"I, Victory and Berlin" is a film I anticipated more than any other. After missing the premiere, I waited eagerly for its release on streaming services. And so, on a beautiful September evening, I finally had the chance to watch it. I prepared everything necessary for the viewing, settled in comfortably, pressed "play"... and here's what I saw.
The film is certainly not a complete disaster, but it falls far short of my expectations. While the soundtrack, well-composed shots, and well-cast actors are worth noting, there are many drawbacks. The script turned out to be a mess. The book, on which the film was based, was perfect in its own right, and changing the already completed script turned out to be a poor decision. The main character, Skryabin, was turned into a foolish idiot, which feels out of place and undermines the depth of the character. Some of the writers found it amusing and appropriate to include a series of clumsy jokes about other nations, despite our criticism of similar practices in Russian cinema.
The film tries to play on the emotions of fans, but that's clearly not enough. As a result, it comes off as very raw and underdeveloped. Only the acting (excluding the lead actor), musical accompaniment, and cinematography merit a 5 out of 10 rating. I add 2 extra points for the fact that the film was eventually released. Unfortunately, even that doesn't change the overall impression: I wouldn't watch it again.
