The Dawns Here Are Quiet... (2015) User Reviews

A faithful remake of a good Soviet movie

[zalessky · 6/10 · 1 May 2015]

A zori zdes tikhie (The Dawns Here Are Quiet, 2015) is based on a book by Boris Vasilyev (1969) and is similar to 1972 Soviet movie of the same name by Stalnislav Rostotskiy. It tells a story of a Russian sergeant stationed in Karelia with a group of young female anti-aircraft gunners. The group moves to intercept a squad of German troops moving through the nearby forests. Russians find themselves badly outnumbered, but they are devoted to stopping the enemy regardless of the cost.

The new version is significantly shorter, uses a different style of flashbacks that tell the background stories of the main characters, and has extended action elements. But in general it remains a faithful remake that often uses the same lines spoken by characters and same shooting angles. New version also has a fair amount of nudity which is not very distracting, but might seem unappealing for a serious war movie. Overall, this is a solid production which is superior to other remakes of Soviet movies that were filmed in Russia in the recent years.

Couldn't stop watching

[radunlap-38697 · 8/10 · 11 February 2021]

Heartfelt movie, good acting and characters. Showed the horrors of war and personal sadness.

Great war drama

[grantss · 8/10 · 26 January 2020]

Russia, May 1942. Well behind friendly lines a veteran sergeant commands a small outpost, consisting of two anti-aircraft guns. His men are a rowdy, undisciplined bunch and after one incident too many they are taken off his hands. To his surprise, the replacements are women. Soon after, the Germans send a team of crack saboteurs into the area to blow up a vital railway link. The only thing standing between them and completing their mission is the sergeant and his small inexperienced team.

Great war drama. Militarily plausible and very accurate with some good action sequences. Some smaller details are surprisingly well done: meticulous things which make the whole thing so much more believable.

Highly engaging too, as we see the backstories of the main characters. Also shows the sacrifices made by the combatants, their families and communities in order to win the war.

Because of this engagement, it is quite emotional at times.

A great war drama, one definitely worth watching.

Very Well Done

[gully-foyle-70750 · 7/10 · 22 December 2019]

I'm assuming that since reviewers are talking about a film, this was re-edited, because the version I saw was a four part mini-series.

The acting was top-notch despite leaning a little to the stereotypical, and the flow of the piece was quite outstanding.

Recommend it highly.

War Buffs will love this

[OzMovieWatcher · 9/10 · 17 September 2020]

While the movie is based on a fictional novel, the series is true to form with incredible accuracy of weapons, uniforms, Soviet soldiers and more.

I would say every single one of the actors was well cast and portrayed their roles with excellence. I am a great fan of Russian war movies and this is at the top of my list.

The cinematography is without fault. The beautiful landscapes are mesmerizing. (Filmed at Karelia, Russia next to the Finnish border region)

This is a must see WW2 movie.

Tragic, Gripping and Beautiful Story

[Artusjan · 10/10 · 22 May 2016]

An Incredible story of incredible bravery and courage which connects the audience with the story lines of 5 ordinary girls and their extraordinary lives and true heroism. The girls who committed their live to saving thousands of others, sacrificing their lives during the horrible war. The film is set in the beautiful part of Russia - Korelia and is based on a novel of a true story. Although it is a newly-made remake of the Soviet classics, it tastefully combines great actors, beautiful scenery and thrilling and saddening story, creating a true masterpiece. A film which must be seen by each and everyone, as it is a truly inspirational and motivational story, which will not leave anyone untouched!

One of the best movies about women in war

[yz-62452 · 10/10 · 20 December 2019]

Most of the time, women play supportive roles such as nurses, secretaries, etc. however, during World War II, many women in Russia where enlisted in combat. This movie shows their courage and their sacrifice in fighting Nazi. Definitely worth watching.

War on personal level

[iljavenissov · 10/10 · 4 February 2019]

Very good remake of old classic Soviet film. This is very humane and shows women drawn into war, who just want to live normal lives. You fell the horrors of war on a personal level and so the war feels even more horrible than in the big action movies, with large mass scenes and special effects. Here there are just women trying to fight for their country and survive. Very beautiful actresses.

I didnt expect this...Remarkable.

[marko-petretic · 10/10 · 20 May 2020]

I just watched this movie and I must say this is now in my top 10 war movie of all time. Such warm and in the same time, such harsh story. Actors did amazing job...masterpiece. Sincere recommendation.

Riveting.

[untilnow99 · 10/10 · 7 February 2024]

Starts out very slow and quietly sucks you in. At first I wasn't really sure what the heck was going on. Just hoping it wasn't another dour take on Mother Russia with people people slogging through the snow and babies crying over the bodies of their dead mothers.

This film has a bit of everything, via flashbacks, as it turns out. It is anything but predictable and trite. Extremely well done, with intensely condensed little vignettes giving us a glimpse into each soldier's life story.

As a long time animal rights activist, I appreciated greatly the take on the ethics of slaughtering wolves by the thousands. There's some deeply meaningful allegory in there somewhere, for you students of film. However, my only take away was how refreshing it is to consider that even a patently uneducated person can appreciate the madness inherent in the mass slaughter of predators.

About half way through the viewing of this film, I stopped to text a link to it to a friend of mine: "Highly recommend." He'll thank me later, I know.