Bitva za Sevastopol / Battle for Sevastopol DVD NTSC World War II Movie 2015 Language: RUSSIAN Subtitles: ENGLISH

Battle For Sevastopol.Sevastopol (pronounced Sev’-a-sto’-pol) is that major city in the Crimean Peninsula on the shore of the Black Sea. The British fought a war there in 1853, famed for the poem “Charge Of The Light Brigade”, for the Town of Balaclava, and for the winter head-gear called “balaclava”. In 1941 it was the scene of resistance that stalled the German Army long enough to miss the opportunity to take Stalingrad (and hence, lose the war).I understand that the story is biographical. It begins in pre-war 1938 and introduces Ludmilla, a twenty-something girl who shows some skill with a rifle. Consequently her father, a military officer, arranged for her to receive training as a sniper. It was up-front that the government saw her as a future propaganda tool. About that time war with Germany started (Sept. 1940) and Ludmilla was inducted and sent to the Crimean Peninsula (location of the Russian fleet) as part of the delaying action mentioned above. The movie here becomes a typical war movie (not to make light of history) and the Ludmilla performs beyond anyone’s expectation.Now, the reality is also that, in a war, government wishes can’t add 10 seconds to your life, by which I mean that surviving a year and scoring 300 fatalities is based on some actual skill beyond 99% luck. In any case I think it is fair to think (and the movie implies) that what Ludmilla did and said came from inside and was not pasted on - - i.e. when later asked to make a speech, she doesn’t read the prepared script.My interest in the story was piqued at this point because another bit of history comes to light, of which I was unaware at the time. Ludmilla is sent to America as part of an effort to bring America into the War. At this point she meets Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of the President Roosevelt, and famed in her own right for sponsoring not-entirely-popular social causes. Mrs. Roosevelt introduces Ludmilla to the concept of something like “Positive Thinking” - - i.e. when faced with opposition to your ideas, smile and carry on as if you didn’t hear them. (I hope I interpreted her fairly - - in any case she scored points with me on that subject.)The story is told as a flash-back, beginning in 1958 when Mrs. Roosevelt visited Moscow to meet the new leader, Mr. Khrushchev, on what matter is not said (and his war-time predecessor is carefully never mentioned).- - - - - -

This Russian language movie is a well filmed tale (with English subtitles) about a very determined young Soviet Russian woman who volunteered for very personal WWII wartime sniper combat. She was a citizen of 1941 Russian state socialism. Today, it could or might seem strange that Ukrainian Russian Lyudmila Pavlichenko was awarded the supreme medal: Hero the the Soviet Union. The bestial NAZIs had that effect on others: uniting almost humanity against them. As a Soviet heroine, 2LT Lyuda lived a simple human story and she luckily survived a long, war. In fact, 25,000,000 Soviet citizens did not survive it. Everyone knows ... that the 1941-42 fighting on the EASTERN FRONT had no traces of any humanity. In the killing role on the front line against NAZIs or a in later talking role traveling to the U.S.A. (in order gain support for WWII shipments of American military aid), 2LT Pavlichenko truly served her nation well. The message of this war film is rather unique in that it shows much more of feeling than it shows of fighting. Yet, it does briefly show details about how a sniper hides and then acts killing in the field. Miss Pavlicenko, a female, succeeded as a top WWII sniper ACE with confirmed 309 kills. She was a real life woman who had feelings, who shared emotions with her friends, and who could really love others and hate others. This movie shows: WAR, LOSS, PAIN, WORK, WASTE, HARDSHIP, DUTY, LOVE, and SERVICE which were all performed by a remarkable old time woman. This is a Russian film made for a Russian audience. Western movies are usually edited more smoothly with fewer "jumping around switches" in story continuity. For example, watch the movie "ENEMY AT THE GATES". More realistic, bloody war films like "COMPANY 9", "THE IRON CROSS", "STALAG 17", and "SCHINDLER'S LIST" more clearly demonstrate to viewers that war ... waste and stupidity is not fun ... nor inspiring to watch. ACTUALLY ... real WARFARE is HELL ... and it is written by "survivors". America Medal of Honor military heroes all salute their fallen buddies as the real heroes ... who are buried far away ... and who never got back home. Warfare never turns out the way ... that the first leaders forecast ... or expected ... as the final end result.

during ww2 USSR used women as frontline troops. This is the story of Lyudmila Pavlichenko a Red army sniper who killed over 300 fascists. Joint Russian/Ukrainian production. there are so many memorable parts is tough to pick my favorite; the scene where Eleanor Roosevelt is just off the plane in Moscow and the Soviet diplomat implores upon her that Kruschev is waiting for her and that they should hurry and Eleanor Roosevelt tells him Lyudmila's story (which he is unfamiliar with) and before it is over Kruschev is waiting and Eleanor Roosevelt visits with her friend. For westerners that have not heard the efforts of the Red Army in ww2 (I don't think that those Nazis would've been defeated otherwise) this is a good place to start.

I love this movie. Russian movies are not about big explosions, impossible stunts or incredible numbers of people shot. Russian movies are about human interactions, emotion, and passion. Like real life! One could think that a film about a woman sniper would have the majority of the film shown as an American film. But this is a Russian movie, and the woman sniper's life, with its difficulties and triumphs, is shown with passion and emotion. I could watch this movie many times and never get tired of it. This is about the quiet bond between two women, both successful in their own right, and how important that bond was to each of them. And in the meantime, Lyudmila Pavlichenko leaves her student life and becomes one of the deadliest snipers in the Russian military. But as part of her life, not the only thing in her life.