Watch Attack on Leningrad
- R
- 2009
- 1 hr 50 min
-
6.0 (4,808)
Attack on Leningrad is a powerful and emotional war drama that takes place during World War II. Directed by Aleksandr Buravsky and released in 2009, the film follows the story of a young journalist, Kate Davis (Mira Sorvino), who travels to Leningrad, the then capital of Soviet Russia, to report on the war. However, soon after her arrival, she becomes trapped in the besieged city, struggling to survive amidst the chaos and destruction.
The film begins with Kate, an American journalist, making her journey to Leningrad in the autumn of 1941. The city is under siege by German forces and food and supplies are scarce. Kate arrives in the midst of a city-wide panic, as the citizens try to find a way to survive. Along the way, she meets Nina Tsvetkova (Olga Sutulova), a young woman who has been forced to abandon her young son in the countryside, and Andrei Andreevich (Armin Mueller-Stahl), an elderly academic who has lost everything in the war including his wife and home. Together, the three of them try to find a way to survive the brutal winter in the city while also struggling with the moral dilemmas of war.
As Kate and her two companions navigate the perils of war, they witness firsthand the horrors that the Leningrad citizens must endure. They are forced to scavenge for food, brave the bitter winter weather, and hide from the German snipers who prey on anyone in the streets. As the weeks go by, they witness thousands of their fellow citizens die from starvation and disease, and they struggle to maintain their own sanity and humanity in the face of such unspeakable atrocities.
The backdrop of the film is the German siege of Leningrad, which lasted from 1941 to 1944, and saw hundreds of thousands of Russian citizens perish from starvation, bombs, and disease. The film portrays the desperate struggle of the Soviet people as they fought against an overwhelming enemy, and highlights the incredible resilience and bravery of the Russian people.
The cast of the film is superb and the performances are extraordinary. Mira Sorvino is deeply moving as Kate Davis, a woman who must confront her own prejudices and fears as she tries to survive in a city struggling for survival. Armin Mueller-Stahl delivers a powerful performance as Andrei Andreevich, a man who has lost everything but is determined to find a way to survive, while Olga Sutulova is heartbreaking as Nina, a mother who must make impossible choices to protect her child.
The film is beautifully shot and the cinematography captures the bleakness and despair of the city. The colors are muted and somber, the lighting dark and moody, and the sound design creates an atmosphere of tension and danger. The director has done an excellent job of creating a sense of time and place, and the film feels like a window into the past.
Overall, Attack on Leningrad is a powerful and moving film that tells an important story about the human experience of war. It is a reminder of the resilience of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable adversity, and a tribute to the bravery of those who fought and died in one of the most difficult battles of World War II. Whether you are a fan of war films or not, this is a film that deserves to be seen.
Attack on Leningrad is a 2009 war movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 50 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.0.