" What is the power, brother? – asked the national screen hero of the 90s Danila Bagrov in the film Alexei Balabanov. Good question! The power is in truth, Danila answered himself. The film “Balkan Frontier” in 2019 suddenly turned out to be strong for me in many ways, and one of them is that it is based on real events. The ones that many still remember well. They remember how impotently they squeezed their fists, watching the news of another bombing and genocide on the soil of Yugoslavia. And this moment of powerlessness, stiffness, against the background of the attenuated face of the then President of Russia, is reflected in the picture “Balkan Frontier”.
Why are the Russians silent when NATO bombs the peaceful city of Belgrade with its maternity hospitals, stadiums and factories? But “friend Bill”, as Boris Yeltsin liked to emphasize, is doing his dirty work with the help of bombers. I do not want to introduce a political aspect, but why is Russia fighting for Syria, where we do not have brothers, but seem to have allies, and even put air defenses of the last generations there, but did not help the brotherly people of Serbia then, at the turn of the century, when they were bombed? It probably doesn't belong in the movie. But who knows...
Back to the cinema. The Balkan Frontier is a tough movie, but the second positive parameter of the picture is beauty. If you take scissors and cut violent scenes and grinding action, the table will remain the most beautiful landscapes of the former Yugoslavia. A country where beautiful people live and live. There's beauty in the movie. Even cold. Flying black crows NATO stealth aircraft "Stealth" bombs are shown in the film very beautifully. Only the consequences of those blows are ugly.
Last year I was able to visit Serbia and I saw traces of NATO bombing. The Serbs keep them, and in the center of Belgrade, a silent reproach to the world is the building of the Ministry of Defense of Yugoslavia, dismantled by NATO bombs. But there are so many beautiful girls and women on the streets of Serbia, it is amazing. Life goes on. That's what Balkan blood means! And they are strikingly feminine, and that touch is reflected in the film.
“Balkan Frontier” is made great largely thanks to the Serbian side. Extremely feminine, touching, beautiful Serbian actress Milena Radulovic (Nurse Jasna) got into the role perfectly. She is beautiful both on the outside and on the inside. Thank you for the light that the actress was able to bring to the film. There is a Balkan charm in its features, which is so often found on Serbian streets and avenues and in cafes.
But even higher praise, if I may say so, deserves the main movie of the villain of the whole thing – the Albanian field commander Smuk (Alexandor Srechkovic). The villain is such a villain! He even hangs the verbal label “animal” for the atrocities committed by the actor’s character. But we must understand that when one of the most beautiful and calm countries in Europe, Yugoslavia, began to disintegrate after the USSR, not one or two sides flooded this land with blood. War crimes were committed by all parties. Smuk’s motivation in the film may not be entirely convincing (my land, and you all screw it), but the image of a war criminal and a psychopath is embodied by a Serbian actor simply masterfully. If the viewer asks the question: “How does the earth wear such an inhuman?” – then the image is fashioned coolly.
And how great the actor Gojko Mitic (Goran Milic) played his albeit not big role. An old cop with the old strict notions of honor and the rule of law. During the war, they are at the forefront of the fight against evil.
As for the Russian actors, then, frankly, the situation is worse. Beck (Gosha Kutsenko) in the film is a shot in the milk. Well, just none. Andrei Shatalov (Anton Pompushny) is the only Russian from Beck’s brigade according to the scenario on the firing line – his image worked professionally. It was courageous, but nothing more. Best of all worked from the Russian side in the acting plan Nodari Janelidze (Girey). Cheerful, eared, bullying, charming. He was very happy to see his work.
So where do “legs grow” in the painting “Balkan Frontier”?
The director of the “Balkan Frontier” Andrey Volgin, to put it mildly, did not shine before on the movie sky. But then he justified his name 100%. The powerful, wide, powerful Volga River, and the Balkan Frontier turned out to be the same! Yes, there are shortcomings, lengths (excessive attention to the column of Russian equipment, which goes to the heroes to the rescue), but in general they do not spoil the fabric of the film.
The storyline follows the Russian military’s capture of Kosovo’s strategically important Slatina airport in 1999, which they must hold until major peacekeeping forces approach. The airport also attracted Smuk for its military and commercial affairs. So much for the conflict. But this is the story, what about the atmosphere?
I think the filmmakers sucked in the political air with their nostrils, caught the trends in modern hybrid wars, and logically the villain was forced into the accomplices of NATO-Doctor Gerhard (Dmitry Fried). It is clear that ideologically this move is justified, but the plot, somehow, not very. You feel the attraction of this line "behind the ears" to the body of the thing.
But the musical series does not feel alien. The selected compositions correspond to the scenes of the picture and the characters, and cause a valuable nostalgic note, which makes the film even more delicious. And music as a protest against bombing is a great move of the writers of the picture.
The main advantage of the film “Balkan Frontier” is in the cool and logical sequence of selected scenes, smooth flow of genres, diversity of characters. And they're human! I wiped my eyes, but I didn’t find a Spider, an Iron Woodcutter, or even a purple Hulk.
As for the main message of the picture, it seemed to me that the authors wanted not only to present some action, but also to show what a person is capable of. People. Character metamorphosis. Here lived peacefully and suddenly - bam... Historical cataclysm! The collapse of the country. The demise of the Empire. Where does that come from? Brother's on his brother. Those who drank tea together at each other's house yesterday grab their weapons and aim at each other. Others get the freedom to embody their manic inclinations, the opportunity to get rich on blood, and someone runs, becomes a victim and dies.
I would not recommend the film “Balkan Frontier” to children under 16 years of age for sure. Sometimes the cruelty of the scenes goes off the scale, and then one name comes to mind - genocide.
In general, the Balkan Frontier is a real event in a rather dull Russian cinema sky. But we have recently started to light such films – stars. “Moving Up,” “Legend 17,” now “The Balkan Frontier.” Let us have more stars!
“We are with the Russians – two hundred million.” – “And with the Tatars?”
The beginning seemed slurred and pathetic. But the first disappointment passed when events began to develop more smoothly, and the picture stopped twitching.
Music.
To be honest, the film looks like an attempt ' to illuminate' songs of the late 90s, apparently, from the collection of the film’s authors themselves, and somewhere you feel the purring of one of the characters begins to annoy. Nevertheless, the musical range as a whole is balanced and conveys the emotional intensity reigning on the screen (at least a little silence speech).
Bluster and humor balance each other, not allowing you to slide into a one-sided ' black'.
The characters of the film are built in several levels - there are main, there are historical, and there are secondary, and the main are connected with each other and with secondary in several storylines, through which the main themes of the film are revealed - love and peace (symbiosis), peace and war (confrontation), ethnic hatred / civil war and international brotherhood.
Interethnic discord is perhaps the most widely discussed topic. Some Serbs fight, others sit in bars. Some Albanians are bandits, slaughtering civilians with whole families, others serve in the police of the state, Occupied & #39; ' Their & #39; lands and are in blood brotherhood with representatives of its titular nationality.
The internationalism of the special group acts as the antipode to the infighting, which is devoted to the main screen time - between Serbs and Albanians. Peaceful coexistence, coming to each other’s aid, is the only solution to such conflicts. And an example of this decision is Russia itself, which united under its wing dozens of different nationalities living in the world.
Interesting storyline of the two brothers & #39; as they call each other, from the Kosovo police. This is how the topic of interethnic confrontation develops, more precisely, new notes are being introduced into this topic.
Along with the growing hatred of Albanians that is developing in the audience, a new thought emerges: not all Albanians are the same. It is because of this character (Fadil) that the filmmakers are kept on the fine line between vilifying the people and vilifying individual nationalist groups. As you know, in the civil war there are no right and guilty, so the film suggests to accept this as an accomplished fact.
The love line is beautiful. And it decorates not only the actress in the main female role, but also the idea itself. Love of a man and a woman from different, but very close in spirit and blood peoples. As against the backdrop of war and devastation through salvation to move to affection and feelings, this is what the filmmakers wanted to show.
Interestingly, the characters are written a little weakly, only a few characters are developing, the rest are static. Probably (judging by itself) after leaving the cinema, few people will remember the names of internecine opponents, as if they came from different clans (they have some monosyllable names), but everyone will remember that the guy with a beard was called Andrei.
Overall, the film was pretty strong. In several places, the uncanny viewer simply cannot help but break a tear. I could barely contain myself. And I did not think that it can cause the phrase ' Russians and Serbs are brothers'.
I advise everyone to watch the film until the end, because the ending puts all the dots on the i. Finally, the goal of the filmmakers is to show that the efforts of a small group of people can affect not only the lives of individuals, but also entire states and political systems. I was very pleased with how the fictional story was presented with real historical facts. The facts themselves are the pride of Russian history.
I will say that while this is one of the most powerful films that developed the theme of the national idea and Russian national identity. By the latter I mean the Russian-speaking world.
The Balkan Frontier is a unique film for our recent cinematography. And that’s why, on the one hand, we make TV films about a valiant special forces film, which, other things being equal, would have gone more or less unnoticed, and on the other hand, we designate the problem of coexistence of peoples and ethnic wars in the territory of the former Yugoslavia. I am not indifferent to this topic at all and it was interesting to see how the domestic director will show these moments. It wasn’t bad at all, at least I don’t have a sense of misunderstanding about what happened in Bosnia and Kosovo. Yes, broad strokes indicate the problem, but clearly communicated what ordinary people experienced during the collapse of the country.
After the conflict, in cooperation with NATO forces, members of the reconnaissance and sabotage group find themselves in a difficult situation and are forced to remain outside Russia. Everyone gets their own way in their new life and tries to survive. But the change in the vector of the political situation makes them demanded by the Fatherland again. It is necessary to occupy and hold the Pristina airport in Kosovo before the Russian peacekeepers approach. Capture and retention are shown in a good manner of domestic TV series, I will not dwell on this, I was more pleased with the secondary plot lines. Perhaps cooperation with the Serbs made these lines penetrating from a purely human perspective. This is the drama in the maternity hospital during NATO raids, and the difficult relations between Kosovars and Serbs on the example of a police post in Kosovo, and ethnically-confessional shootings, and the tension to the breakdown of medical workers from the sight of the victims - they say the war will write everything off, it is so. Only here scars and wounds in the souls of people will not heal even time, pain and bitterness of losses of loved ones and friends will live in memory for a long time.
The interweaving of real facts and fiction was well combined in this tape - the march-throw on Pristina paratroopers successfully complemented the battle of Beck's group, the enthusiasm of the Serbs on the footage of chronicles and cinematics looked organic. As for the political vicissitudes, this case is dirty and ideological context can be missed when watching, although I did not see anything unrealistic in the shown. I was pleased with the shown everyday life of paratroopers, under the “Sector of Gas” looked realistic, quite real entertainment to distract from everyday routine.
The actors played normally and ours and Serbian, from ours I liked Kurkova, Polukhin and Marin, from the Serbs Gojko Mitic, Bikovic and Rodojic. The humour only strengthened the actors. Kusturica at the end also looked at the place. In general, without showing miracles of acting, everyone looked good.
Cons of course, there are quite fat, mainly associated with the imposition of a certain ideological overtones, and alas, ignorance of the features of service in special forces. But in general, they do not disfigure the film, so I safely attribute it to the positive aspects of our film distribution.
I will tell you right away and honestly, I could not stand at least 30 minutes of this film, and not because at the very beginning of it some incredible disgusting scenes were shown that could not be found in any other films on military themes, which is not so at all - met and worse - but because already in its debut it appears to the viewer as something that is not going to work at least according to literary laws with an invariable plot sequence, presentation and further disclosure of heroes, etc. There was also hope that the opening scene in the woods was shown as something that the plot of the film would go closer to the end, and the subsequent footage would be a flashback showing what the hell they were carried there, by whom and why they are shelled, and who these soldiers, who at the very beginning need to empathize and, most importantly, why, because with the same success it would be possible to show a group of saboteurs who were preparing a series of terrorist attacks against the civilian population, and subsequently trying to escape, but the next 5-10 minutes dispel my misconceptions. It turns out that already in its very beginning, the film starts with a cropped plot, where an excessive amount of slow-mo was shoved into the wrong place, the ridiculous death of one of the members of the squad, a sequence of events that does not even try to show what the hell they did there at all, and all this is seasoned with a slight pinch of “reverse cranberries” in the form of an English-speaking character who screamed at their detachment, who, when changing his uniform and language into German, can easily be impersonated as a template SS officer from the films pro-World War II. *We have survived, now they are trying to win with another delusion.*
As for the events (bombing of Yugoslavia), during which the plot unfolds, I do not consider them far-fetched or unworthy of attention. I believe that this topic, which has long been avoided in the world of cinema (at least in my memory), requires a much more worthy attitude than the demonstration of old cliches and cliches that are pushed to the place and not to the place at the very beginning of the film. I believe that the creation of this film and, first of all, the script should be much more responsible, because it is quite possible to present the story in such a way that even Kutsenko’s “mind-blowing” game and no less “expressive” facial expressions and “charisma” Pumpushny could easily fit in and would not be forced to finish viewing the picture after 20-30 minutes after its beginning.
Separately, it is worth noting that in our cinema once again took a serious topic, and once again ugly attitude to its implementation, conveniently located on the field of its use, because if, as in this case, for example, there are those who criticize this film, they will easily be accused of “aiding NATO and justifying the bombing of Yugoslavia”, because “the film about it”, and the fact that the claims are mainly to the execution, not to the content, will be successfully ignored. Here, in principle, as in the story with “Captain Marvel” or “Black Panther”, when critics of these films are branded racists and misogynists, turning a blind eye to what is criticized mainly for a weak plot and generally bad performance.
Mitic and Kusturica can take part in this film, because the theme of the bombing of Yugoslavia for a long time in cinema was bypassed.
How long have I been waiting for the release of this wonderful and realistic film “Balkan Frontier”. Despite the huge amount of advertising and constant talk about the film, it is a real achievement of Russian-Serbian cinema. And I think it will exceed all expectations of the audience. Let me explain why.
Since the plot is based on real events that are classified for the next 50 years, I thought the plot would be based on the love line of the Russian soldier Andrei Shatalov, performed by the courageous Anton Papushny, and the Serbian girl Jasna, played by Milena Radulovich, and the entourage and second plan of their story will be just the protection of the Slatin airport, located in Pristina. But the picture showed itself from an unexpected side.
It is important to note that the film does not focus on the political events and actions of the top authorities (their activities are shown indirectly in the film), namely on the fates of ordinary people who have become innocent victims of the political games played by great politicians and heads of state, which in fact are not. Sitting at home or in their office, in calm and secure conditions, their decisions expose millions of people to death, destroy their fates, hopes and dreams. They may not be directly involved in such horrific acts, but they have blood on their hands. After that, it must be terribly difficult for them to live on earth.
Throughout the film, there is a feeling of fear and misunderstanding: I want to get up and run to help people. Especially for me, it was a difficult moment at the airport, when a huge number of women and children were held hostage. Women may want to be equal with men, but they will never have the same physical strength as men, especially when he is armed with guns and knives against an unarmed and defenseless woman. I just want to get up and shout, ‘Remember! What are you doing? Stop it!
I just want to stand up to thank and applaud the actors who so realistically performed the roles, felt their heroes, missed their fate through themselves.
Firstly, I would like to say about the actor who plays the role of the Albanian Smuk, who seized the airport and terrorized the territory of Kosovo. He plays a negative character who came out of him just incomparable: his dark and black image, anger in the eyes, hatred makes everything so believable that you want to fight against this person. And for the actor to play realistically, albeit a negative hero, a great merit.
Secondly, it is worth noting the brilliant acting of Milos Bikovic. In his image, he embodied the real feelings of a person that embrace us in such difficult moments: the endless emotional pain from the loss of loved ones and relatives, blind rage and thirst for revenge, a rift in consciousness, a lack of understanding of what is happening, and in the end, a deep patriotism for his Motherland under constant shelling - all these facets of the human character the actor embodied in the role of the Serbian police officer Vuk. Just to tears! And also do not forget about the wonderful and beloved actor Goiko Mitic, who runs the police station. His image combines the wisdom of a man who has seen a lot, and boundless patriotism, love for his homeland and fearlessness before the face of death.
And thirdly, I would like to say about the team of Andrei Shatalov, who showed themselves as real sons of their Motherland, ready to defend not only their compatriots, but also their brotherly people. Despite the harsh environment, the guys remain optimistic: they always have time to joke, laugh, sing a song that will tune in to the fighting mode, as well as believe in a bright future and honest and sincere love. Actors made their heroes real and alive, not just insensitive soldiers. Unfortunately, Commander Beck, performed by Gosha Kutsenko, turned out to be too closed and restrained, his character did not cause me any emotions, but this behavior is explained by the position he occupies.
The film is not predictable: each plot twist presents many unexpected events, changes in the characters. It captures you and touches all the strings of the heart and soul.
Of course, I advise everyone to watch the film “Balkan Frontier”: it allows you to think about the importance of such well-known, but such important human values as life, love, faith, brotherhood, humanity, etc. I hope that those people who see this picture will rethink some of the postulates in their lives and become a little different.
Twenty years ago, the world was shaken by the war in Yugoslavia, which involved NATO, Russia and other countries with their own specific positions. No one wanted to yield to the enemy, each side had its own specific task, to perform which ordinary soldiers were sent.
So in 'Balkan Frontier' the heroes are not generals and politicians, but simple soldiers who have something to fight for and who to love. This time, the target is the airport. It must be taken at all costs. Blood sweat, dirt Russian soldiers provided, but they are not going to retreat.
I don’t know what this has to do with it, but it’s been repeatedly noted that war movies are the best. Let me note as a fact that the Balkan Frontier is a strong, independent picture of a heroic team ready to sacrifice everything dear to the people. A beautiful love story gives special drama to this already heavy film.
The movie is brilliant. There is a huge budget spent on special effects, on all military paraphernalia, locations and equipment involved in the film. The action is dynamic, sharp and tense. It is impossible to predict the development of events, the plot twists in different directions and captures completely.
The Balkan Frontier wanted to see it as soon as I learned that Milos Bikovic was filming in it. I don't even breathe for this artist. He didn't disappoint at all. There were doubts that Milos would not pull out particularly tragic moments, mainly that his roles are comedic and easy, but the actor succeeded.
He has grown professionally, and his military uniform suits him very well. Gosha Kutsenko also played hard, you can feel his strength, emotions, through the screen directly the charge comes from him. Soul invested in his role, and not surprisingly, he is also a producer.
As you know, all the actors before filming were trained in a military camp. We did it for a reason, because there is a lot of action in the film and it would be difficult to use stuntmen all the time, who would have to constantly turn away from the camera. And that's how we see real emotions. For a war film with a claim, this is very important. And everyone looks cool, including the elderly, but also hot Kutsenko.
A film about the conflict in Yugoslavia should have been made long ago. On real events, the pictures are more honest and believable. "Balkan frontier" shot in the bull's eye. All the emotions I expected from watching, I got full.
The Balkans have always been a mixture of religions and nationalities. One spark was enough to break the fragile balance, which at the end of the twentieth century was the UN protectorate over the Kosovo Albanians, who carried out attacks on the state structures of Yugoslavia, as well as on the civilian population in the struggle for independence.
The conflict has been repeatedly covered in Western films and TV series. However, in each of them, the leitmotif was a one-sided position, showing the Serbs as thugs, whom the valiant American soldiers shot right and left, although in reality their participation ended in bombing. Undoubtedly, such an interpretation of events is one of the sides of the coin. Maybe. But it is worth noting that the Yugoslav security forces fought not just with the separatists - the separation of independent territories for this state by then became a common thing - but with illegal armed groups of often nationalist nature, using guerrilla and terrorist methods of struggle.
Separately, I would like to note the opinion that this film is propaganda for the rash of the day, they say, in fact, there are no shown atrocities, as well as the heroism of the Russian soldier, and NATO never supports terrorists - this is all manipulation, playing on patriotic pathos. Have we forgotten the brutality of radical Islamists during the Chechen wars? Have you forgotten about the guys who held unnamed heights to the last bullet under the onslaught of the mujahideen? Have you forgotten about helping the jihadists in the form of weapons and training from our Western partners?
The presence of a patriotic line in the film is indisputable, but it does not catch the eye and quite organically fits into the narrative. Moreover, the then softness of the country’s leadership is reflected, however, in contrast to individuals who are ready to take responsibility and go to the end. The main characters are shown as ordinary people of meat and bones with their views on life, moral principles and motives. The death of some of them does not allow the viewer to form the illusion of immortality of characters, characteristic of the genre of action films, and their disclosure is enough to feel empathy.
The development of the plot is rather slow, while the dramaturgy does not have noticeable sags, and there is almost no loss of interest in what is happening on the screen. The love line does not look vulgar and does not attract the attention of the viewer. Archival shootings do not feel something foreign and form a single whole with the artistic part. There are no claims to the acting - the benefit of the "stone face" of some characters in the context of the film looks quite appropriate. Of the secondary characters, especially the elderly, but still brave Goiko Mitic, as well as a cameo by Emir Kusturica, stands out. The main antagonist, as he should, strong-willed, angry, uncompromising and antipathetic.
The soundtrack is selected perfectly and fully corresponds to the spirit of the time. The rebellious Gaza Strip, straightforward DDT, melancholy-philosophical Cinema contribute to immersion in history and the disclosure of individual episodes.
Operating and staging battle scenes sometimes raises certain questions. Perhaps this is due to some inexperience of the team in this genre. Also, sometimes there is an inappropriateness of special effects that only destroy suspense. Ridley Scott’s approach to Black Hawk Fall would be a much better addition to realism. At the end of the film, there is a feeling of understatement due to the lack of completion of some storylines. This may be a reflection of the director’s vision. At the same time, the cinema looks qualitative not only in comparison with domestic films of similar subjects, but is not lost even against the background of Hollywood products. I am certainly not ashamed of him.
Let me tell you right away that I liked the movie. Not everyone, but the overall impression was positive. 2.5 hours (and this is a very decent timekeeping) flew unnoticed. It wasn't boring. Shame on you too.
I’ll start with the downsides.
- If you didn’t know anything about the Balkan conflict, this movie won’t help you. Who is at war with whom, who is white and who is red, who is with us, who is against us, is very difficult to figure out. There are documentary inserts (very, by the way, successful), there is text information, but for profane people like me, this is not enough.
- Why is it that both our and Western directors cannot imagine the fact that a person can withstand a war film without being diluted by a sweet love story? And from the love of this unearthly hero always becomes dull, risking to send in the line and mission, and even himself. But love, what can you do? Like without her.
Now to the pluses.
The film is tough and violent. There is no attempt to understand who is right and who is to blame. Serbs, Bosnians, Albanians - each has its own truth, its own reason to take up arms.
It seems to me that the director managed to show that the war, no matter what lofty goal was pursued by those who started it, was not worth it. In the finale there is always death, devastation, fear, tears of children. There are no winners when you fight your own.
Our actors looked very decent. But Gojko Mitic still eclipsed them with his small role. Very sincere and heartfelt.
Overall, I believed it. I have a lot of questions, a lot of questions. But I am grateful for the emotion of the film, it was worth it.
I would like to believe that this will never happen to anyone again. But life is not like a fairy tale.
... remembering events about which all so easily forgotten
#brief Okino!
The Balkan Frontier, 2019: Perhaps the best military drama in recent years! Not only in Russian cinema, but also in the world!
Excellent camera and directorial work. Everything was shot at the highest level. Absolutely sane dialogues and situations. I got a lot of emotions from watching. The film used footage from news broadcasts of those events (the entry of peacekeepers into Kosovo).
The first part of the film keeps in suspense and does not allow for a minute to relax, even transitions between action scenes flash imperceptibly, although they give strength for the next events. A lot of stories, a lot of characters, but in 2.5 hours, absolutely everything was revealed. I really liked the compilation of the preparation for the events and the events themselves into one narrative through alternation. It saves time and makes the story interesting.
The second part of the film is a harsh drama, about brotherly peoples, about how nationalism can separate friends on different sides of the barricades, about comradeship, about military honor, friendship and even about love in war.
The film had graphics, but quite at the level and it was very small.
The entourage and general appearance of those times are performed at the highest level. Nothing superfluous, everything corresponds to time and everything is in its place. What on ammunition, what on weapons, what on cars.
The acting was not stressful and in places was excellent. But in general, the main task was not to spoil the narrative - and the actors coped with it. No one beat out of the actors, neither in a good nor in a bad side. Everything was flat and right. It was very important.
I am very happy that our cinema is ready and able to make such a movie. I got an indelible impression from this film and I am very happy about it.
Thanks for the movie!
PS: Must be in the movies! The film is quite heavy, so be prepared to shed a tear, or maybe more than one.
8 out of 10
I have never been to Serbia, I have no friends from Serbia, but I have love for this country and for these people. There is deep empathy for their tragedy, there is an association with this people. It seems that the love of the Serbs in the Russian blood. I had no doubt about going to this movie or not. Of course, go, and I recommend this picture to everyone. It is cruel, heavy, it shows all the abomination of war, all the savagery of chain dogs, brutalized by the smell of blood. But at the same time, it's motivating, it's hammering into your head that you have to be the best version of yourself in this world. He helps to love his country, he shows why it is worth loving his country. And I am proud of my country and these brave people who have done this feat. Yes, it is embellished in the film, and half of what there is fiction, but guys, this is not a documentary, it is still a feature film, so do not look, look, find fault with the discrepancy. Just relax and enjoy a cruel but good movie.
I also wanted to express the important idea that this picture gave me – why we Russians are so ashamed to be patriots, so ashamed to love our homeland, our army. Why are Americans proud to be Americans, why are they proud of the might of their military, why are they proud of their country? And we were forced to think that our country can do nothing and our ruler is not the same and our army is weak. Even during the crisis, this spirit of strength remained, even when everything was destroyed, there were people of honor ready to fight. After watching this movie, I want to love my country even more. And this is important now, we need to unite, we need to change ourselves and everything around us, despite the fact that there are some uncles sitting there, that we are being robbed, despite the fact that everything is ruined, despite all this. Like the heroes of this film, we must all come together and work for each other’s good not for a gold coin, but against all odds.
The film is two and a half hours long, but I assure you, it looks in one breath, I didn’t even realize that it was over and it was over. It was hard to believe that time flew by so quickly. The picture is full of a huge number of events, there was no time to get bored. One by one, a flurry of emotions - fear, horror, joy, sadness, relief. This is an unforgettable attraction.
I want to say that all the actors were great. I especially liked Ravshan Kurkov. I have not yet seen her as a strong, principled woman. She's beautiful, she's real. So sophisticated, but strong. It is a pity that Bikovic did not have the main role, but he was also unmatched. I really liked his character and the way he conveyed the feeling the Serbs felt during the conflict. His hero is not just a policeman, he is a real Serb, patriot, brave, crazy, ready to die for his homeland, family and brothers. And the beautiful Albanian played by Aleksandar Radojicz? He is a small jewel of this painting. A guy so handsome that he can't come off, oh my God, this is my new Serbian love.
Despite the fact that the film is heavy and there are many terrible moments in it, from which tears come to your eyes, yet Volgin gives us a breather, he distracts the viewer from all this horror and really funny jokes. I really enjoyed the moment with the Tatar and the Albanian. It was a good time with Vera and the same Albanian. There were enough moments to distract and laugh, but all of them are presented so subtly that they do not confuse the mood of the tragedy, do not confuse, do not turn the film into a buffoon. They were created as if Volgin understood that not everyone would withstand this meat grinder, as if he felt sorry for the viewer, he understands that it is impossible to pour so much blood and horror, a respite is necessary. And he gives that respite.
Summing up, I want to say that there is no politoty in the picture, there is no propaganda in it. There is just a story about Serbia, about injustice, about the savagery of the civilized world. This film does not speak directly about what abomination was happening in the Serbian land, there are only hints that an educated person will understand. This is the moment with the doctor (who he is, why he was at the airport), this is the moment with the boy who was thrown into the car (where they wanted to take him, for what purpose), this moment with a pack of people who were at the airport (for what they were gathered), this moment with a bomb from the French and many such small moments, hints about what this conflict was for, who and how profited from it.
A Russian military-patriotic fighter about the events in Kosovo 20 years ago was released. A team of Russian special forces commanded by the character Gosha Kutsenko must occupy and hold the only airfield in the region until the arrival of Russian peacekeeping forces.
The Balkan Frontier looks for parallels in the history of the Yugoslav conflicts and aims to support the current course of foreign policy. The film is full of patriotic pathos - Russian fighters are valiant and courageous heroes who stand for peace in the world, opponents - Albanian drug dealers - dishonest freaks who do not know pity. All this is natural for the genre, propaganda films have always come out on both sides of the ocean and for each domestic “August of the Eighth” there will be its “5 days in August”.
“Balkan Frontier” is potentially a very good movie, but it’s actually not bad. A very long time - two and a half hours - leaves time to right during the session to come up with where to twist, where to cut, and where to expand to get a really good action movie. But the creators had different priorities.
Very rough and cutting eyes clichés are concentrated around the villains - Albanian bandits who have seized power in the region, and the NATO forces supporting them. The lion’s share of timekeeping is devoted to the thickening of colors and their black exposure. Rejection is caused by very simple and undisguised manipulations - women, children and a combo variant - pregnant women suffer from the actions of the enemy in the frame with special cruelty.
What about the good guys? If you leave aside Gosha Kutsenko, who plays the military commander in a comical version (see “Home Arrest”), but not in a dramatic one, then everything is surprisingly great with them. The Russian special group here is an international team consisting of quite charismatic, colorful characters, a kind of variation of “The Expendables”. It seems to me that this pen should have been twisted to the maximum and instead of being carried away by savage drama, let the main characters disperse completely, with all the invincible (super)hero pathos, which the same team led by Sly did not hesitate to show off. On the other hand, with this option, seekers of historical truth in feature films would be even more angry.
The technical side of the film is not as smooth as I would like. During action scenes, the angle changes every three seconds. Such convulsive editing completely deprives the viewer of the opportunity to understand what exactly happens in the frame and, apparently, hides flaws in the production. It seems that these scenes were collected in tiny pieces from dozens of unsuccessful takes.
“Balkan Frontier” is sometimes long, sometimes clumsy, but generally a good movie, for which at least it is not a shame that for the director of wild “Dances to Death” is a serious achievement. The film could be even better if it was more action than patriotic. If we abstract from the subconscious desire to sympathize with Russian cinema, then the movie is actually passable and disposable, to viewing is not at all mandatory. Perhaps I would advise to go to the “Balkan Frontier” in the cinema, but the ticket for two and a half hours of patriotic campaigning for some reason paid.
6 out of 10
For contemporaries, the series of Yugoslav wars is rather a relic of the forgotten past, but for the peoples living in the territory of the present South Slavic states, it is a tragedy that is not customary to forget. In addition, the "powder keg of Europe" at that time became almost a "powder keg" for the whole world. Especially this aggravation was manifested during the Kosovo War, one of the episodes of which formed the basis of the plot of the military drama “Balkan Frontier”.
Synopsis 1999. After the beginning of the armed conflict on the territory of Kosovo and Metohija, NATO, without the permission of the UN, carries out a massive bombing campaign on the territory of Yugoslavia. To prevent the escalation of the conflict, the Russian special forces are ordered to seize and hold the strategically important facility Slatina Airport until a group of Russian peacekeepers arrive here to prevent NATO forces from entering. But this airport proves also important to the local Albanian warlord, ready to take it back under his control at any cost.
Game of actors Despite the stamping of the images presented on the screen, the actors performed their roles very well. Gosha Kutsenko played the role of the group commander, a man of firm temper, who does not follow orders for the sake of the star, but simply understands why it is necessary. Anton Pampushny played the role of the former group commander Andrei Shatalov, who prefers to lead a hermit lifestyle after the mistake he made in the past. Honestly, in terms of acting, I would single out the Serbian half. Namely, Milos Bikovich, already beloved in Russian cinema, as a Yugoslav police officer and simply Serb Vuk, whose family was massacred by Kosovo militants. As well as the legend of the Yugoslav cinema Gojko Mitic as the boss of Goran, who, despite national contradictions, remained one of the few who treated everyone as an equal.
Directorship Honestly, while watching, I had the impression that after the disgustingly unsuccessful film “Dancing to Death”, director Andrei Volgin was hinted at the presence of hidden talent and the need to direct it in the right direction, which in fact, in my opinion, he managed. Many potential viewers expect to see too much politicization. But the film highlights Russia’s involvement in the Kosovo conflict as a historical fact, not as an imposed opinion. Of course, the most positive aspect for which the director deserves special praise is the collective portrayal of all the main horrors that occurred during the Kosovo war: ethnic cleansing, kidnapping of civilians for the purpose of harvesting donor organs, severed body parts of the victims and much more. Unfortunately, the film did not escape those ridiculous episodes and situations that were stuporous, such as an Albanian fighter jumping out of a car before a fight and immediately sniffing cocaine from his hands, or a direct hit by an RPG in one of the characters, after which he gets off with only a couple of abrasions. But, despite these absurdities, directed by Andrei Volgin, “Balkan Frontier” turned out to be a strong genre picture without snot and with a truly tense atmosphere.
Scenario The action of the plot of the film begins on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1995 during the Bosnian War, as a special group under the command of Andrei Shatalov as part of the NATO forces performs a task to capture a war criminal, but, succumbing to emotions due to the death of a combatant, miserably fail him, losing the right to return to his homeland. Four years later, the command gives the group a chance to correct the mistake at the cost of capturing and retaining the strategically important Slatina airport in the heart of the self-proclaimed “Republic of Kosovo”. In parallel, the storyline of a young girl and a doctor Jasna develops, which after the bombing of Belgrade, the leadership sends to a hospital located directly in Kosovo. Unfortunately, the heroine is among the hostages of Albanian militants, who organized their headquarters right on the territory of the airport, where the group was sent. Of course, all this leads to a fierce clash.
The result "Balkan Frontier" should not be perceived as a feature film with documentary overtones, since officially this operation is still classified, and perhaps the whole story about the special group is pure fiction. The film, above all, is good because it tells about the human tragedy, which was simply forgotten, although its scale and consequences make themselves felt until now.
8 out of 10
Andrey Volgin is a director unknown to me. Before the release of the new picture, I decided to get acquainted with his work and found out that behind the director are little-known middle pictures. The new film caught my attention with its theme and storyline.
Plot. The film is based on the Balkan military conflict, the Kosovo war, the bombing of Yugoslavia and the march on Pristina. Russian special forces are ordered to take control of the airfield 'Slatina' and wait for the arrival of allied peacekeeping troops. Albanian militants are ready to do anything to capture this strategically important object. .
The storyline worked out perfectly. The story is shown from several sides through the eyes of different participants. Locations change because of this, too. Only in the last third of the tape, the scene remains unchanged. The story is smooth, unhurried. The dynamics gradually increases closer to the end and does not let go to the final credits.
Atmosphere. The film is full of the pain and suffering of the Serbian people. The long-standing confrontation between Serbs and Albanians can be seen here in every glance, in every dialogue. Oh, no drama. Watching the picture is extremely difficult, but it is interesting. It may seem like a long movie to some, but I personally enjoyed the gradual disclosure of the soldiers’ characters, followed by a dynamic and spectacular battle. In the narrative competently woven a love line without unnecessary falsehood. In general, the authors allow themselves some artistic deviations in one direction or another, and this not only does not distract, but also makes the story even more interesting. News inserts are another interesting idea, but at some point they become too much. I really liked acting, I didn’t expect this. I will highlight Anton Pampushny (Shatai) and Goshu Kutsenko (Beck). The latter was especially surprised by the fact that this time I did not see a single twist or extra emotion. It's bravo! Among the antagonists, Alexander Srechkovic (Smuk) looked great. His image begins to hate almost from the moment his character appears in the frame.
Music. They did a good job with the musical theme. Among the tracks there are legendary songs of groups 'Cinema' and 'Sector of Gas', and the song 'And what do we need?' in general, one of the main characters often sings throughout the tape. The intense melodies during violent scenes and shootouts add to the picture of realism.
Total. 'Balkan Frontier' - a large-scale and high-quality action-drama, which unexpectedly turned out to be in ' Major League' Perfectly shot. But be prepared for the atmosphere to be pressing and heavy. A few people left theaters before the middle of the movie, another small part later. This is not because the tape is bad. The pressure on the psyche is enormous, people left the hall crying and/or upset. If you are very impressionable nature, then I advise you to think carefully before watching.
9 out of 10
I was very surprised when I saw a rating of more than 7.
For me, IMDb with its 4.90 is a much more accurate representation of reality.
Pros of the film: a good idea, a really good game of actors, a tolerable plot.
To be quite honest, the most important plus of the film (or rather not a plus, but, as I think, the main reason why the film can appeal to the ordinary viewer) is its intentional emphasis on patriotism and heroism of the Russian soldier. The film simply shouts: We (the Russians) are good! Saviors! Heroes!
Apparently, patriotism helps to ignore the disadvantages of the film.
And the disadvantages are:
1. The most typical clichés about action films are used, which makes some plot twists seem too predictable;
2. Almost all the heroes remain undisclosed, and we can only empathize with them for the fact that they are Russians.
3. Dialogues are prolonged, which in total with undisclosed characters, and generally make viewing uninteresting;
4. Uniform, albeit accompanying, music that revolves the entire film with one single melody;
5. The folly of the main and secondary characters in favor of the plot of the episode, such as those when a civilian woman runs out of hiding during a shootout and begins to run around the field;
Perhaps I am just not a fan of such films, but a complete loss of interest in the main characters, as well as too imposed patriotism and propaganda, where the villains are too evil, and our well, very kind, repels.
To talk about real events, and historical details - I do not undertake. Perhaps that was the case.
I'm just talking about the movie, because it's not a documentary, it's a film. And as a feature film - a film on 3 out of 10
I watched it on the big screen last night. And I remember... Spring 1999. TV shows how from the base Aviano rise and go to Yugoslavia squadron of fighter-bombers of the countries of the North Atlantic Alliance. This was not the first bombing of Serbs, but earlier, when they were bombed on Bosnian soil, representatives of the “civilized Western world” at least had a formal excuse from the UN. In fact, the split and gradual disintegration of Yugoslavia, largely provoked by Berlin and Washington, took a decade. A decade of war. The most terrible and bloody of which were Bosnian and Kosovo. Both of these wars are shown in this picture. The tragedy of the multifaceted civil and interethnic and interreligious war was presented in the West as the fault of the Serbs alone. All of them were covered in blood, but only one people was declared guilty. Twice in the twentieth century, he has drunk the terrible cup of massacre and genocide. The Serbs were an old friend and ally of Russia, and this is also mentioned in the film. He is indeed a reminder to us. And a warning. And it is a strong drama and a good military action movie with an excellent Russian-Serbian caste. What are the only ones who starred in small roles Goiko Mitic and Emir Kusturica! Mitich, by the way, was particularly pleased. Gosha Kutsenko is finally in a normal role.
Most of all, the film resembles one of the series of the domestic series “Special Forces”. And this echoes well with the main mission of the picture – showing the feat of Russian paratroopers who made a long march from Bosnia to Pristina. It was like a thunderstorm in the clear sky. Humiliated by the West, Russia suddenly reminded the world that it still has those whose profession is to defend the Motherland. Patriotism is a healthy feeling, and in principle it should not depend on political preferences (the same Westerners and Slavophiles of the century before last were for the most part ardent patriots of Russia). Just like this. This film is a good action movie, hiding behind the shooting very serious questions. And it's worth watching. As for the minuses... In some places I will note the ragged editing and very sharp shining of the camera during action scenes. Controversial sound. Some general drag of the picture (so the plot is revealed more fully and voluminously, but still it is primarily a militant, could cut the timekeeping). We were very pleased with Gojko Mitic, a Serbian woman doctor, our machine gunner and sniper. Colorful leader of Albanian basmachi. Very good one of the moments when you remember the brotherhood of the peoples of the former USSR (and it was!). And on the Serbian side of the law, not only Serbs are fighting. . .
Good, strong, heavy, cruel and right film. I haven't seen that in a while. Great movie.
The authors tried to cover the events in Yugoslavia that took place in 1999: the civil war, the NATO bombing, the throw on Pristina. In fact, the creation of Andrey Volgin is a mixture of such masterpieces as “Children against wizards” and “Crimea” (the same Kurtsyn migrated from “Crimea” to “play” ... surprise... military). In some places come across good action scenes (reference to the "13 hours of Benghazi"), as well as documentary inserts. It should be noted that episodes from the news releases reveal the plot of the film better than its game part.
If you try to briefly characterize the first half of the film, it is cliches, confusion and religion. Lots of religion. And more stamps. The second half of the film consists mainly of gunfights and slightly imbecile dialogue. And spirituality, where without it? Sometimes there is a suspicion that the film was created by the ROC.
There are many storylines in the film that do not affect the development of the plot - for example, a scene with a race on an APC - why, if then everyone goes in a column? But 10 minutes of screen time, please watch (together with subsequent dialogues).
Dialogues - level girls second graders: "Where they took so many Russian flags" - "They turned the Serbian."
The acting game can be characterized by a phrase from the series “Friends”: not convincing in the role of a person.
I will not retell the story, but you already know the denouement.
Learn from other people’s mistakes and don’t repeat them! Do not waste your precious time on the Balkan Frontier and do not support such a movie slag with a ruble. I am very sorry for my 300 rubles.
I went to this film with deliberately low expectations, because the record of the director of this film masterpieces did not shine. Some “Dancing to the Death” in this portfolio almost discouraged the desire to go to the “Balkan Frontier”, but, the cast, cheerful trailer and an interesting topic for me (the Balkan crisis of the 90s) – overcame my primary disgust.
The main case of the plot: a group of brave guys need to take and defend before the arrival of “our” strategic point, simultaneously fighting off the attacks of the enemy, dozens of times superior in the number of units (Hello, the 9th company!).
In general, it turned out to be a very good and badly shot down fighter. The characters and motives of the main actors are quite well disclosed, due to which, it is possible to sincerely worry about them. The storyline is told dynamically (except that the first 30-40 minutes are very dull and boring), there are no special subsidences and delays (and this is taking into account the timekeeping as much as 2.5 hours!). The actors, for the most part, are good; only the character of Anton Pampushny (the actor known to us for the role of Arsus in the legendary Defenders of the great director Sarik Andreasyan) is depressing - the whole film he passed with a constant facial expression, and he, for a moment, is one of the main characters. In the rest - a huge palette of various seasonings for the militant: Blood, guts, meat, and of course – the scenes of the fighting, of which in the film a lot, and especially impressive final battle.
The downside, of course, is: Standard clichés and inherent in militant stupidity, a lot of them! Here you and a live and almost healthy fighter, after a direct hit from an RPG. Here and “bulletproof” passenger car, quietly continuing the way after it is almost point-blank shot by clips of ten machines. A lot of very predictable plot twists. And where is it without the most clichéd main villain, with a clear motivation: “I will cut, I will beat, because I am a villain!”
So what, in the dry residue? In contrast, between expectations and reality, where, in reality, I got a good movie ride and enjoyed spending 2.5 hours of my life watching this piece, I was impressed and very pleased. I do not even think of examples with which I could compare this film, the Ninth Company is more close in spirit, but this is a very rough comparison, Bondarchuk’s film loses in many respects to the Balkan Frontier. You gotta watch! Not every year, the domestic manufacturer indulges in such paintings.
We all missed the moment when we had other heroes. Today, the screens are so dominated by Hollywood heroics, that his head is all around. Spider-Man, Batman, Hulk, Superman – all of them have long replaced Stirlitz, Andrei Seryogin and Larin with Dukalis. And all right, the youth is fond of modern characters, so I look and the old guard (who under 40) also sins by putting a completely different concept into the word “hero”. The “Balkan Frontier” is good only because it not only returns to us the understanding of what a real hero should be, but also reminds us what a modern domestic fighter should be.
What can be an interesting action movie today? First, a fascinating story. “Border” pleases us not only with a non-trivial and new interpretation of the historical facts of the confrontation between Russia and NATO countries in Serbia, but also very skillfully weaves into the plot the romantic experiences of the main characters, for whom one local conflict turns into a tragedy of a lifetime. This picture returns us old, kind and such simple experiences for the main character, who is ready to overcome any difficulties on the way to save his beloved. Even if they are armed to the teeth Albanian terrorists.
Secondly, these are actors who very skillfully sketch the character and very believably and colorfully embody it on the screen. And here everything corresponds to a real heroic fighter. Gosha Kutsenko, who remembered his "Antikiller" and played without a drop of irony or comedic curvature. Milos Bikovic, who took a day off at the Grand Hotel and remembered his Serbian roots. Gojko Mitic, who remembered his brave youth and again embarked on the path of war. And many other characters who very carefully and reliably show the experiences of ordinary people who are in an extremely difficult life situation and should stand not for life, but for death.
Third, it's a rarity of the genre. Today, when cinema screens are filled with Russian comedies of not very high quality, children's cartoons and extremely controversial horror films, the genre of this action movie is an incredible rarity. The film, which without a drop of value judgment and urapatrioticism, in simple language and in an understandable form tells the usual story, which develops according to our favorite scheme: love-enemies-girl in danger-the main character saves everyone. The film presses on the most nostalgic points, and you immediately plunge headlong into a simple, but such an interesting action.
Movies like The Balkan Frontier are sorely missed on our screens. This film returns to us not only the belief that everything is getting better in Russian cinema and we will soon have a great and high-quality genre diversity, but also that we will soon return to the former awareness of who a real “hero” is.
9 out of 10
Going to the cinema, he set himself up for a purely patriotic and political film with loud slogans. But in the process of watching this film, these thoughts disappeared. I didn’t see any “hurrah-patriotism” here, maybe he was, but it seems so insignificant that it immediately fades into the background. And in the foreground is the story of an intelligence group that is simply fulfilling its task far beyond Russia, where everyone has their own motivation, someone has money, someone has a sense of duty, someone is just a professional and can do nothing more than fight. A sense of deep nostalgia was evoked by television inserts from news stories of the time, 1999. Yeltsin, Chernomyrdin, Ivanov... Oh, how long it's been... Another fear was that there would be just a militant, massacre, explosions. But no, there are also human relations, fate, the theme of friendship between Albanians and Serbs. The topic of religion is touched upon, that it does not matter what religion and nation you belong to, the main thing is to remain a person in any situation. As in any action movie, there are many battle scenes. Delivered very spectacularly, blood explosions, injuries. There are scenes of violence and execution, which is quite consistent with the events dedicated to the film. In general, I cannot judge how historically correct this is. In fact, there were ethnic cleansings, and NATO bombings. But everything else, in particular the scene of the final battle with the Albanian militants... I don’t know, I can’t judge, it’s all classified, as far as I know from an interview with one of the participants of those events, the notorious Yunus-Bek Yevkurov. From which we can conclude that the authors did not strive for 100% authenticity of historical events, but tried to convey the ideas of peace, friendship, a sense of duty and salvation.
I recommend watching, nothing worse than Hollywood action movies.
In modern cinema, the concept of real heroes is increasingly being replaced by comic book characters with incredible powers and capabilities. Viewers watch as Iron Man crushes his many enemies, and he does not remain a single scratch, and begins to believe that war is such an easy walk to the accompaniment of funny jokes. Unfortunately, the reality is quite different. Watch any news report about Syria or Iraq and you will see a truth that filmmakers are less interested in. Therefore, such films as “Balkan Frontier” should be taken into account, in order to remind yourself what the price of a shot is and who pays it.
The film is set in 1999, in the midst of a nightmarish war in Yugoslavia. The conflict, which took many innocent people to the grave, shocked the whole world and at the same time became a theater of war for a variety of parties, including NATO and Russia. Russian-backed Serbia is trying to calm the situation before things start to crumble, but the situation is getting worse with each passing day.
At a certain point in the confrontation, the small Slatina airport in Kosovo becomes a key object for the irreconcilable parties. It is here that the forces begin to gather and the one who occupies this stronghold will be able to subsequently dictate his conditions. And the Russians, led by Andrei Shatalov and Beck, cannot lose this battle, because not only their future depends on it, but also the lives of ordinary citizens, among whom is the beloved girl of the detachment commander.
I do not want to go into a detailed explanation of political squabbles, but just say that the Balkan Frontier is a high-quality action movie that was sold to 30 countries for hire for a reason. Agree that for Russian cinema such an incident is a rarity. But in fact, this is completely unsurprising, since a very impressive amount of money was spent on the Balkan Frontier, and such extraordinary personalities as Goiko Mitic and Emir Kusturica were among the creators.
In addition to the firmly downed action, which causes no less strong sensations than the last “Expendables”, the film also boasts a decent love line, in which there are no unnecessary sobs and tears, but there is sensuality, emotions and experiences. Anton Pampushny and Milena Radulovich played their roles at a high level, showing that war brings not only pain, but also in some cases it can give hope.
In addition, in my memory, a prayer scene with all the due details has never been shown in a movie. And that in itself is interesting. Still, despite all the criticism of the so-called fighters for democracy, our people know how to be friends with peoples, respect and appreciate another culture, because we are a multinational country and stand for each other as a mountain - this is our way!
Bottom line: “Balkan frontier” was an unexpectedly pleasant revelation for me. In this film, we see what war is and the heroes are ready to go to the end, while perfectly understanding that the last fight can end not on a major note. Such a story cannot be ignored.
This film is recommended to anyone who is not indifferent to Serbia and who loves good-quality action films or military dramas. Those who do not know or do not want to know about the tragedy that our fraternal people experienced and are experiencing (both in Belgrade in 1999 and in Kosovo and Metohija, then and now), should watch it voluntarily and forcibly. Perhaps, at last, you will understand who the Kosovars are, what happened in Yugoslavia at that time and what this region means for the Serbs.
No, this is not a masterpiece of cinema and not the most epic military picture of modern times. It has obvious “fat” disadvantages, such as, for example, a ridiculous soundtrack, not always appropriate humor, a completely failed climax (or rather, what could and should have been her), the play of Gosha Kutsenko (I have nothing against this actor, but the role assigned to him is not at all for him) and a number of other points.
But there are no less “fat” advantages, such as the quality of the picture, the dynamism of what is happening on the screen (2.5 hours flew in one breath), the most powerful image of Anton Pampushny, the terrifying realism of “no bills”, which became the result of consultations with direct participants in the events and the pain of the Serbian people invested in the film, an honest demonstration of the foreign policy impotence of then Russia, organically inscribed footage of the chronicle, the absence of anything superfluous, and most importantly – the response of the audience and the degree of experience in the hall, which was expressed in the most difficult episodes during the most emotional perception.
I am sure that whatever assessment the Balkan Frontier receives in our country (not to mention “civilized” Europe, if it is shown there at all), the Serbs will appreciate this picture higher, just as they love Russia more than many Russians. And this is probably the main indicator that the movie succeeded.
And Kosovo is Serbia. It has always been and always will be.
9 out of 10
An unusual film “Balkan Frontier” was released by a little-known director Andrei Volgin. The unusualness of the picture lies in the fact that it is insanely timely (it is possible that our state, which financed the project, is related to this relevance).
When ridiculous accusations are poured on Russia from all sides for several years in a row and attempts are made to reconsider the country’s role in world events, such films put everything in its place.
If we reject politics, we have a strong military fighter based on real events. Hard on personnel, uncompromising on the script, reliable for immersing the viewer in the atmosphere of real hostilities.
The plot, as usual in action, is direct and understandable to all categories of viewers. The action takes place during the famous events in Kosovo. The conflict, although local, but the pain of the victims of this war touches any living person, and it is impossible not to empathize with the heroes.
Against the backdrop of the total carnage for the airport, a touching love story unfolds between the commander of the special group Shatalov and the girl Yasna, who was among the hostages of the Albanian field commander. And this storyline kind of feeds a tough action movie something human, turning it into an exciting drama.
In general, the smooth flow of one genre into another is characteristic of Russian film masters. This is hardly the only technique that ours masterfully and perhaps even better than Hollywood. And thanks to this free treatment of style, the film becomes deeper, brighter, multilayered.
What Russian directors have been doing well in recent years is making films in which nominal characters look completely unpretentious, and even modest. So in the “Balkan Frontier”: Shatalov’s special group essentially saves the whole world from a new destructive war, but the characters clearly do not burst from unnecessary pathos. They just do their job very well, a little worried about the result. To death.
Of course, you have to watch it. Just get serious - life will jump to you from the screen from the first frames. And she's not always beautiful: get ready for scary shots. But without them, you wouldn’t believe the director.
8 out of 10
In the late 90s, during another conflict between Serbs and Albanians, a Russian special group located on the territory of Yugoslavia receives an order to seize the local airport and hold it until the arrival of our peacekeepers.
The director of “Dances to Death” and “Spirals”, mediocre, useless pictures, Andrei Volgin in the West would have long ago found himself at a broken trough and would have gone on a breakthrough, getting a last chance or would have entered some cohort of creators of series, where you are just one of those who visualize other people’s ideas. Everything has happened completely differently... Volgin received a large budget, material and not the latest actors, and what did he make of it? All the simplest things... The motives of the characters, as well as the predictability of plot moves and jumping out of special effects have gone away - all these are already a million times used by others, and implemented in a superstandard and sterile manner. After all, if you have an antagonist, then other than giving him a knife and an opportunity to justify a rating of 16+ is the only way to demonstrate his character and cruelty. So with other heroes, one sings, the other constantly talks about retirement, the third wants money, and the Uzbek looked at the project in search of a man, and work. And viewers still need to figure out where NATO is, who is to blame and what to do, in general, not counting bad roads, there are all the classic questions that have worried Russians for centuries.
For some completely incomprehensible reason, the main role in the “Balkan Frontier” was played by Anton Pampushny (“Defenders”) – a guy, of course, colorful, but with one emotion on his face for any incident and action in his (their) side. It is strange to see Milos Bikovic (Ice) so lost, he has a key dramatic role here, but he is so much of a scalp maker that he wants to be scalped no less than the terrorists who are chasing him. Beautiful Milena Radulovich (“Once a summer night”) at any opportunity to strip, and the heroine of Ravshana Kurkova (“Without borders”) turned out not only cool, but also with humor. One of the most memorable fighters from our side was played by Sergey Marin (“Anna-Detective”), his ambiguity and coolness could be envied by foreign colleagues. For weightiness in the film joined: Gosha Kutsenko (“Paragraph 78”), who really likes to collect his troops, the favorite Yugoslav of the older generation Goiko Mitic (“Apache”) and the eternal Emir Kusturica (“Time of the Gypsies”).
The picture of “Balkan Frontier” is clearly removed from good intentions and a desire to do something at the level of Bay and his “13 Hours”. The main characters are our James Bonds without a fantastic component. But here filmed "Balkan frontier" in the most boring and consumer way: with a bunch of low-mo, seeing its number, even the creators of the "T-34" quietly stand and smoke in the sidelines, although the attempt to play in scale and seriousness can be credited. True, cheap special effects and long dialogue with an attempt to somehow reveal the characters spoil this already too long film with illogical casting and music, which lulls the audience with a constantly recurring motive.
2 out of 10