Given that this was filmed as an end of year class project, then this is an commendable effort especially where a shared prop coat gives a new meaning to 'low budget'. A tragic tight story line, that could be told in other times and places, such as yankees upon a backwater group of confederate homesteads.
6 Reviews
Creative and Inexpensive: Russian-German frontier
rmgaspar-49er27 August 2019
Warning: Spoilers
First, this is not a first rate award-worthy film, German cinema has been doing much richer productions. I didn't find it bad, though. Some of the actors are rookies, there is basically just one set, but the screenplay is intriguing.
Instead of the Battle of Stalingrad, the usual place for the Russian-German frontier on WWII, we get German soldiers in an Ucranian village that used to be German 200 years ago. Only woman and children live there at this point. They are well received, fraternize...all the women want is to survive. The young German are as decent as you could expect during wartime.
The film would be a short if this was it. Obviously, an episode triggers a whole different scenario, as we are reminded that it is war, and nothing good comes from it, even if people try to avoid the worst. The rest of the story makes no concessions. Women may be interested as this is a rare war movie in which they are a major part of the story.
Instead of the Battle of Stalingrad, the usual place for the Russian-German frontier on WWII, we get German soldiers in an Ucranian village that used to be German 200 years ago. Only woman and children live there at this point. They are well received, fraternize...all the women want is to survive. The young German are as decent as you could expect during wartime.
The film would be a short if this was it. Obviously, an episode triggers a whole different scenario, as we are reminded that it is war, and nothing good comes from it, even if people try to avoid the worst. The rest of the story makes no concessions. Women may be interested as this is a rare war movie in which they are a major part of the story.
An incredible surprise
sandino_owen18 September 2021
A low budget German film but very well run from start to finish. It is true that some performances leave much to be desired but the film generates emotions, it has a strong plot, suspense, drama and action. Very good art direction, excellent scripts and a very good cinematographic direction in general.
War is Hell
speinsd27 September 2021
Great Film, considering the background.
rixas-3919919 January 2022
Warning: Spoilers
TL:DR Great Film, worth a watch.
This review will be split in to different sections: Costumes, Set, Background, Cast, Plot, and Other.
Costumes: Overall, the costumes are great, especially for a low-budget project. Uniforms look more authentic than anything Hollywood produces, and civilian clothing is as era-appropriate as possible.
Set: The set is a generic Ukrainian town designed to look era-appropriate. Many shots happen in the same few areas, and so is clearly low-budget at times. The outdoor sets do look impressive though, and clearly not terrible CGI.
Background: It's refreshing to have a German vs Soviets war story that isn't set around Moscow, Stalingrad or some other big city. Instead, we get a small generic Ukrainian town which makes the whole film feel much more realistic and relatable.
Cast: The cast consists mostly of 20 or 21-year-old University actors - afterall, it is an End-of-Degree project and the main cast is assembled from the classmates. This inexperienceness does shine through at times, but for the most part. Acting is good and even on par with Hollywood standards. The younger cast clearly have good chemistry together as well, making things a whole lot less awkward than some blockbuster films.
Plot: The plot is somewhat generic and could be better. Other than the WWII setting, the plot is a very generic "there's a killer among us" style now common. Some lines are cringy or out of place, but again - what can you expect from 20 year old novices? There is little to no romance unfortunately, as I feel even just one or two more romantic scenes would make all the betrayal and feelings come to life more.
Other: This is the nit-picky section of the review. My first grope is with how clean and well-shaved the young soldiers are. They are supposedly in the middle of a war, stuck behind enemy lines for a reasonable amount of time, and yet they are all chilling with 21st Century perfectly groomed haircuts and facial hair if applicable. Their uniforms are perfectly clean as well, and besides from blood, no dirt or grime ever seems to be present on the soldiers uniforms. Another issue is with the plot, with who survives and who doesn't. By the end, two minor soldiers who have no real part of the main story survive, and none of the more main characters do. It feels a little betraying that none of the main soldiers survive despite the fact there was no reason for every single one of them to die or make a final stand or anything like that. It was clearly done as a cheap "pull at your hearstrings" tactic.
In summary: Great Film, but a few areas were left lacking.
This review will be split in to different sections: Costumes, Set, Background, Cast, Plot, and Other.
Costumes: Overall, the costumes are great, especially for a low-budget project. Uniforms look more authentic than anything Hollywood produces, and civilian clothing is as era-appropriate as possible.
Set: The set is a generic Ukrainian town designed to look era-appropriate. Many shots happen in the same few areas, and so is clearly low-budget at times. The outdoor sets do look impressive though, and clearly not terrible CGI.
Background: It's refreshing to have a German vs Soviets war story that isn't set around Moscow, Stalingrad or some other big city. Instead, we get a small generic Ukrainian town which makes the whole film feel much more realistic and relatable.
Cast: The cast consists mostly of 20 or 21-year-old University actors - afterall, it is an End-of-Degree project and the main cast is assembled from the classmates. This inexperienceness does shine through at times, but for the most part. Acting is good and even on par with Hollywood standards. The younger cast clearly have good chemistry together as well, making things a whole lot less awkward than some blockbuster films.
Plot: The plot is somewhat generic and could be better. Other than the WWII setting, the plot is a very generic "there's a killer among us" style now common. Some lines are cringy or out of place, but again - what can you expect from 20 year old novices? There is little to no romance unfortunately, as I feel even just one or two more romantic scenes would make all the betrayal and feelings come to life more.
Other: This is the nit-picky section of the review. My first grope is with how clean and well-shaved the young soldiers are. They are supposedly in the middle of a war, stuck behind enemy lines for a reasonable amount of time, and yet they are all chilling with 21st Century perfectly groomed haircuts and facial hair if applicable. Their uniforms are perfectly clean as well, and besides from blood, no dirt or grime ever seems to be present on the soldiers uniforms. Another issue is with the plot, with who survives and who doesn't. By the end, two minor soldiers who have no real part of the main story survive, and none of the more main characters do. It feels a little betraying that none of the main soldiers survive despite the fact there was no reason for every single one of them to die or make a final stand or anything like that. It was clearly done as a cheap "pull at your hearstrings" tactic.
In summary: Great Film, but a few areas were left lacking.
A good film
traceytak15 September 2021
Considering this was a film made for tv it is very good and very well made showing horrors from WW2. Not sure why they called it behind enemy lines as it is called Hore die Stille which translates to Hear the Silence. IMDB has gotten it all messed up.
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