The spoiled ending prevented "The Break" from becoming Russian "Prison Break!" What can I say? An excellent series in the style of dramatic “action” in a pseudo-historical frame. Moreover, I would say that Mr. Ernst should have invested a lot of money not in the adaptation of the American “Escape”, which still remained only a pale copy of Prison Break, but well invested in this truly worthy project, and make the number of episodes at least equal to the Pseudo – Escape!
It makes no sense to talk about the plot, in the retelling he simply repeats Prison Break: The main character voluntarily goes to prison to get his innocently convicted friend (brother). Just in our case, we are dealing with a completely different era, which is interesting in itself, and although the authors of the film clearly watched the American, and maybe out of corporate solidarity, and the Russian version of Escape, the visibility of this series does not detract from.
The characters of "The Break" are completely independent, and are not Chinese, forgive the Russian fake for Michael, Link, Bagville and others. Unless Polonaise is a thief in law, something a little like Albruzzi, but probably looking over the zone are similar to each other in different countries and at different times.
The main characters of the film.
Granin/Mitrokhin performed by Sergei Petrenko is the embodiment of the Soviet hero-scout from the old Soviet films.
Bold, honest, noble, inclined to sacrifice for a friend. But unlike the scouts promoted by Soviet cinema without “fear and reproach”, Granin came out more alive and human, besides, he is clearly disappointed with the regime, capable of revenge, not very restrained. Maybe this, and not the best role Petrenko, but the picture he clearly did not spoil. The only thing that in order to make the image of the prisoner more convincing, the actor clearly would not hurt to lose weight, and that rounded recently face Petrenko, clearly contrasted with the camp sufferings of his hero.
Lieutenant Colonel Argunov performed by the remarkable and greatly underestimated Andrei Smolyakov, a real “batyanya-combat”, the embodiment of the famous phrase “Russians do not abandon their own in war”. During the first twenty minutes of the first series, he goes on two official crimes - saves the "self-shooter" Lieutenant Petrov from the tribunal, and "turns" the wanted for the murder of Granin into Mitrokhin, after which they become grateful to him for life, and are ready to risk for him, and life, and freedom. Like many overly straight people in the zone breaks down, and begins to “knock the kuma”, but after the appearance in “Lazo” Mitrokhin, Argunin recalls that he is an officer and takes an active part in the escape.
Colonel Agafonov performed by Igor Sklyar, according to the creators of the film, is perhaps the main villain of this story, but in my opinion it turned out to be a bit operetical. He is a personal enemy of Argunov, in love with his wife and takes a personal part in the conviction of Argunov and sending him to Lazo. In general, the modern embodiment of Danglar and Fernand in one bottle.
The head of the camp Grumel is a vile type who mocks convicts, who cares only about filling his pocket and carrying out the plan, who considers himself the sovereign master of life, at least in a single zone, passionately adores his wife, who does not love him, he suffers, but does not sympathize even with this. Quite a typical role for Andrei Panin, remember at least his similar role in “Border”
The role of “thief in law” Polonez perfectly performed Nikolai Dobrynin. I’ll say right away that I wasn’t a fan of his talent before, but after this film I changed my mind about him. He managed to mix a devilish cocktail of images of Zheglov, Gotzmann, Tony Soprano, Humpback, Albruzzi and others! Great acting! Like the work of Igor Polukhin in the role of his assistant Greek, here he is Russian Theodore Bagville! By the way, I remember Polukhin from his work in the film Alien, where he just played the role of the Kid, but the image of the Greek is even more memorable.
I cannot but note Andrey Zibrov in the role of the main scum and scoundrel in the picture - Captain Kushakov. Of course, everyone is aware of the misfortune that happened to the artist, and when he only appears in the frame, you inevitably begin to sympathize with him, but after a few minutes of watching him, you also vehemently begin to hate him! This is a real artist!
About Kristina Kuzmina in the role of Argunov’s wife Elena, and Elena Lyadova in the role of Grumel’s wife, and concurrently Mitrokhin’s beloved I can’t say anything bad. Good truth, too. But, unfortunately, this is the fate of almost all female images in action movies. Don't spoil the picture, and fine!
There are really enough laps in the series, it is especially funny to watch the characters walking back and forth around the camp, as on a prospectus, but as I wrote earlier, the series is more “pseudohistoric”. As old Dumas used to say, “History is the nail on which I hang my picture.” Claims to writers such as those that the head of the camp had no right to shoot people, I consider simply ridiculous. Those detained in the Dalnem police station were also convinced that torture against people was prohibited by the Geneva Convention.
In general, the film would have been a great Russian response to the American “Escape”, if not for the last ten minutes of the film ... but stop spoiler I will not, look – you will see. Maybe the creators ran out of money, and it just needed to finish. Thank you for that too!
My score is 8 out of 10 for the blurred ending, and too much borrowing from Prison Break, but the film I watched in one breath, and the Russian series I do not watch from the second “Deaf”, so
9 out of 10