I completely agree with reviewer, fernandojnfalmeida's short but right on the money review:
Quote:
"Fantastic, better than 1917
fernandojnfalmeida-672-22614620 November 2020
Let's say it's a 1917, with better cinematography, with a plot at a much higher level and a density and complexity of historical facts stratospheric compared to 1917."
Unquote
The movie 1917 that won an Oscar is still a clueless myth to me. The whole movie was merely about two British grunts volunteered or been forced to carry out an alert mission. What we saw was just a camera followed those two young men went through the battlefield with actually nothing to tell, except when a German plane after bombing was shot down by the British riflemen on the ground. That was the only incident worth mentioning. Other than that episode, there's nothing special to tell. We just followed the damn camera which followed those two grunts backs went through the whole lame movie to the end.
But "Blizzard of Souls" is a totally different achievement. Telling us how a young kid under 17 from a farm boy to grow up into a seasoned veteran, who lost his mother, father and later lost his big brother. Wounded so many times, almost was killed several times, even escaped from an execution.
The movie itself is a saga, a journey throughout the four seasons, so many deaths, so many losses, so many bloody battles, bleeding, wounds. When the movie ended and the credit appeared, you would see those photos in black and white shot at that time were all subtly acted, directed and edited with the real actors to realize truthfully. The harshness of the fate of that little country, first invaded and raped by the German, then cheated, manipulated by the Tsars, then again coerced, forced and cheated by the Soviet Russia. A small but tough nation not liberated from the slavery of the Red Communist Russia until late in the 20th Century and finally allow the world to know what a beautiful country it is. What a journey!
If the lousy "1917" could win Oscar, then this "Blizzard of Souls (The Rifleman)" should win more! I am also quite amazed that a small country could produce and present to us such a mature and wonderful war movie. Everything looked authentic and real, battle scenes, costumed, make-up, editing, directing and acting are very very good. Every scene was so detailed and carefully shot. What a nice work! I never got bored, lost focus and became impatient from the beginning to the end.
Highly recommended!
