gudaulin

The movie, contrary to many enthusiastic reviews, didn't have as strong of an impact on me as I expected. As a detective story, it was somewhat straightforward, and the different cultural backgrounds also disturbed me. However, from the perspective of portraying cultural differences, especially collective perception, High and Low, along with Kurosawa's classic advantages - excellent camera work and editing, is a decent above-average film. Compared to Kurosawa's medieval films, I was pleasantly surprised by the civil acting of his actors. Overall impression: 65%.

This is my second encounter with Jasmila Žbanić's work and just like with her acclaimed film Grbavica, I feel like I am somehow missing the point of her filmmaking vision. The interesting subject of Muslim religious radicalism, which can dismantle the partnership of two young people planning a life together and offspring, is presented in a clear but somewhat sterile way. The pros? The Wahhabi movement is exotic and repulsive to religiously lukewarm Central Europeans like us, so its portrayal in the film is appealing to the audience. Zrinka Cvitesic is a decent actress and an attractive woman, so there is someone to at least look at. However, the film as a whole seemed unremarkable, and descriptive, and only managed to provoke very lukewarm emotions in me. Overall impression: 60%.

Of all the directors of Polish films of moral unrest, Krzysztof Zanussi is the most distant for me because of his distinct Catholicism in his work. I come from different ideological positions and Zanussi's starting points are unacceptable to me from two perspectives. The escaped prisoner bears no responsibility for the executions in the concentration camp and therefore does not have to feel even the slightest guilt. Collective punishments were common in Nazism, and any resistance and opposition would be immoral from such a perspective. The executioners should bear all the guilt... That Catholic sense of guilt for the original sin and a long list of "sins" that followed has always been deeply unpleasant to me. The second perspective concerns the role of Catholicism in the 30s and 40s. Many ordinary Catholics and lower clergy certainly acted bravely and according to moral principles. However, this does not change the fact that Catholicism of that time systematically supported the worst regimes (for example, Hitler called Franco a Jesuit pig because of his closest ties to the Catholic clergy) and the Vatican behaved toward Hitler more than pragmatically... As for Zanussi's film, it may be thematically strong, but the execution lagged, the screenplay needed refinement, and considering the emphasis on dialogue and camera work, it is more of a TV production. Overall impression: 45%.

Gorodok is a sympathetic trip for humor to other cultural and social realms. Like many other series of this kind, it suffers from unevenness. Some scenes are brilliant, others only average, and some simply don't work, but overall it is an above-average production, at least in the case of the first episodes of the cycle. Overall impression: 70%.

Adolf Hitler had an unhappy childhood. His despotic, pedantic father deprived him of parental love, and the experience of World War I, where he bravely defended his country and was injured in battle, shaped his transition into adulthood. Post-war chaos pushed him to the bottom of society, yet he did not give up and gradually became one of the most significant statesmen of his time due to his immense tenacity. It is characteristic of him that he directed his talents not toward business and accumulating wealth, but solely towards public service and his homeland. He had a decisive influence on the swift resolution of the devastating consequences of the economic crisis. His priority was the restoration of state authority, the suppression of crime, the elimination of speculators and parasites, and the construction of infrastructure such as highways. Undoubtedly, he restored Germany's status as a major power. He supported sports, and the Olympics in Berlin were among the most magnificent examples of state-sponsored physical education. He loved film and classical music and supported modern architecture. He became the unifier of all Germans and atoned for historical injustices against the German people. Naturally, he also made some mistakes and experienced his defeats - in that, he is no different from other historical leaders. Many criticize him for his anti-Semitism, but he was just a product of his time in that regard. Unfortunately, it was a complicated and extraordinary period in modern history. Some historians also accuse him of tragic incidents resulting from the excessive zeal of security forces and unfortunate mistakes by the German military during World War II. But does it make sense to judge past events based on today's moral standards? This is how Hitler's biography could look in the hands of the creators of this series. In recent Russian projects, it is clear how much they conform to the ideology of Russian nationalism and the fusion of imperial aspirations. However, perhaps no one has gone as far in manipulation as the creative team of Forgotten Leaders. This is an unabashed defense of Stalinism in its boldest form. The series does show some craftsmanship, but the more you know about Soviet history, the worse the episodes of the series seem. Overall impression: 20%.