Combining the aesthetic brilliance of Terrence Malick’s The Thin Red Line with the nerve-jangling tension and thrills of Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan, Nikolai Lebedev’s exhilarating World War II action-drama THE STAR is a refreshingly original addition to the war movie genre.
Based on Emmanuil G. Kazakevich’s short story, Zvezda, in which he recounted many ofhis own experiences serving in the Red Army, Lebedev’s film presents a gripping tale of wartime bravery from a uniquely Russian perspective.
As the the Second World War continues to rage, a small Russian scout patrol unitcodenamed ‘Star’ is dispatched behind German lines, fully aware that two similar units havegone before them and vanished without a trace. The unit’s mission is to observe and reportback to headquarters details of Germans troop movements. It is information that is vital to theRussian troops defending the Polish border from Hitler’s advancing forces.
Thanks to meticulous production design, elaborate set-pieces, a superb cast (including Alexei Kravchenko, the star of the equally impressive Come And See) and Lebedev’s skilful direction, THE STAR rapidly builds to a breathtaking climax that easily puts it on a par withthe best war films to come out of Hollywood in recent years. The winner of several major filmawards domestically, this remarkable Russian film is now receiving the international exposureit undoubtedly deserves.
THE STAR (cert.15) will be released on DVD (£19.99) by Nouveaux Pictures on 5th February 2007. Special Features include interview with producer Karen Shakhnazarov, interview with director Nikolai Lebedev, deleted scenes, photo gallery, filmographies, optional Russian stereo and 5.1 audio, chapter selection.
