The shortcomings of the film are almost completely revealed. I never found anything positive except in terms of music. Even high-quality photography played in the negative direction. The saturated colors made the picture so unrealistic that the film is not believed not only in content, but also externally.
With claims to “real events”, the topic is not that it is not analyzed, but also presented in the usual way – categorically and without proof. As one reviewer put it: “It’s important to me that Mendeliuk’s film now exists in principle,” which proves the political order on the principle of “whatever, and anyway.” I wish I was. Assessment in accordance with the rules of agitprop
To make a film about the famine in Ukraine in the 33s, in principle, is a good idea. There are very few pictures about this period, really terrible for all Ukrainians, we can even say that there is almost no picture. And this, I am only, in general terms, summarizing my information base. What can we say about high-quality, box-office cinema, which in Ukraine, alas, is not introduced, and the slightest idea to create something of its own and most importantly, something at least slightly worthwhile, usually ends in jet diarrhea in the audience not only of Ukraine, but even the whole CIS. In the 91st year, just at the dawn of Ukrainian independence, director Oles Yanchuk shot a more or less good movie “Hunger-33”. The film, as you know at the time, by default could not be well funded, so it turned out what happened. But even despite the absence of such an important component for the film, the work of Oles Yanchuk did not go unnoticed. The director did everything he needed, nothing more. Another thing is the creator with a capital letter “T”, – George Mendelyuk, who filmed this nightmare without salt and pepper on the money collected by the Ukrainian diaspora in Canada.
As they say, “It’s good that you tried it!” Although, you know, it would be better not to try at all, throw this idea and go drink beer and eat... well, what do they like to eat in Canada? The Canadian military drama of the Canadian director with non-Ukrainian actors about Ukraine during the genocide of its inhabitants "The Devil's Harvest" is still that mediocrely shot material that carried all the pathos and typicality of Hollywood, already well known to us, and his manners to present the audience with drama, stuffing it with heartbreaking soundtracks and various love lines. To be honest with you, here is only that Celine Dion with her Oscar-winning composition from the Titanic was not enough. Well, equally disgusting movie with a fictional drama, where the actors are well one hundred percent not too savvy pages of the history of the Ukrainian Holodomor. It looked, in my opinion, something like this: George, Peter, Lucas, Susie and you Thomas, you are approved for the role of Mykoli, Oksana, Ivan and Peter, the scene is Ukraine, the famine, people like die en masse, there is nothing to eat, but you have love-carrots and everything. Don’t read my nonsense, just look at the poster for this movie.
Walking past the cinema during the premiere, it was difficult for me to believe that this was the advertised film about the terrible genocide of my people, where about ten million Ukrainians were statistically killed. What the hell? Poster for the movie "Three X" with Vin Diesel? Who's that guy in the foreground with a matrix-style gun jumping out? People ate each other, chubby with hunger, died in terrible torment, and you make a movie where two lovers are in the center of the plot against the eternal gray, gloomy sky? With the arrival of communes, who took away grain and other food from Ukrainians, the sun forgot the way to Ukraine? It is such a cheap and blunt move to create contrast for the blind impressionable viewer. Think of the cliché of rain and black umbrellas in any American film, the style is the same. Okay, let’s push the lovers aside, because the paintings originally had a clear position to show the times of the famine in Ukraine. The director showed it, well, as he showed, well, he showed, well, as he could, he showed, in short. Cameron's Titanic didn't just float and hit an iceberg, it had a whole love story, and so did here, and so did the principle. In my opinion, stupid, very stupid, and a certain Ukrainian LoveStory could be in the film, why not, but only as an addition to the main storyline.
All this cheap show was not so cheap. The budget is twenty million dollars. It's a nightmare! This amount was not visible here. Sometimes it seemed that they were saving on everything they could, probably tea bags on the set were steamed several times. Summing up, I want to say that the topic “Ukraine in the 33rd years” was revealed very modestly, uncertainly and uninformatively, only basic historical information was taken as a basis. Actors, like everything else, are a total failure. The effort, by the way, was noticeable. It was obvious that they wanted to create something worthwhile, but it turned out something incomprehensible, slurred, in general, synonyms can be picked up quite a few. Such films are better not to shoot, because such a terrible period in the life of Ukrainians to film with pathetic audio tracks and dilute all this with a love line utter nonsense!
Hello to the Ukrainian diaspora in Canada, by the way!
2 out of 10
George Mendeliuk’s film “The Devil’s Harvest”, which refers to one of the most tragic pages of Ukrainian history, raises difficult questions, some of which are still not answered, it is difficult to assess fully objectively as a film work in its pure form. Maybe someone will succeed, from my heart I wish him luck, but I myself do not claim such objectivity.
For me, it is important that the film Mendeluke now exists in principle. It is needed primarily as a reminder of a tragedy that should not have happened in the twentieth century, but also as a warning that it must not be repeated in the twenty-first century or in the next. The cynicism, hatred, cruelty and sophistication with which the regime of that time massacred people, an entire people, is shocking and terrifying. The feeling of pain and irreparable loss will remain, probably, for decades to come, and it is not least that it should become a guarantee that this will not be allowed anywhere else in the world, which claims to be humane and civilized. Honestly, most of my eight points [b] are for this. And this, to a certain extent, writes off the picture of the shortcomings that it has, which is a sin to hide, enough.
However, they write off and another important circumstance: the film "Mendeluk". It is designed to clearly convey the Ukrainian topic even to people who, apart from the name of this country, do not know anything about it, or even do not know about the name. Hence in the plot, say Cossack motifs in the 20th century, which for such an unenlightened Western viewer can become a useful revelation, the Ukrainian will seem slightly naive, and in the worst case there is also a sharovarschina you can see. The same is dictated by the increased attention of the camera to village huts, costumes, details of life, rituals: for example, remember how much time was devoted to the funeral scene in the context of Ukrainian tradition. For the same reason, the tape is dominated by folk music, folk songs, and the decision to attract wonderful compositions of the group "DahaBraha" is the main and most successful find of the authors. Yes, to us all this may seem a little naive and funny, but if you have to tell from a blank slate, this form seems quite acceptable to me. This movie is considered a success.
Which, unfortunately, can not be said about it as a film. The main thing that is missing "Devil's Harvest" is integrity. It seems that you are watching not one movie, but a cut of clips or short films, sometimes with great difficulty fit into a single whole and shot by different people in the same locations.
A lot of questions about the plot. Episodes with Stalin look artificial and unnecessary – the information they carry, it was possible to put behind-the-scenes accompanying text, which for greater emotionality could read the actor. The final was also read somewhat different, clearer, with some conclusion, and not so vague, where nothing is clear at all. In terms of displaying the realities of that time, too, not everything is smooth. According to the creators, in the 30s, the case in Ukraine was as follows: a cavalry detachment of the Red Army, headed by a commissar, broke into the village, “established order” and safely disappeared. Life before his next raid was flowing to itself as if nothing had happened - there are parties and carefree fun, except that a little strain with food. But even those familiar with the Ukrainian history of those years know perfectly well that everything was quite different.
It struck the eye that if in rituals, songs, everyday life, costumes we really recognize Ukraine, then in the staging of battles – Hollywood. The fight scenes are filmed with almost a full set of Hollywood tricks and “chips”, but not all of them are successful even in themselves, not to mention the application to Ukrainian realities.
Can not, with one very pleasant exception, boast the picture of Mendeluke and acting. Probably all missed here. I have fewer complaints about actors, at least for the bulk of them. They have dense schedules, one film follows another, or even in parallel, to delve into and imbue with the material is not always time, but in the case of "The Devil's Harvest". As a result, it seems not to say that the actors reacted to the project negligently, but here is how to pass, only “one of” – obviously. And this tape required great emotional commitment, much greater emotions than we see in it. And this is all the more disappointing that the actors were recruited not talentless. Samantha Barks, for example, I consider the best Eponina in the history of film adaptations "Les Miserables": Hooper she outplayed some, much more promoted, her colleagues in the main roles. Emilia Fox played great roles in "Pianist", "Silence in a rag", "Helena Trojana", >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>"Helene Trojana Trojane> However, in "The Devil's Harvest" they look unconvincing, like everyone else. Banal, but the director here needed to be more initiative, persistent, infect, captivate, convey to the actors the importance and significance of his plan. Moreover, this project for Mendelyuk was a very personal matter, a tribute to Ukraine, where his ancestors came from. But something did not go, did not grow together, and as a result, we see the amateur theater not in its best version, but moments - and even a historical reconstruction, where acting is generally reduced to zero.
And finally, to believe that one of the heroes is starving. Very difficult, shall we say. In the film, there is not one emaciated face, not a single thin figure. And this is in the picture about the Holodomor, dear ones! There are several bodies on the streets of Kiev, but the general plan, the camera on them does not linger. And this is again a reference to the question of how the actors should have approached the material when shooting "The Devil's Harvest".
And thus the only pleasant exception was in the film Tamer Hassan, who perfectly played the same red commissioner and convinced every scene with his participation that his choice for this role was a top ten. But, unfortunately, he became the only bright spot among the very average acting works.
Thus, as a film work, Mendelyuk's film became a very average spectacle, poorly worked out in a number of moments. And yet it is very good that The Devil's Harvest has been filmed.
It is a pity that before watching I read only positive reviews. If cinema has a bottom, then this opus has definitely reached it. How can this please and most importantly to whom, here absolutely stupid everything and the great Ukrainian and ugly, possessing the most nasty features katsap.
A budget of $ 20 million don’t make me laugh, but if it’s not Canadian dollars, the abundance of field shooting in the pavilion, the dullest dialogue and a white thread storyline, speaks of a lack of budget.
Perhaps this farce is someone’s thesis or just a troll stuffing, eager to enjoy other people’s negative emotions, but more than that, I believed in the rating of 6.9, and the same film “Siberian Education” has a rating of 3.0. Where is justice?
If real movies are for you, these are the formidable wiggling mustaches of Stalin, who want only Ukraine without Ukrainians, where there are 10 NKVD employees for one Ukrainian; heroic villagers-Cossacks who many years ago killed all the Tatar-Mongols, but are not able to kill the Muscovites, whose main weapon is idiocy; costumes that hang like a bag on all the “actors”; Barry Pepper with a forehead and moustache looks like a pathetic Mark Twain, not a Cossack; terrible music... although a couple of songs are really very beautiful, but this is the merit of Ukraine and Ukrainians, not “The Devil’s Harvest”.
No, I’m not bombarded, I looked at a lot of alternative points of view, put them and pros and cons, but it’s an honest 1 in 10. There is simply nothing in this mediocrity, instead of time spent, just go to Kiev, go to the Holodomor Museum. There they will very clearly and accurately convey to you the official version of Ukraine on this issue, and then by bus you can get to Pirogovo, there you can dress up in the same costumes and shoot your movie in the same houses that flashed in the “Devil’s Harvest” and I believe that you will do better. Watch some good movies!
The film touches upon such an ambiguous page of Russian history as the famine of 1932-33. Unfortunately, the entire author group that worked on the film failed to capture the atmosphere of the time. And you can see it already from the first frames of the picture. The initial 5 minutes of the film reminded the history lesson in a modern Ukrainian school with stories about the glorious years of “independence” Ukraine and the fact that the Soviet authorities took away all this freedom.
The whole film is built on dichotomy: good Ukrainians are evil commissars, a well-fed party is a poor people, an evil dictator is a freedom-loving nation. With such a presentation of material, it is impossible to claim any objectivity. The world may not be black and white, but the filmmakers managed to present it in this light.
Prototypes of the main characters could well exist at that time, as the authors of the film point out, saying that it is based on real events, but they are clearly not demonstrated from the best side. Third-rate overseas actors clearly did not fully have an idea in the film about what events they are filming, and hardly at all able to show on the map where Ukraine is located. Inconclusive play, combined with the strange appearance of most characters, who do not pull on the inhabitants of the countryside led to the fact that between the picture and real events formed a whole chasm.
In general, the whole meaning of the film fits into one scene, when the mother of the protagonist shows a leaflet / poster with the inscription “Canada”. The film is presented exclusively as “the dying out of Ukraine by the Soviet authorities” and even though this film focuses on Ukrainian territories, the use of such terminology further aggravates the entire “pseudohistoricity” of the film “The Devil’s Harvest”.
It is worth noting that for 2/3 of the film, it does not cause complete disgust, despite the sometimes outright heresy, but the ending erases all those small bright moments that were in the beginning. Escape to a better life, which, it is not even clear whether it ended in success, anything to avoid being under this “terrible power”. As a result, the authors coped with a difficult task and turned the film into a monstrous farce.
If you like low-quality propaganda and you fall for cheap love stories, then this film can brighten up your evening, and even a meager tear. But, if you are trying to really understand the essence of what happened or expect to take something useful out of just this film - feel free to pass by. You can't make movies like that.
When an average American sits in the director’s chair and turns his creative gaze to the East, then, according to tradition, another cranberry appears in the end. Moreover, it even amuses us, a kind of cranberry on cognac - warms with nostalgia for the good old days, invigorates, gives every right from the heart to laugh at the brainlessness of another representative of the West. Let’s admit to ourselves – we like it.
But when a Canadian from a family of Ukrainian migrants sits in the same chair, nostalgic for his mythology, then cranberries insist on fuss-Selukovsky moonshine with charming notes of garlic and the alluring aroma of lard. And no one better than Mendelyuk, who was born into a family of Ukrainian collaborators (those who took under the trump card with the words “Javol, Main Fuehrer”) who fled to western Germany, could not cope with this task. Raised in such a family, the parobok certainly received the “necessary” historical starter (romantic-sad, like all disgraced runners, without nuances about burned villages and the Holocaust), so as not to burst into laughter in the most tragic episodes of emerging surrealism. It was Mendelyuk, reasonably admiring his “independent” country from a distance, who could depict an exaggerated Ukrainian village, drawing inspiration from tourist booklets and memories of the OUN-UPA.
The whole composition of the picture is built on the reflex system of Pavlov's dogs. There are Yurko and Natalka, young villagers who frolic in the gold-drenched fields of Ukraine under the blue sky of a yak unicorn in a magical kingdom near the milky shores. They are always in white clothes and the sun is always bright. They are, of course, “good”, young, happy and ready for fertilization.
And here come the Soviets, that is, the Russians, on the personal order of Stalin. And everyone was bummed. The bleach is over - everyone walks in gray, the Oseledi villagers have fallen, the Sun has hidden, charged the rains (the Red Army usually drags them with it), and only Natalka's sensual puffy cheeks continue to burn sweetly. Everyone “understands” that the Holodomor has come – this totemic myth of modern Ukraine. No one dies of hunger. The Red Army is all over the place! What was all this about? What was that? Apparently, for the sake of passing pseudo-historical agitation, none of the actors wanted to lose weight in principle. Therefore, the remaining narrative turns into a hallucinogenic action with the chubby Barry Pepper in the vanguard on a dashing horse. And while the viewer with homeric laughter slides off the chair, briefly consider the nuances of the picture, because the plot is over, the finish.
After such a contrasting agitational presentation to the viewer of the heroes of the tape, Mendeliuk did not need to work with the actors at all. That's why they didn't play. That is, they played, but not people and not even roles, but labels and stamps. Some are holy aki lambs, while others lack a tail and horns to complete the picture. What is worth, neither to the village nor to the city, stuck in the plot swollen comrade Stalin, similar to the Moscow version of Kim Jong-un.
A number of enthusiastic reviews about this craft from the Ukrainian public of the modern sample are as expected as diarrhea after steamed milk in the bite with a cucumber. Since, alas, it is impossible to consider this picture in isolation from politics, the last thing that remains is the historical component. Holodomor as an artificial weapon is as real as the use of combat bicycles or dragons. So in 1926 the population of Ukraine was 29 million, and in 1959 already 37 million, given the public figures of the Holodomor and losses in the war – this is impossible. And why destroy the population when there is an urgent need for workers? Oh, come on. If you believe that you can “pump” yourself a happy future, then you can believe that for the sake of building the Dnieper you just need to shoot a hundred other villagers.
In the end, the only thing Ukrainian patriots can rejoice in is that they are remembered again. Indeed, it is not all the same that Putin is looking for, by the way, believe me, he has only two.
0 out of 10
The forgotten history will take revenge twice. I watched the film on February 24, but decided not to rush the reviews. Right, this picture is focused mainly not on rational-logical, but on emotional perception. This causes the need to give the feelings stand, and then look at the existing dry residue. To comment on what you saw immediately after viewing is a bad thing, because the strings of the soul, touched on the basis of the oppression of the native people, will give an inspired melody directly to the heart for some time. However, it is already mid-March, so we will postpone the lyrics and plunge into the abyss of analysis.
Before us is a picture shot by the director of Ukrainian origin George Mendeliuk. Let me make a reservation at once that I cannot understand the reasons why Russian distributors/translators translated Bitter Harvest from English as Harvest of the Devil. Such a title would be much better suited for some second-rate horror film. Perhaps such a translation is a kind of anti-advertising, serving as a preventive measure to prevent the Russian viewer from watching this film? Maybe so. However, whatever you say, the title “Bitter Harvest” better reflects the essence of the film and the events that it touches.
The filmmakers quite accurately, as I see it, recreated the way of life, culture and customs peculiar to Ukrainians of that time. The overall picture turned out really good. The cast is also delighted. Claims about the “non-Slavic” appearance of the actors sucked from the finger. It is worth noting that the inhabitants of the territory of Ukraine are characterized by many racial phenotypes. This is due to the geography of the location and the nature of the historical migrations of individual peoples, for whom Eastern Europe was a kind of passing court. Perhaps, on the affected "textures" and "graphics" the only positive aspects of the film end. The script and vision of events by the creators, who reveal themselves as they watch the picture, are not without drawbacks and therefore cause some criticism.
Realism. In some places, there was the same feeling when you watch Tarantinovskoye "From Dusk to Dawn." It seems like a good action movie and those on, horror. It seems like a good drama and here are those on, action. Fight scenes look very Hollywood and not realistic. Fortunately, there are only a few. Surprisingly, the creators did not feel this moment and still put this spoonful of tar in a barrel ... something similar to honey.
Element of propaganda. That's why Ukrainians love this movie and Russians don't like it. For Ukrainians, this film is an act of blaming Russia, the Russians, the USSR, Stalin, the Red regime and someone else, probably, for the suppression and oppression of the people of Ukraine. And it seems that it was, in general, but the scenes of Stalin’s concentrated hatred of Ukraine shown in the film look like silly clichés. "Crush", "suppress", "break their will", well, just Dulles number two (one).
Ending. This format of the ending of the film is more suitable for those stories where the main characters are several, or in the center of attention any object. The way this film ends makes you feel incomplete. I would like the creators to take into account the fact that if it is decided to show a love story against the background of historical events, then it is necessary to give it a quality ending.
6.5 out of 10
My gratitude to the creators for touching on the Holodomor theme is so great that it almost kept me from criticizing. But the correct interpretation of the native history is more important than gratitude, therefore I will begin.
One of my favorite directors is Mel Gibson. And you know why? If he makes a film about the Mayans, then all the dialogue is in the Yucatan dialect of their native language, and most of the roles will be played by the real descendants of this civilization. If this is a film about Jesus, then preference will be given to naturalistic scenes, the main actor will make up for seven hours, the cross he will carry is not fake, but a real, weighing seventy kilograms. And yes, the film's languages are Latin and Aramaic, just like 2,000 years ago. And you know why I'm mentioning this now? There is nothing like that in Bitter Harvest. And he should have been.
The creators of this film, bearing foreign names and Ukrainian surnames, could only half feel the trouble that reigned in 32-33 years on the Ukrainian lands. An attempt to show the general situation in the country, the policy of Soviet power in Ukraine and the Kremlin, the life of the village and the mood in the capital in less than two hours of timekeeping was unsuccessful. They never really touched any of these topics. This tape completely lacks the seriousness of the approach to the depicted material, which I will never tire of talking about. More and more often you can observe the situation as film crews all over the world forget in the process, which, in fact, they film, trying to make their creation according to all the canons of Hollywood. Unfortunately, the same fate befell the Canadians. This movie is about anything but the famine. For a Western viewer unfamiliar with the subject of the story, it is probably acceptable, but in Ukrainian can cause disappointment and annoyance. But in order.
In the center of the picture is a young artist Yuri, his family, friends and beloved. They want to live, create and love, but somewhere in the walls of the Kremlin sits Comrade Stalin, intending to disrupt all their plans. The village where the heroes live becomes a victim of repression and artificial starvation. Here we should show the terrible truth of those times: about three million victims (according to official figures), about cases of cannibalism, infanticide and a dozen other terrible things that accompanied the ill-fated years. But strangely enough, almost no one dies of hunger in Bitter Harvest. The villagers are subjected to endless torture by simple executors of the leader’s will, who only do that they beat, mock and shoot, with all their might showing their cruelty. Only a few villagers will survive until the second half of the film, but they will die at the hands of executioners, not starvation. The atrocities in this picture look illogical and pointless, even though we know they took place. For all the time of the genocide, none of the main characters lost weight or plunged, and the painted bruises under the eyes do not give credibility at all. At the same time, we are given the opportunity to contemplate the plump cheeks of Samantha Barks, the performer of the role of Natalka, as a matter of fantastic endurance, and the rebellion of the full strength of peasants, bravo riding horses, which in fact they should have eaten long ago. I'm not going to be embarrassed to say that there were a lot of people in the audience enjoying popcorn while watching it. And, to be honest, I did not want to condemn them at all, because it is necessary to film about hunger so that, looking, no grain could climb into the throat.
The piecey taste of Ukrainian life remains after almost all the scenes of this movie. Not Slavic appearance actors poorly hide embroidered shirts, which they, by the way, and not to face. Another impression spoils the voiceover, but this is a question for Ukrainian translators. Heroes speak a pure literary language, unusual for the village. The Russian speech of the antagonists, by contrast, sounds with a Ukrainian accent.
The advantages of the film include musical accompaniment: the compositions of the group “DahaBraha” give the picture a wonderful sound and national flavor. Praise also deserves Douglas Millsom, who showed a fairly high-quality and bright picture. His fascination with the old mill is a bit puzzling, as if there were no other exhibits in the Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of Ukraine (popularly Pirogovo). Almost all actions take place near the mill or against its background, whether it is dawn or sunset - the operator has one angle. But he is a foreigner, he is forgiven. I would also like to mention Barry Pepper. The image of the Cossack suits him so much that you do not immediately recognize the famous actor in it.
Anyway, I would like to thank George Mendeliuk for his interest in the painful subject of my people. I hope this film will be a stimulus for Ukrainian filmmaking and a desire to do better. We should be shouting about the Holodomor all over the world, just as the Jews do not let the Holocaust be forgotten by making quality, heartbreaking films year after year. The only problem is that there are significantly fewer Ukrainians in Hollywood than there are Jews.
“We have your eyes on you, your eyes on you, and your eyes on you,” says Vakarchuk. Shoot, shoot and film again. Maybe the tenth time will work. If you want to see a movie about the Holodomor, I recommend watching Hunger 33.
On February 23, the picture "Bitter Harvest" ("Bitter Harvest") was released on the world screens. /Sorry, but one of the options for the rental title, "Devil's Harvest", is strange to me/. The case of such a film adaptation is unique. After all, it is not often that other countries show interest in the pages of Ukrainian history, and even in such painful ones. But, if you know that most of the crew are people with Ukrainian roots, then some of the reasons for choosing such a plot become clear.
I often write in reviews my opinion about the first frames of the film, because they set the general mood. I will not abandon this tradition now.
The first panoramas admire their beauty. No matter how pathetic it may sound, but such shots help to realize love for native spaces. You can see that the operator, Douglas Millsom, enjoys the picturesque scenery. It’s always a pleasure to watch this kind of work.
Before I go further in my review, I will make a remark: Bitter Harvest was shot for a Western audience. Therefore, some visual and expressive means for the Ukrainian audience will be unusual.
Two examples:
1. Surrealism with a bit of insanity in the scene with poisoning by flyfish. For Western cinema, nothing is unusual. For ours - what can be used, handling such a technique carefully, without overdoing.
2. Road signs are in English. We'll understand them too!
Some annotations say that this is a love story Yurka (Max Irons) and Natalki (Samantha Barks). But it is wrong to talk about love in Bitter Harvest only in this way. After all, it tells about love for your people, family and friends. It is love that causes many of the actions of the main character.
“Bitter Harvest” covers the period of Ukrainian history for some time before and during the Holodomor of 1932-1933 on the example of one village. In the process of writing the review, I realized that it is very interesting to refer to such subjects of historical frontiers in art. Because there is a transition from one mood to another, radically opposite. And it is important to capture and correctly present the dramaturgy of such a transition. One illustration of this statement is the romantic scenes of Yurka and Natalka, which are full of euphoricity and unreality. What follows under the sign “-” is perceived sharper and stronger.
A curious detail draws attention to itself: in the “Bitter Harvest” there are some shots that seem to be shot for a special demonstration of one or another element of Ukrainian color and Ukrainian traditions. This will be especially interesting for foreigners and those who are not familiar with Ukrainian culture.
The musical accompaniment in the film is very successful. The compositions of the ethno-group "Dahabraha" do not suppress folklore, but are a worthy decoration of the plot. It is good to know that our motives are already sounding to the whole world.
Special thanks to the casting managers, Daniel Hubbard and Jemme Sykes, for the well-chosen type of one of the main negative characters, Sergei, represented by Tamer Hassan. Look into the message of his character, and you will understand that he in “Bitter Harvest” is in his place.
Also a great success for the picture is the presence in the cast of Ukrainian actors, among which - Ostap Stupka and Alexander Pecheritsa. If for the first shooting in films of this scale - not a novelty, for the second - the opposite. I am familiar with theatrical and film-television works of both actors in Ukraine. And I can say with confidence that Bitter Harvest has actors in its team whose energy and talent are destined to go far beyond the borders of their native country. Our pride will only grow.
After watching Bitter Harvest, you leave the theater with a phrase full of ambition: “Why not?”
10 out of 10