The Dawns Here Are Quiet...

Russia, May 1942. Well behind friendly lines a veteran sergeant commands a small outpost, consisting of two anti-aircraft guns. His men are a rowdy, undisciplined bunch and after one incident too many they are taken off his hands. To his surprise, the replacements are women. Soon after, the Germans send a team of crack saboteurs into the area to blow up a vital railway link. The only thing standing between them and completing their mission is the sergeant and his small inexperienced team.

Great war drama. Militarily plausible and very accurate with some good action sequences. Some smaller details are surprisingly well done: meticulous things which make the whole thing so much more believable.

Highly engaging too, as we see the backstories of the main characters. Also shows the sacrifices made by the combatants, their families and communities in order to win the war.

Because of this engagement, it is quite emotional at times.

A great war drama, one definitely worth watching.

A zori zdes tikhie (The Dawns Here Are Quiet, 2015) is based on a book by Boris Vasilyev (1969) and is similar to 1972 Soviet movie of the same name by Stalnislav Rostotskiy. It tells a story of a Russian sergeant stationed in Karelia with a group of young female anti-aircraft gunners. The group moves to intercept a squad of German troops moving through the nearby forests. Russians find themselves badly outnumbered, but they are devoted to stopping the enemy regardless of the cost.

The new version is significantly shorter, uses a different style of flashbacks that tell the background stories of the main characters, and has extended action elements. But in general it remains a faithful remake that often uses the same lines spoken by characters and same shooting angles. New version also has a fair amount of nudity which is not very distracting, but might seem unappealing for a serious war movie. Overall, this is a solid production which is superior to other remakes of Soviet movies that were filmed in Russia in the recent years.

Heartfelt movie, good acting and characters. Showed the horrors of war and personal sadness.

While the movie is based on a fictional novel, the series is true to form with incredible accuracy of weapons, uniforms, Soviet soldiers and more.

I would say every single one of the actors was well cast and portrayed their roles with excellence. I am a great fan of Russian war movies and this is at the top of my list.

The cinematography is without fault. The beautiful landscapes are mesmerizing. (Filmed at Karelia, Russia next to the Finnish border region)

This is a must see WW2 movie.

I just watched this movie and I must say this is now in my top 10 war movie of all time. Such warm and in the same time, such harsh story. Actors did amazing job...masterpiece. Sincere recommendation.