User reviews

The producer was able to pull the Russia-Ukraine title all in one piece despite the events of 2014 in Kiev. Probably the bulk of the scenes was shot in 2013.

The storyline goes on about a true WW2 Red Army female sniper with the highest confirmed hit list ever. Check out the Wikipedia.

A sad personal drama wound into the 1941 context when Wehrmacht was advancing in Southern Ukraine, USSR.

With a moderate budget, as it appears to me, the makers were restricted to a moderate combined arms warfare footage, but of a very decent quality.

Most moving is the tragedy of the main character who lives through the first two years of war and a personal tragedy.

It is not a blockbuster action-filled war theme that must be a dangling carrot for a moviegoer but rather a biographical sniper daily routine and mentality.

On seeing the movie I was a bit puzzled why its name bears "Battle for Sevastopol" as it is only touched upon.

A mind-blowing alternative to the American Sniper. You decide on your own.

If you're expecting a film like Fortress of War (2010), you're mistaken just like i was because this is a biographical film focusing on Lyudmila Pavlichenko who's a Soviet Union female sniper with 309 confirmed kills. I agree with the other reviewer who said that the title's quite misleading, this film's not mainly about the battle in Sevastopol itself. I don't understand why they didn't get a more befitting title for this film.

With a non-linear storytelling style, this film shows the beforemath, the moment and the aftermath of the fearsome superiority of Pavlichenko aka "Lady Death" who hunted regular soldiers and officers in a battlefield during World War II. Yulia Peresild, who played Pavlichenko managed to portray the character really well. She's cold, suffering, heroic, and lovable, kinda reminds me of Mulan. I have to tell you the Russian dubbing for English parts are annoying, they should make Russian subtitles instead of dubbing. The war action scenes (shooting, camouflaging, covering, planning strategy, etc) even though interesting are too short which i'd estimate no more than 10% of the duration so it's overall drama and that's very unsatisfying.

So if you like films about snipers such as Enemy At The Gates, American Sniper, you have to check this one out. I'd say this is isn't as good as Enemy At The Gates but it's as interesting as American Sniper.

7/10

It's a weird time to see a joint Ukrainian and Russian film project to come out, considering the breakdown in relations between the two countries. The production apparently begun before the conflict, and it's an achievement in itself that it's been seen through, since a project like this probably wouldn't be possible today.

Coming in the wake of Russian WWII-themed schlock like Stalingrad (2013), I didn't expect too much, and there was a somewhat similar, almost gaudy quality present, but overall the movie was much more decent, particularly considering that its budget was about 5 times smaller than Stalingrad's. The actors were well cast, with Yuliya Peresild's performance creating a main character that can grow on you, and some interesting supporting characters. This brings me to the point that, despite the title, the movie's focus isn't as much on the port city of Sevastopol as it's on the Soviet sniper Lyudmila Pavlichenko, and the movie being called "Battle for Sevastopol" betrays an apparent lack of confidence in selling a biopic of a female sniper. There's a fair amount of action in the movie, however, so I don't think that the kind of people who wouldn't go for a biopic would come away disappointed or feeling mislead.

Lyudmila Pavlichenko is a good student who can never match the ideals of her austere NKVD, Officer father. Then war breaks out and it is discovered that she is a crack shot. So she is made to join the snipers after the Germans invade in 1941 through Operation Barbarossa. She is also a woman with the needs of such and has already attracted a few suitors, one is aspiring doctor – however, she is more enamoured with her commanding officer.

The fates of war mean that you must seize today what may be gone tomorrow and that is a theme that is more or less a constant throughout this. It follows the plight of the Russians as they retreat across their vast country until they are able to build up their forces to give the invading Nazi's the righteous kicking they so keenly deserve. This though ends with the stand at Sevastopol and Lyudmila's personal and actual battles on and off the field of battle.

Now the action scenes are all very good, the character development is fine too. The acting is all above average and the CGI is good in most parts. Some of the Americans are dubbed though which I always find annoying but that is a small gripe for what is in the main part a really good war film with full on emotions thrown in for added pathos and drama; this is not up to the calibre of say 'The Admiral' but is still deserving of a watch – recommended.

To give us the single view from a member of the army and how the woman behind the gun went on to become who she became (soldier, reformist sort of and a person of "interest" or at least of some pull, concerning her voice), might have gone wrong, but the movie itself handles everything smoothly.

That doesn't mean the ascend of the sniper is smooth. There are bumps and other hurdles she has to take. And her character gets tested too. The feeling of empowerment, the feeling of revenge, the feeling of love and sadness. It might seem like a roller-coaster ride at times, but it's not like feelings are just dismissed like that. They are there and there are periods where we feel certain things we might be ashamed of later. That doesn't make us less of human beings. Flaws are in us, it's ourselves who have to overcome them ...

Although it's mostly in Russian with subtitles, I was drawn in deeply and remained so throughout the duration. This is the most gripping WW2 film I've seen since Saving Private Ryan. The direction, acting, cinematography are all top notch. It tells the story of heroic Russian sniper without glamorizing war. Instead the horror of war is pervasive and though she is a survivor her story is tragic. It's also very interesting to get a glimpse of Stalin-era Soviet culture. It's a must see for anyone interested in WW2, history, biographies, or intense drama.

Even recognizing that this is a fictionalized, romanticized account of Lyudmila Pavlichenko's life, I can't say I care for the additional framework that makes Eleanor Roosevelt a consistent background character. It just feels unnecessary; I understand that Pavlichenko's reception by the Roosevelts was an important moment, but it's overemphasized here, I think, in its distinction as a sort of wraparound structure. Putting that aside, there's unfortunate inelegance in aspects such as editing (transitions and sequencing, particularly), and wildly exaggerated voiceovers serving as dubbed English dialogue in select scenes. This Russian-Ukrainian production is also not immune to the tropes and ham-handedness that more commonly plague Hollywood features, and those portions of the movie that focus on the heroine's life outside the war, or her activities outside military context, are more than a little overblown and gauche where they manifest - and that goes for Eleanor above all. This is an unfortunate instance where balance does not work in the picture's favor: 'Battle for Sevastopol' would have been stronger were it more tightly focused on the war, with only sparing, painstakingly considered perspective on Pavlichenko as a person.

Where the film falters, it's most often in the fine details of writing and direction: The picture lacks the gracefulness to treat its component parts with all due care, and the dexterity to maneuver between the lines and words in the screenplay (notably including scene changes). Balance is one issue; unseemly stylization is another, too prevalent to recount every instance. That's not true across the entirety of the feature, but more than enough to make it necessary to mention. One prime example: In the second half, as Pavlichenko amasses an ever greater body count, we see at once both her thirst for blood, and her growing weariness - but 'Sevastopol' embellishes the disparity with a modern pop song. This heavy-handed approach is regrettable, because in the broad strokes - the concept of the narrative, and of each scene - this is an excellent movie. It's a story very much worth telling, a life worth commemorating, a flurry of jumbled emotions worth exploring as thematic content. And I don't think this rendition treats it with appropriate seriousness or sincerity; the emotional beats that should carry immense weight pass by with no real impact. The movie isn't even certain what Big Ideas it wants to convey: Is Pavlichenko an example of a strong woman beating men at their own game, a feminist icon, or is she a delicate creature who had no business being on the battlefield? 'Sevastopol' wants her to be both, but it doesn't at all convincingly sell that difficult dual nature.

I think Yulia Peresild gives a swell performance as Pavlichenko, a portrayal characterized by accented poise, force of personality, and nuanced range. Peresild has the skills to embody the ferocity of the sniper's antifascist fervor, the spiral of her increasingly scattered and unstable mentality, and the shell-shocked, war-weary exhaustion that follows from them both. Would that director Sergey Mokritskiy employed his guiding hand to maximize the impact of this maelstrom of disparate feelings: I assume it's by Mokritskiy's overarching instruction that moments emphasizing the very human side of Pavlichenko struggling to keep up with her effectiveness and loyalty as a soldier are rushed, or garnished with unwelcome flavor, thereby reducing their gravity. I assume it's by Mokritskiy's command that tropes and convention weakly and unnecessarily fill some moments, and clumsy, unwieldy bluntness defines others.

With the unsightly flaws so glaring in our vision, the great craft of other critical details is overwhelmed and forgotten. Sound design is impeccable, and I appreciate the work regarding hair and makeup, costume design, and blood and gore. The execution of battle scenes is quite good, and vividly harrowing. There's no small sense of tension and suspense at the psychological moments. But what do these matter when they are subsumed by so much poor consideration in the writing and direction?

I had high expectations when I began watching. I anticipated enjoying this movie, and I wanted to like it. I don't think it's outright bad - but it's not half the film it should have been. There are so many moments in Pavlichenko's life, as seen here, that were surely profound for her, and should have been for we viewers. That sagacity is all but lost with the flimsiness and failures of writing and direction that I have discussed here. Frankly, I'm frustrated and disappointed with the misuse of powerful potential. At length, this isn't outright bad, and if you come across it, it's worth watching as a portrait of a very special life. But don't go out of you way, and do keep in mind the terrible shortcomings that drag it down. 'Battle for Sevastopol' should have captured the imagination, but instead leaves much to be desired.

I was riveted by this movie and I don't understand any Russian! This movie is absolutely about Lyudmila Pavlichenko and her recollections than it is about the "Battle of Sevastopol" any more than the movie "Enemy at the Gates" being a portrayal of the scope of the Battle of Stalingrad versus the adventures of Vasili Zaitzev. I would love to see this with English subtitles but would rather leave it 100% as with the actors speaking their parts in their native voices rather than have it butchered by dubbing. While there is a little stereotyping of communist leaders and their acts and gestures, the movie puts a human and personal touch on the real fighters of the Soviet Union in WW2, the young people who have to do the real fighting and would rather just live their lives in peace.

Most "heroes" never wanted the spotlight and didn't do what they did for glory or fame. A moving and powerful movie.

After watching Enemy at the Gates and being keen to see another war movie with snipers, this one disappointed me a little. I've noticed someone thinks this one is better than Enemy at the Gates, but there were 3 points difference between them when rating, as a personal preference. So, don't expect too much from this movie. But otherwise, it has a strong emotional impact sometimes. Like every war movie, it shows you a little piece of what a war means, a little piece of the suffering associated with it through the loss, through the wounds both physically and psychologically, through the pain you see around, through the thoughts of being invaded and losing your freedom and to which the soviet woman replied: "I am ashamed to stay behind and do nothing!". Admirable position. A nice movie to watch, but still (I insist!), Enemy at the Gates is, by far, better!

I would like to share with you my thoughts. First of all I loved the film. You get real war movie. The visuals was not really trouble. Although less spectacular element in it. Instead of a serious war drama I could compare the film. What WWII was transposed to the environment. The characters were well developed and realistic. Real emotion could be seen on their faces. What I liked even more the use of the camera. Very simple scenes have been able to make it interesting. It maintains the interest in the story. I would not compare this film to the film Enemy at the Gates. Those who look to a slower but more emotional love war drama to expect.

The story of Lyudmila Pavlichenko, the female Russian sniper who killed 309 Germans on the Eastern Front in WW2.

Fascinating subject: the woman who was one of the most successful snipers in history and centred around one of the most heroic defensive battles of WW2. Should be an easy enough task to make this into a good movie, right?

Wrong. Somehow the writers and director Sergey Mokritskiy turn this story into something very lame. The battle scenes are reasonably well done, and quite realistic, but it's the rest that messes this up. Romantic sub-plots, the Eleanor Roosevelt angle, the political stuff: they all seem half-baked and just filler.

Add in some atrocious supporting performances - the "American" journalists (most seemed to be Russian pretending to be American) are particularly bad. Yuliya Peresild puts in a solid performance in the lead role though.

Even the title is badly done - the Battle for Sevastopol actually takes up less than half of the movie and is not the main focus of the film, Lyudmila Pavlichenko is.

Concentrate on Lyudmila Pavlichenko, leave out all the half-baked romantic stuff, silly sub-plots and sentimentality, stick largely to battle scenes and give this a better title and it could have been really good. Lyudmila Pavlichenko deserves far better than the actual finished product.

This movie shows the huge potential of russian movie production, It has just stunning scenes and the special effects are just excellent.

The movie is however flawed by the political messages and continuous propaganda in it. This with regards to showing how much the Ukraine belongs to Russia and how much Russia has fought for it. It also pretends that life is Russia is as good as the USA. Scenes at a beach and an opera give a total unrealistic view of what Russian / Ukrainian life was around 1940.

Also the love story and hero-building of the main character are totally over the top. The main character is almost always dressed in an immaculate condition. Even when fighting, she almost looks spotless. And the latter is also seen with other soldiers. When soldiers are fighting, you expect them to be dirty, swetty and look somewhat messed up. You unfortunately do not see this back 8n this movie.

The production should have better taken a real battle from the past and made a movie about that: e.g. Like the russian-made Stalingrad movie. The latter is an excellent example of the power of Russian filmmaking.

I unfortunately have to give this movie 6 stars. It could have been way more, even up to 9 stars, if it would have not included all this propaganda and idealizing of Russian life. Russian filmmaking should stick to all make it look genuine and I then they could have a guaranteed future in making real blockbuster movies.

"The breakout of the war shatters the world of a young student, Lyudmila Pavlichenko, forcing her to enlist in the army in 1941."

Lol no. Russians attacked Poland in 1939 together with the Nazis. So both of them started the war in 1939 not in 1941.

Misleading movie

The war scenes are very pleasant and well done I would have put an extra vote but some moments it becomes boring ...as far as I'm concerned it's a good movie to see

'Battle for Sevastopol' is not what I expected. I suppose the mood you're in when watching the film will determine whether you like it or not. From a war movie perspective I was disappointed. The film has too much talk and too little action for a war movie. During the third act, it becomes more of a love story than an action war film.

From an emotional perspective, though, this was incredible, as it chronicles the life of a woman who had a military upbringing - to a certain extent - thanks to her dad. It was expected of her to join the army and she excelled. Despite being a sniper, she is an ordinary woman with feelings, emotions and love. She gets hurt and emotional when those around her perish.

For the Russians, she was a war hero. For the Germans, she was a villain. From a neutral perspective, its rather disconcerting calling a sniper a hero. In the end, every war hero is a nothing more than a cold blooded killer in a way - thanks to men in suits in offices declaring war. Here, the Germans are the bad guys, but in every war there are two sides to the story, and ultimately all soldiers really are just ordinary guys.

'Battle for Sevastopol' is a well made film. It is a bit slow moving and somehow a female lead in a war movie just doesn't work for me. It's not the type of war movie I'd watch again and again, but I enjoyed it as a once off watch.

First of all the movie is misnamed. It is no more about the battle for Sevastopol than Dr. Zhivago was about the Russian Revolution. A better title might have been, "Lyudmila's War." This was an excellent character study of the battle between the inhumanity of war and the humanity of the people who are forced to wage it. I found the film to be very well done and once into it, had to see it through. The war scenes were vivid and believable, and the characters were played realistically. One could see the changes that overcame the heroine, Lyudmila Pavlichenko, who was initially tepid about killing but warmed to the task--to the point of actually relishing in it. She reveled in competing with men--even in an environment that was nominally committed to gender equality. We witnessed a transformation from a studious girl, who was never appreciated by her stern military father, to a killing machine (who refused to leave the battlefield, even when seriously wounded)--with snatches of the frailties of emerging womanhood. It is a complex tale, one that should be watched at least twice to realize its full impact.

Incredible, really moving. I would have never known she existed until seeing the movie. I wish there were more about her life after the war but there is very little information available online or in print. Absolutely amazing story, highly recommended! If you liked "American Sniper", then put this movie on your 'Must See' list.

I think that it is quite a decent war movie, at par or better than "Enemy at the gates". There is very good performance for the main character. Cliché of Soviet communist organizer in US; but movie shall have a non good communist character, as real life had at the time. Very chilling and excellent scene of 10 year old girl reciting "Kill German" poem, and in all likelihood the girl was killed herself few months down the road. I waiting for English version to show to my friends, but translation going to be very difficult and will result in lower quality - a lot of important subtle messages in the movie is use of Russian, Ukranian dialect of Russian, and Ukranian languages, as well as some subtle elements to Russian-Jewish culture.

War is messy. We accept that. Films, on the other hand, should never be a mess. This one is. It's a film about war as experienced by a heroic woman that is, unfortunately, a mess.

The dialogue is all over the place. From poetic to downright childish. The acting is either well suited or embarrassing. The pacing is quick and sure at times and too languid to endure at others. Throw in a ridiculous sub-plot involving Eleanor Roosevelt (presented here as a kindly friend with all the time in the world for a Russian Soldier!) and the fact that the film ends...without an ending and you've got a real mess of a viewing experience on your hands.

The single saving grace of the movie is the consistent portrayal of the lead character. She does a good job throughout the film.

Before seeing Bitva za Sevastopol I didn't expect it to intrigue me as much as the other two Russian flicks I covered - Ispytanie and Chempiony. Thankfully, I was wrong.

The main character of the movie - Lyudmila Pavlichenko - gets an excellent performance. You care about her, she is likable and badass at moments. The supporting cast shares excellence as well and as the film continues their characters get better and better. There's a great amount of action, provided with nice cinematography and some blood. Fortunately Bitva za Sevastopol isn't all about the action but for its story, which gets you more and more intrigued as the minutes pass with moments of war genre brilliance.

A small issue I have is that it begins a bit too slow but the action, the drama, the characters pay off for the slow beginning.

As a whole, Bitva of Sevastopol turns out as a personal favourite of mine, with its own way of getting a 10/10.

This movie have became one of my favorites 2 war films that I have seen so far. It combines a personal biographical history, of the most successful female sniper during World War II (309) Kills. The movie also shows the diplomatic battle in USA for bringing the involvement of USA in 2 war. In one of the scenes that actually happens in Chicago 1942, she stood before large crowds, with this phrase: "Gentlemen, I am 25 years old and I have killed 309 fascist invaders by now. Don't you think, gentlemen, that you have been hiding behind my back for too long?". The script, performances, locations and shooting is just awesome, it makes you feel inside the eyes of Lyudmila Pavlichenko.

Im surprised it has just a 7 at IMBD , maybe its because Americans doesn't like to be reminded that they were hiding from 2 world war for 2 years.

A Russia Ukraine production before they went to war, this movie is pretty darn good.

I'm impressed with very decent graphics similar to the movie Pearl Harbor.

It's also very interesting to watch WWII from a communist persepective.

While there very well be propaganda embedded in this movie, it is a true story and unknown to this viewer up until now. All movies have a certain amount of propaganda, so I dismiss those critics.

I assumed it would be similar to Enemy At The Gates. It was not. The only similarity is that both movies are about Snipers. Life as a Russian soldier and the strife is well depicted.

This movie concentrated on the real life memoirs of Lyudmila Pavlichenko. The acting is very good throughout as well as the scenery.

Although the subtitles are a little small, one is able to understand it well.

Battle for Sevastopol is a movie worth watching again and I will.