Sniper. The White Raven

This is the perfect example of excellent film making on a low budget.

Rather appropriate story displaying the bravery and courage of the Ukrainian fighters - that of which the Russians will never match.

Top notch camerawork, excellent acting and the pacing of the film keeps you engaged.

Yet another victory for Ukraine.

The intro claims this movie is based on a true story, but I have no idea to what extent. That said, it's a pretty well-made movie. It was made in 2021, well before the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, and is based around the 2014 annexation of the Crimea by Russia.

The main protagonist, the titular Raven, played by Aldoshyn Pavlo, does a very good job of portraying the impact of such conflict, with transition from pacifist to war hero. The other really good performance is from Andrey Mostrenko, who plays Raven's commanding officer.

The sniper scenes are well shot and credible. The sound effects are on point too.

The movie paints a bleak picture of war and there's nothing glitzy and shiny about it. Men killing men in bleak conditions.

Well worth watching.

Pavlo Aldoshyn gives a convincing performance as a Ukrainian sniper in their war with Russia. After a overly sweet ten minutes or so of little house on the prairie, the film gets down to brass tacks as we follow Pavlo's character going from Michael Langdon to Arnold Schwarzenegger. He learns to be a sniper to get revenge on the Russians. The training segment is interesting.

Although the Ukrainians have inferior tech for scope rifles, they get the job done most of time due to their discipline and controlled hatred of the invader. Some of the segments of the Russians getting drilled are quite satisfying. Worth viewing.

Doesn't that remind you another movie, where a Russian sniper was trying to wipe out his nemesis, a Nazi sniper? It was then Jude law vs Ed Harris who played those opponents and it took place during WW2, in a movie directed in 2001 by Jean Jacques Annaud...I won't name it, you all know which film it is about, and it is more than obvious that the Ukrainian movie which I review now is inspired by this 2001 one. This time, the Russians are shown as the Nazis and the Ukrainians as the "former" Russians, who, strangely NOW, in 2022-2023, accuse Ukrainians to be themselves Nazis.... Plus lead by a Jewish !!!!!

So that said this war movie is one of the first describing this gruesome war. It is tough, rough, gritty, riveting. It is a hit in the face. A true gem.

It is very nice to see that Ukrainian cinematography is developing. It is all the more important that the picture was released in such difficult times for our country.

Of course, the picture does not reach the level of Hollywood action films or films about war. But it is still a worthy attempt to reach a new level. A good story that develops rapidly. A character who adheres to his principles develops and changes. It's cool and it's addictive.

I give 8 points. Yes, maybe overstated. But I myself know very well what war is. And how difficult it is to step over one's own boundaries in order to effectively fight the enemy.