist Soviet Union made much better and truthful war movies. Any redeeming value is lost due to obvious steals from Titanic. Avoid at all cost.

Unfortunately, movie is too easily forgotten as another substandard historical piece not worth more than a single watch-through just for a fans of war epics, because the production had enough money to spend it on big effects and VFX sequences, but ultimately film lacks the depth.

Rating: 6-