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Set in the Soviet Union in the middle of World War II, The Ascent follows two soldiers: Sotnikov and Rybak (Boris Plotnikov and Vladimir Gostyukhin), that end up away from their unit, injured, and lost in the wilderness. As they try to find their way back to safety, they seek refuge in the house of struggling mother Demchikha (Lyudmila Polyakova). As the Nazis draw closer, the three have to wrestle with the enemy, cold and hunger, as well as their own consciences.
This is a film I hadn't heard of before, but what a pleasant surprise it was. The story presents these characters thrust in an impossible situation where "crawling in shit" seems inevitable. The question remains in who is willing to do so, even when it means not being able to "wash it off" afterwards. That quote was from Sotnikov to Rybak; a warning not to try to appease the enemy and cooperate, but rather "to be true to yourself".
The story uses this as a really powerful religious allegory of forgiveness, betrayal, guilt, and regret. That struggle is exemplified by the two main characters and their fight to survive. The three lead actors do a great job of conveying the weight of their choices and the cost afterwards. Kudos also to Anatoli Solonitsyn who plays Petrov; a collaborator for the Germans that pressures them.
Aside from that, the film is beautifully directed. For those that don't know, director Larisa Shepitko was the late wife of Elem Klimov, who would go on to direct his own war tragedy in Come and See. Shepitko has a unique eye to capture the emotions of these characters and the tragic crossroad they find themselves in. When survival is on the line, the crawl might not seem like a bad choice, but can we bear not being able to wash it off afterwards?
Grade:
THE ASCENT
(1977, Shepitko)
A film from Letterboxd's Official Top 250 Narrative Feature Films list whose ranking includes the #7 (i.e. 7, 17, 73, 227, etc.)
(1977, Shepitko)
A film from Letterboxd's Official Top 250 Narrative Feature Films list whose ranking includes the #7 (i.e. 7, 17, 73, 227, etc.)
"We're soldiers. Soldiers. Don't crawl in shit. You'll never wash it off."
Set in the Soviet Union in the middle of World War II, The Ascent follows two soldiers: Sotnikov and Rybak (Boris Plotnikov and Vladimir Gostyukhin), that end up away from their unit, injured, and lost in the wilderness. As they try to find their way back to safety, they seek refuge in the house of struggling mother Demchikha (Lyudmila Polyakova). As the Nazis draw closer, the three have to wrestle with the enemy, cold and hunger, as well as their own consciences.
This is a film I hadn't heard of before, but what a pleasant surprise it was. The story presents these characters thrust in an impossible situation where "crawling in shit" seems inevitable. The question remains in who is willing to do so, even when it means not being able to "wash it off" afterwards. That quote was from Sotnikov to Rybak; a warning not to try to appease the enemy and cooperate, but rather "to be true to yourself".
The story uses this as a really powerful religious allegory of forgiveness, betrayal, guilt, and regret. That struggle is exemplified by the two main characters and their fight to survive. The three lead actors do a great job of conveying the weight of their choices and the cost afterwards. Kudos also to Anatoli Solonitsyn who plays Petrov; a collaborator for the Germans that pressures them.
Aside from that, the film is beautifully directed. For those that don't know, director Larisa Shepitko was the late wife of Elem Klimov, who would go on to direct his own war tragedy in Come and See. Shepitko has a unique eye to capture the emotions of these characters and the tragic crossroad they find themselves in. When survival is on the line, the crawl might not seem like a bad choice, but can we bear not being able to wash it off afterwards?
Grade: