In anticipation of the round date from the end of World War II, modern cinema offers the viewer several interesting, worthy paintings. The feature film āBattalionā, although it is dedicated to the war, is different - the First World War.
Gained the working title āDeath Battalionā, which more accurately describes the meaning, he talks about a detachment of dedicated women. They are images of a kind of āreal Russian womenā who are not afraid of any obstacles. Even those associated with victory and standing next to death.
Combination of incongruous
This film harmoniously combines history, personal tragedy, female beauty and even love. What is a ābattalionā? The film tells about the military formations created by the interim government, as a futile attempt to raise and support the fallen spirit of Soviet soldiers. By their example, women, its participants, had to partially shame men, hinting that even the weaker sex could go to the front. The organizer of such a detachment was Maria Bochkareva. Her image was perfectly beaten by actress Maria Aronova in the 2015 military drama āThe Battalionā. Feedback from viewers and critics, as well as the story of the film, its actors and prototypes of the characters will be the topic of this article.
At the heart of the story and another film
Those who liked the tape, and all fans of the story were curious how the desire to create such a picture appeared. After all, before the āBattalionā there were no films devoted to such female formations. Surprisingly, the founder of the idea was another film that talks about the defense of the Brest Fortress during the Second World War.
As the producer
Igor Ugolnikov admitted
, while working on the creation of the āBrest Fortressā, he already presented a future project with a very suitable name - āBattalionā. The film planned to show the complex female fate of the local garrison. The idea has slightly changed. The key moment was the formation of the āDeath Battalionā named after Maria Bochkareva and the equally difficult fate of its participants.
Large-scale, timed premiere
The company āCorner Workā, with the support of Igor Ugolnikov and Fedor Bondarchuk, allocated $ 10 million to produce the picture, which is a significant figure for domestic cinema. This means one thing - on a large scale, the result should be no less impressive. So it or not, the prime minister could show. āBattalionā was released exactly on the Defender of the Fatherland Day and a few months before the celebration of Victory Day. A kind of double gift from the creators. Moreover, the first countries to see the film were Kazakhstan, Belarus and, of course, Russia. Pre-premiere shows were held in several cities of our country: Minsk, St. Petersburg, Moscow. A pleasant moment and of particular importance for the entire crew was the meeting with the President of Russia. According to the producers, Vladimir Putin enjoyed watching the picture and, most importantly, was pleased with it. On March 7, āBattalionā was shown at the film festival in Belgrade (Serbia) and in Germany.
First impressions of the movie āBattalionā
Feedback from viewers attending the premiere said that this is a strong āstory about history,ā which, unfortunately, is forgotten over time. There are practically no characters trained in familiar stereotypes.
On the contrary, one cannot say for sure that this is a negative or positive hero. In many ways, each of them is unpredictable, and often do not know what to expect. The narrative includes love lines showing sincerity and purity. The main emphasis is on scale - battle scenes seem very spectacular, tough and dynamic, which cannot but keep the screen.
Bright faces of the screen
For many domestic stars, the news of the launch of a new historical film led to a desire to join the ensemble of actors. The plot includes several young characters, primarily girls who have not yet crossed the threshold of "adulthood." Many young actresses hurried to the casting. To fill the track record of any of them could āBattalionā. Maria Kozhevnikova was among the lucky ones chosen by the producers. She got the image of Natalia Tatishcheva, adjutant Bochkareva. The actress, familiar from the youth sitcom Univer, has long outgrown her slightly windy heroine Allochka. Maria happily changed her role, acting in diverse films - from melodramas to fantasy. Among the latter was the "Dark World", where she played a bright "bitch" Vika. In her filmography there were āKremlin cadetsā, āSklifosovskyā, āRed mountainsā and āNewlywedsā. Therefore, a truly acting gift was a proposal to embody one of the brave women in the tape āBattalionā. Maria Kozhevnikova, a young mother of two children, according to the viewers, got used to the role, while remaining incredibly chic and memorable in the frame.
Defenders of the Fatherland
What do you think, thanks to which the film turned out to be good? Of course, because of the main characters, what women have become. This largely distinguishes this film from a number of other military paintings, where men are called upon to show all the strength and courage. Touching and naivety give tragedy, which is filled with ābattalionā. Feedback from the audience suggests that, despite the richness and naturalness of what is happening, brilliantly conveyed by the film crew and all the creators of the tape, the fragility of women is perceived no less severe, which is, first of all, noticeable externally. Can they be the defenders of the motherland? Their strong-willed character and actions, hardened by the internal life of the battalion, are in very contrast with the surrounding reality.
āBattalionā, whose actors perfectly conveyed the whole atmosphere of that time, the life of the army, the cohesion of the team and the horror that was happening on the battlefield, looks at one go, despite the two-hour timing. The audience regretted the fact that the action takes place quickly, leading to the imminent finale. The denouement takes place in an interesting place, leading the audience away from the final battle. Obviously, it promised to be grand and predictable. The death of the heroines, which often happens due to stupidity, is underlined by the fact that the women were not ready for war, but nevertheless went forward, turning into a soldier on the battlefield, regardless of
physical fitness.Enchanting transformation. āBattalionā: actors and roles
Of course, Maria Aronova shocked everyone with her game, which even her most devoted fans had not seen before. The actress has long felt excellent in the dramatic context of her images. She showed on screen a stern woman, a tough commander and mother. Aronovaās game turned out to be natural and emotional. She literally lived this role.
No less spectacular and brave heroine, a powerful āwomanā Dusya, became a vivid female image in the film āBattalionā. Guest reviews are dedicated to actress Yanina Malinchik, who perfectly demonstrated such an unusual role. Valery Shkirando does not lag behind her with the image of Vera Neklyudova. It seems that for these talented actresses āBattalionā will be a good launching pad for their future careers.
Partly familiar to the viewer was the image of the chairman of the interim government. The arrogant Kerensky was brilliantly played by Marat Basharov. The military leader and teacher, adjutant general Alexei Brusilov was played by actor Vladimir Zaitsev. Alexander Novoselov reincarnated as Nikolai Brzhozovsky, a participant in many wars, including the First World War.
Among the other actresses of the āBattalionā, who for the most part played real prototypes, we can distinguish: Polina Dudkina (Svistunova), Anna Kuznetsova (Serafima), Mila Makarova (Tonya), Irina Rakhmanova (Froska), Maria Antonova (Thumbelina).
Contribution to the story, the impact on the minds of the audience
What should a war movie be like? Cruel and sad. With a heavy perception of the screen image and the understanding that this is not fiction, but reality.
The premiere (āBattalionā was released on February 20, 2015) did not leave many indifferent. Those who did not manage to get on it and see the film on a wide screen (which, given the powerful battle scenes, would give scale), it remains to wish to definitely watch the āBattalionā at home. It perfectly reflects the epoch of the past and conveys reality to the maximum - impartially, not pretended, relying on confirmed facts and information, which are fortunately preserved for posterity and to help the creators of the picture to our time. āBattalionā, the actors as the characters embodied by them in this film significant for Russia for a long time will remain another tribute to the great wars and great victories. This is our story that must not be forgotten.