Starving Soviet partisans are fighting the Germans in a guerilla war. Sotnikov and Rybak set off to find food for their squad. They are captured and would walk different paths. This is a black and white Soviet film. It has an interesting grimness like many Russian art. It's still accessible for non-Russians who aren't into that tone. It comes down to the final ending and a brutal moral destruction of a man.

Larisa Shepitko's final completed film is one of the most intense movies that I've ever seen. "Voskhozhdenie" ("The Ascent" in English) looks at a pair of Soviet troops who take refuge in a widow's home during WWII, only to see a German platoon enter and arrest them and the widow (leaving the children).

I understand that the movie's depiction of martyrdom owes a lot to Christian iconography. I wouldn't notice that. What's important to remember is that the Soviet Union got hit the hardest in World War II. Not only did the country lose over 20 million people fighting the Nazis, but we have here a woman who probably wanted to have nothing to do with the war but she got dragged into it. This probably happened multiple times, and might still be happening.

I wholeheartedly recommend the movie.

This is an interesting film that might come as a bit of a surprise to Western audiences not familiar with the Russian Front during WWII (referred to by the Russians as 'The Great Patriotic War'). As a retired history teacher, I had no trouble following the film--some folks might need a bit of background information.

When the Germans invaded the USSR in 1941, many Soviet citizens joined the Nazis. Their life under Stalinism was terrible--in particular for the Ukrainian farmers. Little did they know that the Germans would be more brutal and savage than the Soviet government. Surprisingly, some of these anti-communist volunteers became every bit as brutal (or more so) as their new German allies. Regardless, people within the USSR began fighting against each other--and loyalty to the nation or to self is a major focus of the latter portion of this movie.

"The Ascent" starts in the woods during winter. A group of partisans (freedom fighters not part of the regular Russian army--in other words, volunteers who took to the woods to fight the German invaders) is hungry. So, two volunteers go in search of food--and try to avoid the Germans. Soon it becomes clear that one of them isn't as strong as the other. This school teacher seems quite game but not as hardy as the other guy. Eventually, they are both captured and it's not the Germans who torture and interrogate them but some of their own countrymen. How will each of these men respond and who is actually the strongest? Overall, this is not exactly a pleasant film. It's actually pretty depressing. But you can't make a fun or nice film about WWII--particularly set in the USSR! So, provided you are willing to see a rather downbeat film, you'll be rewarded by an interesting tale about inner strength and loyalty. In addition, the cinematography is very nice--especially since the film was made in harsh winter conditions. Worth seeing.

By the way, the film's director (Shepitko) was born in the Ukraine--and this must have made this a very personal and moving statement.