MovieChat Forums > Voskhozhdenie (1977) Discussion > Depiction of Germans in Soviet war films

Depiction of Germans in Soviet war films

posted 11 years ago by henrimaine
4 replies | jump to latest

This was a great, emotional film. Quite a lot in Tarkovsky-style. But what bothered me somewhat, was the depiction of German soldiers as some inhuman, shallow, cruel creatures. This kind of biased depiction is a problem in almost all Soviet war films, and actually, The Ascent is by far not the worst in that respect. But perhaps because it is a high quality film overall, this kind of biased approach stood out in my eyes. In some average Soviet propaganda films, that would have seemed pretty normal. For instance, remember the scene where the tied up prisoners were transported in a horse carriage and all the way the German soldiers were laughing, singing some stupid song, and their voices sounded as some sadistic criminals. I must add that the Russian collaborators were more nuanced, especially the interrogator, but also the young guy who loved to say "Bitte-Poschalusta".

[–] Teremov 10 years ago

"Biased depiction"?? Hollywood demonises Germans all the time, and you expect to see a "humane Nazi" in a Soviet film? From the country that lost 26+ million people during the war? Seriously? Not to mentions that The Ascent - as well as Come and See - is about Belarus, where 1/3 of population was exterminated during the Nazi occupation.

But even despite those obvious reasons Soviet government would've never let the film with "nice German guys" to be made. The Ascent had a very troubled production even as it is. Larisa Shepitko was fighting for every scene and every actor, and the religious parallels drove officials mad. If not for her husband (Elem Klimov), the film would've been banned.

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] cowgoesmoo 9 years ago

Given that this film was made one generation from the end of WW2, I think its probably too much to expect a sympathetic portrayal of Germans given what they did in Russia. What purpose would it serve to have "nice" German soldiers? It doesn't move the plot along given the partisans' fate.

I think its a common element in movies like this - as a director, you would want the audience to be sympathetic to the heroes, not the oppressors, so you make the bad guys as inhuman as possible. I think the sort of thing you wanted to see would have been appropriate for a completely different kind of movie. Maybe one in which a German soldier feels guilt/remorse for what he's done and deserts to the partisans or something - but.. that's not what this movie is about.

[–] lookslikehowie 9 years ago

Although it is certainly true that Hollywood demonizes Germans to this day, this is a Soviet era film is it not? and the Germans fought a hard, cruel campaign in the east.