White Tiger (2012) User Reviews

very strange but worthwhile war film!

[SpannersGerm669 · 7/10 · 25 July 2014]

Now to start off with, if you are planning on watching this film expecting another typical war movie, then you might be disappointed! This surreal Russian film is more about courage and mental torture of war, with battle scenes taking a back seat. For that reason I really liked it.

The story kept me captivated and the characters were interesting enough to invest my time in. When the tank battles do take place, I thought they were superbly done, with the mysterious "White Tiger" having a scary and almost indestructible sense about it.

Now one can dismiss this powerful German tank as just that, or you can look deeper and see what it stands for. The director has created a very multi-layered film that will make the deep thinker feel as though he or she has had a good work out.

Not for everyone, but in a world of movies that lack creativity and originality, White Tiger comes highly recommended!

Beautifully Shot Historical Epic with a Philosophical Ending

[l_rawjalaurence · 7/10 · 26 January 2014]

Karen Shakhnazarov's WHITE TIGER resembles a series of Chinese boxes, setting up viewer expectations and then consciously frustrating them. At one level it is a powerful depiction of the realities of tank warfare during the Second World War, with crews cooped up in confined spaces trying their best to outwit their enemies. Some of the sequences are quite breathtakingly shot - especially when the Russian tank commanded by Naydenov (Aleksey Vertkov) stalks the eponymous White Tiger, a German tank with the apparent ability to elude all enemies. At another level, however, WHITE TIGER consciously raises questions in our minds: at the beginning of the film Naydenov suffers 90% burns, yet makes a remarkable recovery. It is as if he has been resurrected. He doesn't actually have a name, but is given one by his fellow-soldiers. And then there is the ending ... after the Nazi troops have surrendered in 1945 to the Soviets, Naydenov is still shown stalking the White Tiger, which he believes will prove a threat for several years to come. This is followed by another sequence involving an actor with a distinct resemblance to Hitler. The film apparently celebrates the Soviet cause in battle, then undercuts itself by suggesting that all forms of armed conflict are inevitable. Through such strategies director Shakhnazarov shows how one person's 'defeat' might be another person's 'victory': such terms are culturally and structurally relative. What is perhaps more significant is to acknowledge the ever-threatening presence of war through time and space.

Though-provoking meditation over war.

[monsieurfairfax · 6/10 · 12 May 2020]

'White Tiger' is not your usual war movie concentrating on heroes or horrors of war. It is a rather allegorical tale about the essence of war. I have to say I guess that I went into the movie with the wrong mindset - horror fantasy about tank commander who must face the undestroyable and mysterious enemy tank. As a genre, war and horror don't mix very well, yet I decided to watch this peculiarity. The film was presented as an action-packed horror epic, and so I went into this. The movie starts with a scene that depicts the aftermath of the tank battle where they recover a tank commander who has lost his memory but not his remarkable skills. From there on the film takes sudden turn into the territories of surrealism and mysticism. That itself is never a bad thing, but. . . It quickly became obvious where the director was going with this thing, and although, I did reset my mind very quickly, the film didn't work for me wholly. It felt kind of bland and sterile. Some parts didn't quite add up or match. It wasn't polished enough for war epic neither it wasn't 'artsy' enough to work as allegory. The pacing wasn't off, and there were some brilliantly directed scenes, especially the final standoff. And the appearing of the White Tiger from the mist nearly gave me goosebumps.

Quite an interesting movie with a thought-provoking concept. At least I thought about this movie afterward. If You happen to read this review before watching 'White Tiger' then I recommend you keep the open mind and not expect some usual war hero action epic. That might help. On the other hand, if the movie is truly great, it should catch your attention anyway no matter how prepared you are or in what mood you are.

I might give this movie another shot, although I got a general idea, the execution wasn't anything special. Yet, I can't call this movie either a boring or total waste of time.

Unexpected pleasure and frustration

[clive_slatter · 12 July 2016]

When I first starting watching this film I wasn't sure what to expect. This is a sort of Moby Dick with tanks. In the early part of the film we see what remains of a Russian tank regiment after an attack by a German 'Tiger' tank. Whilst trying to prise the hands of a corpse from the steering handles of a tank they discover the driver is still alive despite what looks like 90% burns. Somehow he survives and is selected to hunt the German down using a new prototype tank.

What we are given is a film that builds up tension very well as the Russian seeks to put an end to the Tiger's reign of terror and destruction. Here is where the problem lies as far as I'm concerned. The film builds up really well and is well paced... until the end. What had been a really enjoyable film has a substantial anticlimax. I was left with a real 'is that it?' moment. I had to watch the end several times to make sure I hadn't missed anything. Either that or it's one of the best film endings and I'm too much of a barbarian to appreciate it fully.

Many questions - Few answers!!!

[vintkd · 6/10 · 4 June 2012]

It's good film but my expectations were much more. I don't like in this movie artificial pressurization of evil. This story not seems to me realistic, though filmed well and with grand scale. Here is many tanks, charismatic actors, atmosphere of war, but no desired voltage. Clearly that creators have tried to scaring viewer with talk about mystical tank "White Tiger" but in fact tank on a screen looks not so shattering as its fame. Why this tank was such terrifying, such invulnerable? What is his power? Is it ghost or not? I very love films by Karen Shakhnazarov but his new film asks too many questions and can't give any answers, because, in my opinion, creators don't know theirs too, and just had shifted this mission on viewer. "White Tiger" is good story with an excellent idea and look in any case its will be useful and interesting.

WHITE TIGER (terrifying, invulnerable, powerful)

[JCF1129 · 7/10 · 4 August 2013]

Hopefully this will clarify one reviewer's dismay about the Tank in WHITE TIGER. The Tank in question was indeed a real tank. Being a German Tiger I Tank, it was terrifying, powerful and, while not completely invulnerable, its vulnerable points were limited. Built for power and heavy armor in mind, it created a quite real fear among Allied Soldiers, known as "Tiger Fever". The Tiger I was conceived upon Hitler's special request. He wanted a "Super Tank" to outshine the Russian T-34, which is shown in the film. This is more of a Tank review than a Film review, but it suggests something that is rarely communicated in war movies: TERROR. Mangled and charred bodies have become commonplace in movies, and the gunplay has become nothing more than elevated pyrotechnics. While not wholly successful in displaying the full terror that men and women in these situations must have felt, WHITE TIGER is still a worthy film.

Not your average war movie.

[paulclaassen · 6/10 · 10 June 2018]

This is a uniquely different war film without constant battle scenes and war gore. In fact, this is more of a mystery, supernatural drama film, and very interesting, too! I found the film's color very clear and realistic, and the acting very natural - especially Aleksey Vertkov as Naydenov. Naydenov himself is as mysterious as the White Tiger and added another dimension to the mystery. The village battle scene when he finally came face to face with the White Tiger was awesome! It was refreshing to see the fight scenes without overbearing music. Spoiler: the film does leave you hanging, though, having to decide for yourself what happened to the White Tiger and Naydenov, and the meaning of Hitler at the end, and how to interpret and connect the loose ends.

Promising start but ultimately very disappointing

[grantss · 4/10 · 1 December 2019]

The Eastern Front, 1943. After a fierce battle, a young Russian tank driver is hauled out of his burned out tank, more dead than alive. Miraculously he survives and is made the commander of an elite tank crew. Their mission: destroy the mysterious German tank that is wreaking havoc in the sector, and which was responsible for the death of the tankman's crew: the White Tiger.

The movie started very well: had a gritty, realistic feel to it: no gung ho heroics and graphically shows the grim reality of war. Unlike many war movies, equipment was spot-on: T-34s were played by T-34s, for example. Good production values.

Plot looked like it was shaping up to be an interesting one: what is this mysterious German tank and how will the Russians defeat it? Will the Russian plan work?

Unfortunately, that's about the last time it was compelling viewing, as the plot starts to develop holes. The first sign was when the T-34-85 that is sent to tackle the White Tiger only has a 3-man crew - no commander, no assistant driver. I understand why this was done: the writers wanted the main character to be the commander of the tank, while still being the driver (because he was so good at that). So, commander = driver.

The military inaccuracies then start to mount and the movie starts to resemble a supernatural horror movie, rather than a war movie. Plot becomes more and more implausible as it goes on.

It just gets worse and worse. The final act is a total write-off, as the plot goes in a random, tangential direction. Incredibly weak and anti-climactic ending.

Very disappointing.

War movie, Tarkovsky-style

[ramayana · 8/10 · 30 March 2013]

Starts out as a perfectly good war flick and turns more and more surreal during the last thirty minutes. Or maybe I should say, it becomes a meditation over the meaning, the spirit, the essence of war. As a whole, White Tiger is like an episode of Twilight Zone filmed in the gritty philosophical manner of Tarkovsky - some faces and scenes almost appear like a nod to the protagonists of Stalker. It probably won't please those who watch this for the war part, and because marketed as a war movie, it probably fails to reach out those looking for the surreal and mystical. However, even if this film is an odd bag, it has the potential to leave a lasting impression on the viewer because the point it makes in the end (in the fireplace monologue scene) is utterly taboo-breaking with thoughts no Western-made WW2 films dared to express. 8/10 for a few sluggish scenes towards the end.

A Good Movie Which Should Have Been AN Outstanding One

[spookyrat1 · 7/10 · 9 March 2020]

White Tiger is the most interesting World War 2 film I've ever seen that includes a blending of mild supernatural elements, with in this case, the Russian pushback against the invading Germans, during the last 18 months of World War 2. In a clear nod to Melville's Moby Dick, Aleksey Vertkov plays Ivan Naydenov, a badly wounded Soviet tank commander on the Eastern Front, who, after a miraculous recovery, becomes obsessed with tracking down and destroying a mysterious, invincible Nazi tank, which the Soviet troops call the "White Tiger".

The film begins as a fairly typical war movie, but as the narrative progresses it becomes increasingly allegorical in nature, but in an intriguingly, compelling manner. This is due to the great performances elicited from the whole cast, but especially Vertkov and Gerasim Arkhipov who plays Captain Sharipov, Naydenov's handler/supervisor so to speak, who becomes increasingly drawn in towards Naydenov's mystical approach, towards taking the battle up to a seemingly invulnerable and implacable foe.

If the film had just concentrated on this main thread, I feel director and co-writer Karen Shakhnazarov would have succeeded in creating quite a unique picture. The finished product is good, but unfortunately is padded out with unnecessary sub-threads that appear almost unrelated to the main story and adversely affect the pace of the overall film. It's not spoiling in saying that we are delivered a very long sequence in the third act dealing with Germany's surrender to the Russian Army in Berlin; a very long way from the fields of the Eastern Front and the White Tiger.

Then after what I thought was a good conclusion to the White Tiger story drawing parallels again with both the Moby Dick tale and even Arthurian legends of a resurrected defender returning to aid his country in an hour of need, another oddity occurs.

(A resurrected ?) Hitler suddenly appears for a fireside chat of at least 5 minutes with a shadowy interviewer, as he unnecessarily attempts to justify why his and Germany's actions would ultimately have been beneficial to Russia and its peoples. It's a pretty bizarre add on and I think is only there to provide further irrelevant exposition as to the dangers of militarism, a message, which had been more than capably transmitted earlier in the film.

White Tiger is a quite unusual war film that is still very much worth seeing, but in my opinion would have benefitted greatly from more stringent editing.

67% great, 33% dull, 100% frustrating

[I_Ailurophile · 4/10 · 15 August 2021]

'White tiger' is two different movies inelegantly and unconvincingly smashed into one, and this lack of harmony is its downfall.

The first element, which dominates roughly two-thirds of the runtime, is an interesting one. It's a war film, imparting the story of a Soviet tank assigned to hunt down an elusive Nazi tank. But it's also in no small part a fantasy film: the protagonist is effectively a legendary hero, and the enemy tank a mythical creature. Even the occasional feature blending the war genre with horror (David Twohy's 'Below,' for example) feels less abjectly whimsical than this. It's an intriguing approach, and one way or another, the first element is very enjoyable and keeps us watching.

Perhaps someone well-versed in military history will find fault with the details, but I for one quite enjoy the attention given to realizing the first element. The tanks we see look great, inside and out, and the costume design is eye-catching. Filming locations and set design are swell, working to the same purpose of visualizing the Eastern front. Careful sound design, makeup and prosthetics, and special effects - including abundant pyrotechnics - depict harrowing battle conditions, substantial destruction, and horrific injuries.

Characters are mostly set pieces, present only to help sell the story, and as a result it's difficult to remark on the performances of the assembled cast as being anything other than suitable. The heart of the first element of 'White tiger' is most certainly in the technical craft, the story told through the visuals, and the garnishing narrative that flavors the affair. The production design is outstanding, making for a riveting ride no matter how you look at it otherwise. Director Karen Shakhnazarov has orchestrated some fine scenes, action sequences most of all, and while the camerawork isn't particularly distinguished, Shakhnazarov ensures we get as complete a view as possible of every aspect on display.

But then we're brought to the second element of 'White tiger,' and in the last approximate third, the movie literally loses the plot. The clock suddenly advances to the end of World War II, Germany's surrender, and quiet meetings between figures of one stature or another. The action-oriented feature we watched for 60 or so minutes is over, and instead we get a 30-minute denouement that's at best tangentially related to the first element. The shift is so jolting that I thought the platform where I was watching the movie had somehow accidentally dropped me into the middle of a totally different feature. The connective tissue that would link the two parts is simply not realized.

Maybe the novel 'White tiger' is adapted from is more whole, but without that point of comparison, I can only speak to the screenplay co-written by Shakhnazarov with Aleksandr Borodyansky. And there are some really great ideas in that screenplay which, if meaningfully explored, could have done more to unite the film's two disparate elements, or which would have further elevated the first element if it were (I wistfully yearn) the entirety of the feature. These ideas include a fantastical notion that protagonist Naydenov and the antagonistic titular vehicle were both born - created - from war itself. These ideas include an even more fantastical concept, revealed primarily in a single scene of dialogue, that Naydenov's fight against the phantom tank is a religious crusade bestowed by the Tank God with whom he communes: the film could have been equal parts war movie and religious picture. Furthermore, there are themes present of the constancy of war, human nature, and - well, anything else the movie tries to light upon is done in such a ham-fisted way that it's not even worth mentioning.

Yet none of these ideas are allowed to mature and bear fruit in 'White tiger.' The writing thusly becomes a hodgepodge of action flick and post-war drama, with the two elements being almost entirely exclusive and distinct from one another. This could have genuinely been a great movie, but its shoddy construction dooms it. I'm disappointed to the point of being angry at how ill-considered this was.

The first element of 'White tiger' is marvelous, if somewhat incomplete as is. The second element is solid enough in concept that it could have been expanded into its own feature film, but as it appears here it is less than satisfying. The disorderly, slipshod, ill-fitting manner in which these two elements are conjoined reduces the assemblage into an unrespectable mess.

Clearly this has an admiring audience who better appreciates what it has to offer, and I'm just not a part of it. I hardly know what else to say at this point, except for that, to summarize, I think 'White tiger' was simply shaped very poorly. Except possibly for viewers with a profound interest in war movies, I can't especially imagine recommending this to anyone.

One thumb up, one irritated thumb down.

Moby Dick with an 88mm Gun

[Lomax343 · 9/10 · 29 July 2015]

First things first - if you expect a "standard" war film like Saving Private Ryan or Enemy at the Gates or Fury, then this is the wrong place to look. White Tiger is a Russian film set in the dying days of WW2. The titular AFV is a lone German tank which appears mysteriously on the battlefield and destroys Russian tanks by the dozen, whilst seeming invincible. No crew is ever seen, with the result that it feels like a mash-up between the great white whale from Moby Dick and the homicidal tanker in Spielberg's Duel.

Hunting the tank is a character halfway between Captain Ahab and Ishmael; a Russian tank-man who makes a miraculous recovery from seemingly fatal burns, only to find that he has total amnesia. He only knows that he can talk to the souls of tanks, and that he must hunt the white tiger.

Sounds odd? That's the point. The film is heavy on metaphor and mysticism, and in the latter third becomes deeply surreal. There's a scene of three German generals signing the document of surrender, then enjoying a strange meal. Then cut to a line of German PoWs; then to Ahab/Ishmael alone in a field with his tank. The white tiger hasn't gone, he says. It's merely hiding, and will be back in a hundred years or so. Then the final scene: is it real? Is it symbolic? Is it happening in someone's head? You decide.

This is a cerebral film. It asks questions, and leaves the viewer to struggle for answers.

In Russian, with subtitles.

X-files meets Eastern Front WW2 meets allegory

[pfarnell · 6/10 · 2 December 2019]

Tbh, Two hours of my life I'd take back if I could, I will not get into the deep and meaningful allegories as other reviewers have picked them out.I would disagree that the depictions of WW2 tank combat are very realistic, although things are about as gruesome as they can be made, with the emphasis on what happens when human beings are incinerated in combat either inside or outside of armoured vehicles, the scenes mostly look like the crew went around with a lot of jerry cans of gas splashing it around everything and almost everyone in sight and setting them alight.They put armour-piercing shells through farm-houses and barns...these instantly erupt into billowing flames like they had been napalmed. What is particularly the source or basis of that fiery combustion? Even though tanks themselves of course can and do often burn when hit, often they do not, and the fire on those that we see is also amaterurishly executed, it is not combat-real and just does not look it. The Soviet tanks are mostly T34-85s, probably genuine museum pieces and necessarily look right enough. So do the fields of scattered wrecks we see in several scenes, an array of German, Soviet and non-Russian allied including a Matilda or Churchill, and maybe an M3 Medium. British and US tanks were sent to the USSR under lend-lease, so that all checks out. The actual star villain of the show, though, supposed to be a Tiger 1..it is of course a bunch of cutout steel plates welded together on the chassis of something else, its proportions are all wrong, looks like maybe an early Chinese toy designers take on a Tiger 1. It also is not actually particularly white in colour. As other reviewers have predicated their reviews pointing out that if you are looking for a Russianised 'FURY" that this is not it, they're right, whatever other things that it might be and might accomplish, it does not get much done right as a straight out Eastern Front armoured warfare movie. Soviet and German tanks meets Moby Dick and the XFiles.

A good premise that just fizzles out.

[freemanpatrick7 · 3/10 · 3 June 2017]

For a low budget film it looks good and there are some decent battle scenes. And it has a very interesting premise. That's the good part.

Unfortunately that about all this film has going for it. The acting is pretty wooden. You never know what anyone is thinking, or feeling. There seem to be plenty of pensive moments but they don't reveal anything. Because not one character in the whole movie has a complete character arc. Who they are when they first appear is exactly who they are when the film ends. No one is changed by anything. No one learns anything. Not one plot point it ever resolved.

The first and second acts plod along, not at a sluggish pace, but none too swiftly. And then, before you know it, the war is over. Literally, just like that. Not with a bang. Not with some triumphant battle. Just one long and boring scene with Germany surrendering to the Soviets. You wonder if this will eventually lead to something. But it doesn't. This is followed by another long and boring scene of marching captured German soldiers. And you think this is going to lead to something. But it doesn't. I can't help but wonder if either they couldn't figure out how to end it. Or that the whole movie was created just to give some public service announcement about the horrors of war.

shadow of myth

[Vincentiu · 1 November 2012]

a film about war. a surviver. a tank. a fight like Melville's Moby Dick. image of battle in smoke lens. and all ingredients for this type of movie. it is difficult to say if it is a good film or not. crumbs of many histories about last world conflict are stones in a not flat mount. all is at right place. but , in few moments, the tale is only a sketch.sure, a film far from usual cages of ideology or triumphalism is a nice work. tanks seduction is always fresh. but is it enough ? after a splendid story the final taste is almost bitter. because the final of confrontation is more delicate, the script puts in public imagination the solution. and it is not really fair ! conclusion - too many directions, a not inspired mixture between magic and war facts. but , however, it is not a disappointing experience. only a trip in the corners of a myth shadow.

A Good Film Which Suffered from a Rather Weak Ending

[Uriah43 · 6/10 · 6 January 2022]

Immediately after an extremely hard-fought battle, the Soviet Army comes across a number of destroyed tanks with one in particular standing out because the driver is found to be still alive after suffering from severe burns encompassing 90% of his body. Surprisingly, after being taken to a field hospital, he manages to recover and is deemed fit for duty not long afterward. He does, however, suffer from memory loss and as a result he is given the name of "Ivan Naydenov" (Aleksey Vertkov). It's also during this time that he tells them of a special German tank he has seen known as the "White Tiger" that completely destroyed all of the tanks in his company. Although the senior leaders in the Soviet military have doubts about the existence of such a tank, to be on the safe side they put Navdenov in charge of a special prototype and order him to destroy the White Tiger. But what the Soviet leadership doesn't realize, however, is that the White Tiger isn't the only unusual aspect of this particular war and destroying it is not going to be that easy. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was a rather odd film which had some good action scenes but, unfortunately, suffered somewhat from a weak ending. To that effect, although I was a little disappointed due to my initial high expectations, this was still a good movie for the most part and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.

a contemporary war movie not at all as you'd expect

[Aylmer · 7/10 · 26 March 2015]

While there's a lot absent in this movie that I usually take for granted in war movies (namely any infantry combat scenes), I really must applaud this effort on a few fronts.

For one, there is absolutely zero obvious CGI or visual effects in the film. We get to see lots of real vintage tanks including T34/85s, T34/86's, a Panzer IV, and mobile artillery doing what they do best. The loving attention to authentic tank combat reminds me a lot of the other quite recent Finnish film TALI IHANTALA 1944 which similarly failed otherwise to really make a splash.

There's a lot of good scope to the film, especially in terms of costume and sound design. Nothing looks cheap and the anachronisms are kept to an absolute minimum. It's a classically impressive Russian World War 2 adventure in many respects and looks almost like something Sergei Bondarchuk would do were he still been alive. Nicely, the structure is unconventional and it tackles a lot of philosophical areas of interest including mankind's fascination and relationship with warfare and destruction.

Storywise, it's really nothing new for people who haven't seen THE WHITE BUFFALO or THE CAR. I never would have ever imagined I'd ever see a combination of those two films in a war setting, but lo and behold this curiosity. At its core is a loose retelling of "Moby Dick" involving an obsessive quest by a mentally handicapped individual to destroy a mysterious antagonist, here a Tiger Tank that seemingly appears and disappears at will to wreak all kinds of havoc on the Soviet lines.

The biggest complaint here though beyond lack of action or originality is the poor attempt at mocking up a Tiger Tank. However at times from certain angles it works well enough if you squint, but almost unforgivable that the centerpiece of the film is so underwhelmingly realized.

All in all, I'd recommend viewing for the realistic tank combat scenes and lack of CGI. Had it not been for this film, I would be tempted to say that they don't make them like this anymore.

Fascinating and surreal...

[aldebaran68 · 7/10 · 15 March 2020]

I mostly enjoyed this movie...

I'm astonished by how the Russians could put so many T-34s into a single movie. Very impressive. I tend to enjoy Russian movies of the Eastern Front aka Great Fatherland War. They are made with feeling and realism.

i sometimes get annoyed by those who write Trivia critiques about technical aspects. Someone wrote about how the film maker adapted a Soviet tank to create the German one. Yes i had noticed an oddity, but I just ignored it. I like to enjoy my movies not forensically analyse them.

I won't do a spoiler, lets just say the ending was a bit of a different slant to the rest of the movie and somewhat unexpected.

I may buy this on DVD. Def. worth watching.

A wasted opportunity...

[HaroldGitgood · 5/10 · 15 December 2021]

Not a terrible film, but the whole magic tank got boring quite fast. I get what they were trying to do, the tiger tank was almost supernatural to those who came across its path, but the movie took it too literally in part.

Some authentic scenes made me think what a great film this could have been.

And, of course being a state funded film, they couldn't resist implying that Europe will always be bad and that the hero will always be ready to destroy the 'tiger' (Europe? ) in ten, fifty or a hundred years time.

Great movie with an important message

[ttass101 · 9/10 · 16 March 2015]

As previous commentators have stated, this is an 'unusual' war movie. Despite having a quite good and accurate depiction of fighting on the Eastern Front, including depictions of lend-lease armour at the start of the film, it's the allegorical message that's the main point of the film.

In short, the battle between the White Tiger and the resurrected Russian tanker is an allegory of Russia's centuries old battle with invaders from the West (be they Teutonic knights, Napoleon or Hitler in this case).

The message of the director is that WWII was just another episode in this long struggle and that the White Tiger (western militarism) hasn't been destroyed in 1945, but is waiting dormant for the next episode....and the immortal Russian tanker will once again be there to confront the 'Tiger' again.

The film was made in 2012. Considering current events it's proved to be quite prophetic

The fear of the Tiger

[ed-51656 · 7/10 · 30 May 2017]

I like how the presented the Tiger as a embodiment of there fears.

There are several layers in the movie, on the surface its just the Russians fighting the Germans. But the underlying story is about fear and that they are not fighting Germans but a invincible Tiger.

Quite a realistic setup and if you like a different concept as most war movies. Go and watch

Bizzare, but mainly horrible acting

[skihappy-36633 · 2/10 · 18 November 2021]

An attempt at very deep symbolism sabotaged by bad acting and a very unsatisfying plot that makes no sense at all.

Starts promising, then gradually diverges into mysticism with a horror movie feel to it. At first, historically rarely accurate, then completely into the lala land. Overall, very unsatisfying. Whatever point the movie is trying to make is lost in bad acting.

Superb cinematography, very tense and scary

[htrobertson · 9/10 · 26 October 2013]

I very rarely get so scared watching a movie that I have trouble watching it. The depiction of all the gritty details of tank culture was superb. Every moment, every mundane scene had a heavy tension to it -- you never knew what was going to happen next.

The best thriller movies make good use of silence rather than cheesy background music, and this had those silent scenes. The story was kind of like Moby Dick transposed into the WW2 eastern front -- replace the great white whale with White Tiger and Captain Ahab with the mysterious tank commander. Be warned, the movie has a lot of burn victims depicted very realistically.

Not bad, but should've been much better (if the plot allows such improvement).

[claudg1950 · 7/10 · 23 December 2022]

Two thirds of the film is about tanks in WW2, and that is quite all right. It is not perfect because of the slow rythm imparted to the story and the inevitable Russian depressing tone and long silences so often depicted by Russian cinema.

Perhaps the action was slow because there was no more meat to add to the story: maybe the conflict between the metaphysical tank and the rest would only provide substance for a few minutes. Maybe the writers could not think of any more ways, any more encounters to show the uncanny invulnerability of the White Tiger... while at the same time not killing the Russian tankist hero in the meantime.

So the war section of the movie was slow and short, but it was acceptable and watchable.

And now disaster happens. Perhaps the writers met and wondered "what could we add now to stretch the film to a normal length?" In the absence of any sensible idea, then the writers made the action jump to "we won", and dedicated several minutes to show an interesting recreation of the surrender by Admiral Jodl, which, I said, is interesting to watch but has ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with the White Tiger. To reach new levels of irrelevancy, even an intimate but trivial dinner among the three German top brasses is shown. Finally, to go to sublime hights of digression, the film ends with an imaginary and impossible conversation of Hitler (who was dead by the time) with a hidden interviewer, where Hitler shifts the blame on the Europeans(!). Anything goes; the screenwriters were evidently desperate to streeeeech the movie at any cost and to insert anything impressive to lift up a flat ending.

As I said, you may watch it, but be warned that it is snobbish and, at the same time, amateurish.

Watch the first half, then turn it off

[mkivtt · 5/10 · 6 November 2017]

Call me stupid, but when a movie is somewhat exciting, has good special effects, great costumes, and good cinematography, I get annoyed when all that is flushed down the toilet and the entire movie changes from "pretty good" to "garbage" in the span of 15 minutes.

After a battle scene, the main character disappears until the very last minute of the movie. We're fast-forwarded 2 weeks to the end of the war, "treated" to a boring, drawn-out surrender ceremony, made to watch the German generals eating dinner for 3 minutes (why?! for the love of god), and then the movie ends. Leaving a slew of questions unanswered. But not until we see an aging Hitler explain that "mankind's natural state is war." Wait, Hitler survived WW2? Sigh.

Now you may say "oh, it's an allegory," or "it's cerebral," but I want to watch something semi-satisfying and not have the rug pulled out from under me and not have everything that was built up just disappear with no conclusion or even explanation.

Stupid. Waste of time. It had such potential too.