A very chilling Russian WWII film based in Belarus and focusing primarily on the reactions of various characters to capture, interrogation and ultimately to execution. One that will be difficult to shake and works as an excellent psychological and philosophical watch as opposed to an all out action war film. Watched on Amazon Prime.

True masterpiece. Felt this film deeply.

Masterfully told story through visual metaphors and religious symbolism.

A haunting, ethereal film by a director whose career would soon be cut tragically short, The Ascent expertly and poetically examines death and the moral and spiritual confusion caused by living in a world where it was omnipresent.

Do you remember when The Revenant came out and critics showered adoration upon Leonardo di Caprio because of the extremes that he went through, mistaking an actor's suffering for insightful cinema? The Ascent is like that, except the film attached to it is also very good. Shot on location in a brutal winter hellscape, The Ascent is both the last film and the masterpiece of Soviet director Larisa Shepitko; a biting depiction of the soul-searching and the crisis of identity caused by war. Feeling the pain of hunger, cold, and battle, every character is haunted by the perpetual cloud of death, and as it gets closer they begin to act in radically different ways - some compromise early and throw their full weight into collaboration, some beg mercy, some are stallwart holdouts, and others attempt to toe the line between compromise and honor. Infusing subversive religious themes, the film's chief contrast is between Plotnikov's Sotnikov (Christ-like and self-sacrificing) and Gostyukhin's Rybak, introduced as rugged and world-wise before ultimately descending into a betrayer (literally called 'Judas' by a bystander). However, in Shepitko's winter wasteland, Rybak isn't even granted the mercy of suicide, and instead the film ends with him a devastated shell cursed to live with his decision; leave your romanticized interpretations at home, we're opting for brutality here. Nearly banned by the Soviet authorities due to its symbolism (and likely would have been, if not for its candid depiction of the Eastern Front of World War II), The Ascent is a tough war film to get through, but timeless in its bleak interpretation of the emotional toll of war. (4.5/5)

Larisa Shepitko's The Ascent is a stark film about heroism and cowardice, humanity and inhumanity, and betrayal and loyalty. Set during World War II in a desolate and snow swept Russian theater of war, two Russian soldiers leave their troop to search for a nearby village, ultimately being taken prisoner by the Germans. The film evolves into a religious allegory as one of the men becomes a Christ-like figure by sacrificing himself for others while the other becomes a Judas, quick to turn on his allies in order to save his own life. The film, beautifully shot in vivid black and white and featuring strong performances from the entire cast, is a powerful examination of morality and the evil that lurks in the psyche of man. September 15, 2021

Uma qualidade técnica impecável para um filme de 77, principalmente diante das adversidade e dificuldade de gravar em plena neve extrema, um contexto maravilhoso, uma abordagem divina atuação dos partisans da extinta URSS, na 2.ª guerra, lirico, sofrido, poético, belo, congelante… Larisa Shepitko morreu cedo, deixou essa bela obra, que produziu estando gravida e gerou inúmeros prêmios, como o Urso de Ouro, mas que um filme, um debate profundo sobre o melhor e pior do ser humano em seus extremos...

Some revolutionary stuff for Russian film. 1001 movies to see before you die.

When two Russian soldiers are captured by Nazis, one is willing to die a hero while the other chooses a to live a Judas existence. This poetic WWII drama is filled with beautiful Ozu-inspired cinematography & disparaging musical interludes with deeply angelic undertones.

good WWII pic post WWII

Extremely brutal war film about two Russian best friends who get separated from their comrades who try to prevent Nazi capture. Just when one of them is about to commit suicide to avoid capture he gets rescued by the other. Eventually, they are captured because one of them sneezes. During the subsequent torture , the one who seemed the most heroic breaks down and betrays his own side, going so far as to aide the Nazis any way he can to stay alive, even helping to hang the very same close friend he had rescued, which of course incurs the intense wrath and hatred of the Russian people against him. Not recommended for anyone even remotely sensitive, this film, nevertheless is a spellbinder.

The tight shots of Sotnikov's face with an almost christ like aura about him was as haunting as it was beautiful!

Two soldiers go in search of food. Much transpires and character is revealed. Gorgeous, evocative cinematography. About the only flaw is a too prolonged and excessively melodramatic ending.

The Ascent (1977) - 7,5 Second time I see this film directed by Larisa Sheptiko. This is possibly the most singular war movie I've ever seen, mostly due to the contrast between the poetic beauty and enchantment it often displays and the cruel and harsh reality of the story. Action is set during World War 2, a whacked and hungry group of soviet partisans wanders on a white frozen desert somewhere in Belarus. After escaping a german attack they lay down and rest on a forest. Two members of the group leave to search for food trying not to be spotted but end up captured by the germans and then taken to a small village under the enemy control for interrogation purposes and to have their fates sentenced. This is a very brief resume of the story but this is not the most important aspect of this movie. Larisa Sheptiko uses all the choreography of events to make her ideological message about Soviet Union come across to the viewer. Unfortunately she takes it a bit too far, up to the point where it does detract from what could have been a true masterpiece of soviet cinema. The acting, the camera work, the Black & White cinematography and sound work are all fabulous and display the artistic merits of the director but her urge to express the ideological message results in some cheesy scenes that do no good for the cinematic experience, clear overkill, it's a pity. The cinematography and camera work are jaw dropping, at times giving a surreal atmosphere, almost fairy tale like enchantment (reminds me some of Yuriy Norshteyn's animation work), and at times giving a very raw and dramatic display of the reality, the picture always displays great expressive momentum. The acting is top notch and the characters have great human depth, which contributes to the emotional and intelectual power of the movie, but sometimes it can look a bit corny. The Ascent will leave its mark in the minds of numerous first time viewers, it has great poetic beauty and enchantment but it depicts a cruel and heartbreaking reality. Unforgettable dichotomy. I just wish that Larisa Sheptiko had left the ideological aspirations out of it, or at least tried to make them more subtle or simply lend it a more suggestive nature, the film would benefit with greater reach and more integral cinematic experience. Not that I have anything against her stance per se, it's not particularly bothering or uncomfortable to me, but it will inherently deprive the movie from a certain degree of artistic latitude and I did find some of the scenes, particularly towards the end, a bit too melodramatic as a consequence.

Potentially one of the 50 best war films in human history. Japan and Roberto Rossellini were two of the three parties around the world that reached an unprecedented level of humanism in war-themed manifestos. The third party was the Soviet Union. This classification in no way intends to diminish the many facets of war and its overwhelming power at transforming the human soul. On the contrary, my statement is aimed specifically towards <b>humanism</b> war testaments. If the situation forced us to narrow down Japan to one single filmmaker, then the colossal <i>The Human Condition</i> (1959-1961) would pop out from a sea of masterpieces, and Kobayashi would reign supreme. This is, of course, not official, but only my humble point of view. But here lies the thing: Kobayashi required more than 10 hours. Rossellini required three films, which add up to exactly 5.1 hours, and his most representative humanist war masterpiece is <i>Paisà</i> (1946), which was even split into several parts for covering distinct facets of the human soul. Larisa Shepitko, wife of Elem Klimov (<i>Come and See</i> [1985]), one of the most talented women that has ever worked in the film industry, only required one film. Two hours was all she needed. The result is gigantic, scratching my equally unofficial Top 141 list (as it is currently), and holds its place in my book as the second best Soviet humanism war film after <i>Ballad of a Soldier</i> (1959). As it is my tradition to list things, the same thing shall happen here, in order for an easier dissection of the overpowering amount of themes that the film covers. What could have remained as a simple story of survival quickly escalates into a growingly complex, multilayered and thought-provoking analysis of the human condition. Wtih this ambitious intention behind, it is necessary for the two partisan protagonists to be put in different circumstances and several menacing scenarios with the purpose of removing, one by one, all layers found covering the soul with a brutal honesty. Still, one of the most beautiful aspects of humanity that God placed in our nature is that good can arise in the middle of evil. In that sense, we discover: - Love - Patriotism - Loyalty - Moral principles - Human empathy - Appreciation for life - Friendship - Brotherhood thanks to the origination, or infliction, of: - Hunger - War - Violence - Thirst - Sickness - Survival - Torture - Betrayal - Suicide attempts - A suffocating, continuous imminence of death - A guilty conscience probably meant to be cursed eternally The film feels <b>human</b>, smells <b>human</b>, looks <b>human</b>, hurts <b>human</b>, scares <b>human</b>, menaces <b>human</b>, assaults <b>human</b>... It moves the soul, awakens morality, rushes the blood and puts the right side of the brain to work. It is a ride completely unpredictable in its course, leaving in the viewer an everlasting cacophony of intertwined feelings, including psychological horror. 99/100

Probably one of the coldest war films ever made. Lots of snow in windy conditions and days out with hiding and travelling. Well acted film by people with faces that seem very into the roles in a way. Plotnikov's eyes is doing a great job! We get many close ups here, and in general the cinematography is great. It really sets the right mood straight away. Voskhozhdeniye is emotional and very slow. Powerful and not the typical war film. It's not the most thrilling piece, but it got some very good moments. The last bit is great - ths score is amazing and carry the film's most dramatic minutes. I can't get away with a Tarkovsky comparison, even if it's not much like his films - one of his most used actors are here. Dreyer's "The Passion OF Joan Of Arc" is probably much like this one and also "Come And See" that the directors husband actually made. I have not seen any og those, yet. Beautiful film that are made to grow on me. This is not entertainment, but a very close up version of war where you feel with the few characters. Oh, the Rybak-character. Funny, I knew that the Eurovision winner was originally from Belarus, but it thought his name was Norwegian based. 7.5 out of 10 degrees below.

In the cold, snowy wasteland of Belarus, Russian partisans struggle to survive and then eventually struggle to keep their dignity and their principles intact. In the face of certain death, this is an enormous challenge. The question permeating the film (which is perfectly brought to life in the conversation between Sotnikov and Portnov) is, are we humans transcendent beings because of our views, principles, and virtues, or are we simply animals grasping and clinging to our own fragile lives, stopping at nothing to assure our continuous breathing? It is a compelling question, and Larisa Shepitko and her cinematographers Pavel Lebeshev and Vladimir Chukhnov have addressed that question in the most compelling of cinematic ways. I've never seen the human face used more effectively as a tool for emotion, except for in Bergman's films. This is an important film and it needs to be talked about more.

Powerful stuff, though perhaps a little slow to start.

Probably the best the war movie ever made.

Grim and unrelenting.