Fortress of War

If you read my title, you might consider the comparison perhaps the most famous American world war epic odd, but I'll explain that shortly.

To get the necessities out of the way--the film describes the fall of the Brest Fotress in far western Belarus (or Byelorussian SSR, in this case). The film does not elaborate on the history, as already pointed out: it does not point out that Brest was captured from Poland just two years earlier, courtesy of the Brest-Litovsk Treaty. Nor does it mention the Polish population of Brest, forced west or deported to the east by the government after that fact. And finally, it does not mention that Brest, like the rest of Western Belarus, was subject to a Polish colonization effort after Poland annexed it (during the first Polish-Soviet War, which they won) and under military rule due to conflicts between Poles and Belarusians. All of this is, as it happens, not relevant to the movie makers, and given how few people have heard of the first Polish-Soviet War, the Polonization of West Belarus, or the deportation of Brest's Polish residents, it's not surprising. Outside of the CIS countries and eastern Poland, you'll be surprised to find anyone know knows Belarus is its own country. Brest is a rough, rural, but otherwise idyllic countryside town--unbelievable from a western perspective, perhaps, but not in conflict with survivor narratives we have today, and intended to set up the disaster that follows.

The movie DOES offer some historic context, however--it begins with Major Gavrilov's warning of an impending disaster for Brest, and the Brest Fortress, in the event of a German invasion, though he is dismissed by skeptical comrades more trusting of their country's "ally". When the war begins in earnest, Gavrilov, Commissar Fomin, and Lieutenant Kizhevatov rally a bloody, nearly fanatical defense of their country and, for many, their home against the German invasion. This makes up the meat of the movie, with the narrative of a foster student Sashka, attached to a military band, caught in the middle. The war cinematography is thrilling and exciting, comparable to the aforementioned "Saving...", albeit with an emphasis on brutal close-quarters fighting--exaggerated, potentially, for the necessity of emphasizing the difference between mechanized warfare in the field and indoor fighting in somewhere like Brest or Stalingrad. Seeing the Soviet defenders--mostly Red Army men, joined by die-hard Frontier troops and a few NKVD Rifle Battalion NCOs, from what I see--counter-attack German positions with shovels and chairs as well as rifles and machineguns seems unbelievable at first, but it doesn't clash with the western narrative of a primitive Red Army, or accounts of hand-to-hand fighting from both world wars. The disastrous results that usually follow serve as a reminder that this isn't something fantastical like "Enemy at the Gates" or an optimistic adventure like "Inglorious Bastards". Thhe defenders themselves are portrayed as human and vulnerable, capable of tears, despair and emotion at inopportune times--though it suffers from a "blink and you'll miss it", situation the scant non-Slavs shown in the Red Army.

As a war movie, it's portrayal of the German enemy is naturally important. The Germans are portrayed, as usual, as organized, very competent, and extremely clever--an infiltration scene early on, wherein German commandos impersonate NKVD NCOs to enter the fortress highlights this. However, there's hardly any more demonization of them then in "Saving Private Ryan" or "Band of Brothers", in part because they're also portrayed distantly and hidden, in contrast with the very human Soviet defenders--with a few exceptions. In one, some Germans are shown about to assault a captured woman, who is ultimately gunned down--this is hardly unbelievable, and it serves more to show the guilt felt by a (civilian) Byelorussian at having used the distraction she provided to escape his own fate, than the Germans being ravenous monsters. In another, the advancing Germans gun down fleeing civilians from a machinegun position. Damning, certainly, but consider: during the German occupation, between 2 and 2.5 million people in Byelorussia, of nine million, perish. The scene, if fictionalized, is likely intended to demonstrate the particular callousness the Germans, as a whole, displayed towards "Reichskommissariat Ostland". Aside from this, Germans usually seem distant and, on occasion, just as desperate as their Soviet enemies.

"Fortress" stands well with its American counterparts, and even decently with epics like "Come and See", ending with a sobering tribute to the film's historical personalities--the vindicated Pyotr Gavrilov is explained as having survived German captivity only to be imprisoned for the act of surrender (though the movie inaccurately suggests such a fate befell "most" POWs, when it was primarily inflicted on officers and others who carried more "blame"), only to be rehabilitated and made Hero of the USSR in 1957, in a damning critique of the country, and Stalin's, complacency towards Germany. The Jewish Commissar Fomin, being twice a target of the German Commissar Order, is executed immediately. The movie goes out of its way to defend those who did surrender, suggested they only did so at the behest of the defenders, after army men begged their families to take the German offers for leniency. Soldiers who surrender are shown as only having been human, witnesses to extraordinary violence, and are understandably broken, and even have a degree of sympathy from those who fight on. All and all, this is a well-done, particularly sympathetic, and highly enjoyable war epic that maintains the tradition of sobering portrayals we've expected from CIS cinematography on the Second World war.

"- This fortress, fortress here, we keep the defense, - This fortress, fortress here, we keep the defense..."

This film is perhaps the best, but certainly one of the best war films made in the past 20 years in Europe. Talking about the legend of the Second World War, the epic Brest fortress that was first attacked by the Nazi hordes, the first day of the war with the USSR 22nd June 1941.

The story tells of a young boy who is a trumpeter in the orchestra in Brest fortress and all the time movie battle through hell trying to find a girlfriend who is lost in the war. During his quest he survives the horrors of the battle in which he actively participate.

The film is full of scenes of war, desperate efforts of the Russian soldiers who defended the fort, during the most certainly futile struggle. While it is a fortress under siege, the German army has penetrated far beyond the fortress that is doomed to fail, but even when they find out, Russian soldiers decided to fight to the end. Excellent film directed complemented by the strong acting and perfect music. Scenes of war are almost epic, presented with the harsh reality.

Brest Fortress is something similar like the American fort Alamo, just became much larger and more powerful symbol of the perseverance of Russian troops, tragedies, and ultimate victory.

The film certainly has to be seen, and the quality of acting, directing and scenes of war, beyond almost all the western movies so far recorded.

The film shows the people and the destiny woven through this historical epic about the Brest fortress. Avoided, and quite nice, skilled and successful, politics and ideology, and instead of great political speeches film shows pure heroism, struggle, and an iron will, not only from the military fortress of the crew, but also the entire Soviet people to defend the country from the fascist hordes .

Ordinary people, cooks, musicians, soldiers, doctors, civilians become suddenly, on that fateful morning of the 22nd June 1941, heroes, they want it or not, they like it or not. The film shows the harsh reality. Absolute lack of preparation and complete negligence of the Soviet army before the dawn of war, a total neglect of the defense of the nation from German aggression. Shows the persistent struggle of the army commander, Major Gavrilov and warning of impending war.

And Germans come as a shock bolt from the blue. The collapse of the Soviet military is obvious. Mass deaths, the collapse front, panic and chaos. From such chaos and terror, the rise of the heroic figures of defense fortress. Major Gavrilov, political commissar of Fomin and many others that his example of heroism, defiance and leadership endured ten times stronger against the German enemy, to the last drop of blood, the last bullet, the last drop of water ...

Long after the movie, in your ears will ring a continuous repetition of words spoken бѕ radio operator from the fortress:

"- This fortress, fortress here, we keep the defense, - This fortress, fortress here, we keep the defense..."

Sunday shop in Asda Superstore Brighton UK. Always look at new DVD display. Full this week of USA horror and comedy Z movies. This shop also puts new foreign films with subtitles on the display, prices reduced as the lazy Brits still can't be botherd to read a subtitled film. What a lazy bunch some of us are, all though the Norwegion sub titled fun fest that is The Troll Hunter is pulling them in here in Brighton. I digress.I like true history, this film of the heroic defence of the Brest Fortress in June 1941 was something even at my age, 70 I had never heard of.Half way through, it's 138 mins long,I halt it for a cup of tea and said out loud, Hey a real film, no bloody CIC,no American crap heroics,and boy I am looking forward to seeing the rest.In my tea break I find that this fantastic heartbreaking true war film did not even get a UK cinema release. Disgraceful.All the performances are stunning, the film looks great on the wide print. Rent this and learn what barstards the Nazis really were. Highly recommended.

War movies based on true events are always something special because you can feel the suffering and the absurdity of war. Most of World War II movies are about well known battles like Normandy, Obama Beach, The Ardennes and so on, but I prefer watching more unknown battles because they have the right to be remembered also. In this movie we get another untold story about the Soviet troops defending the Brest fortress against the German Nazi invasion. We will never know how accurate those battles are. It's a Soviet movie so it might been shot as Soviet propaganda. But the least we can say is that this movie is very well done. Not the usual goodlooking Hollywood stars playing a war hero, but actual day-to-day normal looking people, like you and me, acting in some very captivating scenes. I don't know if those actors are famous in their fatherland but they sure did a hell of a good job. Probably not with a huge budget, they still managed to make it look pretty real. The story about this East front battle is special, sometimes told with a narrating voice of a kid that survived this hell, and will certainly have your attention. After Anthropoid and Kajaki, another great war movie that won't leave you without emotion.

I like this movie considering all the crap films made in my country for last 20 years. From my view it has almost no propaganda (ok, I'm brainwashed already). Narrator probably is telling less that he could, so some plot points are not that clear, but the film keeps you at the screen for all the time.

And final note to some historians here: if you mention history background and occupation of Brest by Soviet Union in 1939, please go further and mention that it was taken by Poland from Russia in 1919, it was behind the Curzon line (the Poland people were not the majority of population) and should have stayed the Russian city.