The Ascent ("Восхождение")
Couple days ago I watched one soviet film - "The Ascent" ("Восхождение") of 1976. Film is based on the novel "Sotnikov" of V.Bykov and plot occurs during the World War II. Starting as usual war story the fil gradually постепенно, по ходу дела) puts an attention of watcher to the some different sides of reality. Not evidently but certaintly - you can feel it. After first night of the film watchers thanked the director (remarkable fact - the director is woman; her name is Larisa Shepitko) with tears in eyes but she (Larisa) asked: "But did you understand that film is not only about the war?"
After viewing I'd say that the film is not about the war at all. And after this understanding there came feeling like good cultural shock. It was not pleasure from the viewing but shock exactly when you want to say, ask "and do you see what is this story? do you understand that it about the life and death and about that what is beyond these categories? do you see what Ascent is meant?" Oh, it's the real film. A story of two soldiers wh are taken prisoners попасть в плен) becomes a story of choice the way and attempt to show that what we used to suppose as 'life' can be not the life; and to lose life can mean t find обрести) life, to find immortality
Two soldiers (from the partisa detachment отряд)) - Sotnikov and Rybak go to the nearest village with hope to find some provision. Needed house is destroyed. They go farther and find one house where elderly couple lives. From som sign (признаки) they decide that oldman Sych serves in the german police but leave him alive. On the way back partisan join skirmish вступить в перестрелку) with germans. Sotnikov is wounded and they search the place to rest. In some house they stay. In some time heroes are taken prisoners. And now the story of choice the way, story of spirit begins... This is the plot.
But the far the more I realised that.. why ведь) it's Bible story! New Testament's story about Christ and Judas. Sacrifice of Christ and fall of Judas. And you notice some definite symbols - here is a prayer, there is a ring bell, now some church is shown, here "ah, why it's confession" and "it's temptation, you know"...
"There are things more important than own skin" - words of Sotnikov become th burde (лейт-мотив) of the film. Rybak wants to choose 'own skin' to have chance to free and fight against an enemy... And how is difficult sometimes to recognize the enemy's action in yourself. How sometimes is impossible to set "equal" sign between freedom and life. The state o God-leaving богооставленность) of Judas, the state when he decides to leave Christ, such state of life becomes much worse than death. It's desperation which cannot be substituted by anything even by good intention to fight for the freedom and happiness.
Larisa Shepitko made the very qualitative film, the film which became revelation откровение) to her, which transformed her, became that what should be done obligatory..
During the film you forget why she selected such name - the Ascent. And after some time and thinking you ask: "do you see what Ascent is meant? where is this ascent to? why and how?..."."