A “haunting” war film set during World War 2 is hailed as a “masterpiece” by fans, who can’t believe it isn’t better known. The Ascent (1977) tells the story of two Soviet partisans, Sotnikov (played by Boris Plotnikov) and Rybak (Vladimir Gostyukhin), who head for a village in Nazi-occupied Belarus in search of supplies for their starving unit.
They manage to get their hands on a farm animal to sustain their fellow soldiers, but on the way back, Adolf Hitler’s forces spot them, sparking a gun battle and a desperate attempt to flee to safety. It was directed by celebrated Ukrainian-born Soviet filmmaker Larisa Shepitko, who tragically died in a car crash two years after The Ascent was released, while scouting locations for her next film.
One Audience Reviewer on Rotten Tomatoes called the film a “true masterpiece” adding that they: “Felt this film deeply.”
Another wrote: “A haunting, ethereal film by a director whose career would soon be cut tragically short, The Ascent expertly and poetically examines death and the moral and spiritual confusion caused by living in a world where it was omnipresent.”
A third said: “Symbolic, well crafted, gorgeous to look at, super depressing.”
This little known Russian World War II drama is a suspenseful and tragic film that more cinephiles should make an effort to check out.
“The outlook is cold as the snow making up the picture’s scenery and gives the viewer insight about the desperation of human nature.”
A fan reviewing The Ascent on IMDb called it “deeply powerful” and “shamefully neglected”.
“Having just seen this, I find it hard to believe that it is not better known. This and the slightly-better-known, but almost-as-shamefully-neglected COME AND SEE (Klimov, 1986) must be two of the greatest war films.
“They are meaningful, powerful, incisive. THE ASCENT is also gifted with a sparingly-used, but brilliantly trenchant score by Schnittke.”
The movie, which won the prestigeous Golden Bear award at the Berlin International Film Festival in 1977, is highly regarded by critics.
It has a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer (which reflects the percentage of approved critics who have given it a positive review), as well as a 92% Popcornmeter score, reflecting a strong showing among general viewers.
The film has a 12 certificate and contains moderate violence, language, suicide references, scene of hanging, and threat – so may not be for everyone.
The Ascent is streaming on Amazon Prime now.
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