In the throes of World War II, a group of individuals poised to generate peace and acceptance travel the desolate landscape of all that Hitler has left in his wake. Led by Leonid Berenshtein, this group will do all that it can, regardless of the cost, in order to achieve their collective goals–and their role in the conclusion of WWII is nearly unparalleled.
Death plagues Berenshtein from beginning to end, but it’s never presented in a fashion that is too overwhelming–but rather Writer-Director Roman Shumunov and co-Writers Simon Shechter, Vyacheslav Tkachov, Tasha Karlyka, and Mark Inberg find ways to effectively tell this graphic story in a vibrant but even-keeled fashion. Death is a sad and unavoidable part of war, and there’s no possibility that these filmmakers can make Berenshtein without including this aspect of these characters’ journey–but they have to find a way to make the film brilliantly graphic and captivating–and they do just that. Again, the blood and gore that exists throughout the course of the film plays out in a classy (as much as possible) fashion.
Berenshtein is direct, concise, and deliberate, rarely veering from the primary narrative and remaining cohesive and linear from beginning to end. The linear path of the film is inviting, and for viewers that are semi-unfamiliar with this part of history, it allows them to follow along with ease. I’m certainly not saying that the scope of WWII will all of the sudden become perfectly clear, but the way in which Shumunov lays out his film, it does make it easier to understand for sure. Knowledge is power, and Berenshtein is a film that exudes this from beginning to end, never relenting in this department, and reminding viewers of the importance of history and the role that it currently plays for us.
This film relies heavily on realism to bring it to life, to allow viewers to appreciate the struggles of Leonid and his team–and the landscape plays such a pivotal role in the overall reception of the film. While the set is often desolate, sometimes even difficult to swallow–the reality is that it’s an accurate representation of the narrative and the struggles that Lionid would have faced on his journey. Berenshtein seems to do all that it can to bring the truth to life, and it does that from beginning to end.
I just happened to see the English dubbed version of Berenshtein rather than the original version which contained a combination of Russian, German, Polish, and Ukrainian. While that may make the film a tad easier to follow, this version of the film poses a threat to its success. The English dub has the potential to ruin the film, to steal every ounce of emotion and bury it before it even gets rolling. The English voice actors just don’t have the capacity to deliver intensity like is needed. I was able to look past this discrepancy, but many won’t be able to, and Berenshtein will suffer as a result.
Berenshtein is full of loveable characters, ones that allow viewers to better understand and appreciate the content–and they really do drive the film forward from beginning to end. However, this isn’t the only way in which Shumunov connects with viewers, as he constantly finds ways to liven up this story, one about death and destruction (but in an appropriate way). He’s honest and real without ever being too overbearing–but he never sacrifices the truth. Berenshtein is everything that it needs to be in order to reach viewers, to allow them to see the strength and sacrifice needed to dethrone one of the world’s greatest threats.
Directed by Roman Shumunov.
Written by Simon Shechter, Tasha Karlyuka, Vyacheslav Tkachov, Roman Shumunov, & Mark Inberg.
Starring Yaroslav Kucherenko, Anton Karlinsky, Lilya Ostapovich, Pavlo Aldoshyn, Viktoriya Levchanko, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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