They say that war has no woman's face. But when the enemies began to attack our territories, thousands of women took up arms and selflessly rushed into battle to defend the Motherland and bring victory closer to men. The heroines in the rear have no less merit, on whose shoulders, after the male population left for the front, all the hardest work fell.
Many films about the war put the male figure at the center of the narrative: they are brave soldiers and commanders who participate in difficult battles, kill the enemy and sacrifice their own lives for the sake of peace for future generations. But it can't be overestimated feat of brave warriors in the war: the long-awaited victory in the Great Patriotic War could not have happened if it were not for the participation in the battles of desperate anti-aircraft gunners, scouts, sniper girls, front-line nurses and many others, whose exploits deserve iration and respect. Torn out of the tranquility of peaceful life, they threw an unbearable burden on their fragile girlish shoulders, but at the same time they knew how to maintain inner softness, optimism and typically feminine charm.
We offer you TOP 10 full-length military films, the plot of which is focused on the main female character. Our selection includes both Soviet films and relatively new films that were positively received by critics. These are touching and poignant stories that will surely make the viewer want to empathize with the main characters and fully allow you to feel all the hardships of wartime.
Battle for Sevastopol
Director: Sergey Mokritsky
Genre: biography, drama
YOM: 2015
Plots based on real events are always especially exciting, because life itself suggests scenarios for them. The film co-produced by Russia and Ukraine tells about the fate female sniper of the 25th Chapaev Rifle Division of the Red Army, Hero of the Soviet Union, Lieutenant Lyudmila Pavlichenko. During the war years, she destroyed more than 300 soldiers and officers of Nazi . The film, the release of which was dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the victory, received awards "Golden Eagle" и Nika.
At the beginning of the war Lyudmila Pavlichenko - an ordinary graduate student at Kyiv University, undergoing graduation practice in Odessa. Being an excellent student in her studies, she also perceives the war as an exam, as a challenge, having gone to the front as a volunteer after a short sniper course, but very soon she realizes that everything is much more complicated. Ahead of her are personal victories in battles with opponents, the defense of Sevastopol, injury, emotional experiences and, of course, love.
It is noteworthy that Lyudmila was a member of the Soviet delegation to the United States in 1942 and was familiar with Eleanor Roosevelt. During a tour of the cities of America, the heroine said speech at the chicago summitthat inspired the Americans to open a second front. This line is also reflected in the film.
[webnavoz_rating id=50315]Corridor of immortality
Director: Fedor Popov
Genre: Drama
YOM: 2019
“Corridor of death,” as the railroad workers themselves called the secret railway "Victory Road" with a length of 33 kilometers, which was built along the left bank of the Neva and the southern coast of Ladoga in 1943 after breaking the blockade of Leningrad. Despite the fact that it was laid in just 17 days, during the construction, people survived inhuman trials. It was located in an open area under aimed enemy fire, so on average three people died there per day.
Yesterday's schoolgirl, blockade Masha Yablochkina, the prototype of which was a veteran Maria Yablontseva, goes to the railway courses. But there she is with her friend Sonya Vishnevskaya and other women decide to build the Shlisselburg highway. She gets into the 48th locomotive column of the NKPS special reserve, and her character is tempered at the cost of severe trials. It was thanks to the fortitude of these people that they managed to deliver to Leningrad 75% of all cargo and military equipment.
This is a little-known page of the Leningrad blockade: until recently, information about the railway was practically not distributed. It is interesting that the main historical consultant of the picture, a front-line writer Daniel Granik praised the images shown in the film, saying: "Girls are real, I knew such."
[webnavoz_rating id=52185]And the dawns here are quiet
Director: Stanislav Rostotsky
Genre: Drama
YOM: 1972
Originally a writer Boris Vasilyev, inspired by a real episode of the war, began to write his story about a detachment of male heroes who did not let German saboteurs into the rear. But he soon realized that there would be nothing fundamentally new in this plot, and replaced the main characters with young girls, wishing to pay tribute to women in the war, remaining in the shadow of male exploits. Thanks to this, the story has become much more poignant and soul-stirring. Three years later it was filmed.
1942 year, Karelian front. Five young female anti-aircraft gunners who voluntarily went to fight, fall under the command of the commandant of the foreman's section Fedot Vaskov. Each of them has its own character and destiny, they are young, spontaneous and full of hope for the future. But the fateful news destroys everything: nearby German saboteurswhich cannot be missed further. The detachment selflessly enters the battle, without even thinking about what consequences this will have for them.
You can also get acquainted with a more modern adaptation of the work of Boris Vasiliev, filmed in 2015 by director Renat Davletyarov. Although it is in many ways inferior to the ageless Soviet classics, it will probably appeal to the younger generation.
[webnavoz_rating id=50309]On the seven winds
Director: Stanislav Rostotsky
Genre: Drama
Year: 1962
Working on a film "And the dawns are quiet here", producer Stanislav Rostotsky this is not the first time he has addressed the topic of women in war: before that, he shot a touching war drama "On Seven Winds", which is considered by critics to be one of his best films. In many ways, the picture is highly appreciated due to the brilliant cast: Larisa Luzhina, Vyacheslav Tikhonov, Vyacheslav the Innocent, Clara Luchko and others.
main character Svetlana receives a letter from her lover, in which he asks her to come to another city in his two-story house on the outskirts - a house on seven winds. But when she arrives, only a note is waiting for her with a message that beloved went to the front. The girl decides to stay here and wait for his return. Soon the Germans approach the city.
The house is another "hero of the film", constantly changing its roles - first, the editorial office of a front-line newspaper is located within its walls, then a hospital, after that - the main section of the front line. Svetlana herself is changing in exactly the same way, ing through herself all the diversity of war and becoming alternately either an editorial typist, or a nurse, or a scout. But her main feat is that she continues to wait and believe ...
[webnavoz_rating id=52189]Toughie
Director: Teodor Vulfovich
Genre: comedy
YOM: 1967
Unlike the American action movie with a similar name, here the “tough nut” is a fragile, lively young girl - Sgt. Raya Oreshkina, which is played Nadezhda Rumyantseva. Probably, from the name of the heroine and went the name of the film. Despite the comedic focus, the film does not detract from the seriousness of the war and the role of women at the front, and kind, slightly naive humor cheers up and inspires optimism.
Raya serves in the women's air defense unit, the commander of which is an intelligent lieutenant. Ivan the Terriblerecovering from injury. Loving to talk, a sharp-tongued little anti-aircraft gunner immediately begins to cause a lot of trouble to her "formidable" boss. As a result of a curious situation on a barrage balloon, they accidentally transferred to the territory occupied by the Germanswhere dangers and incredible adventures await them.
Sergeant Oreshkina boldly rushes into battle: among her heroic deeds are stunning the enemy with a ladle, the destruction of German ammunition, reconnaissance, for which the girl has to dress up as a boy, and theft of a fascist car. Watching the adventures of the duo characters Rumyantseva и Vitaly Solomin, you will definitely get a charge of pleasant impressions.
[webnavoz_rating id=52190]At six o'clock in the evening after the war
Director: Ivan Pyryev
Genre: Romance
YOM: 1944
Movie about victory taken in a difficult time, when the war was still going on, but after its release gave millions of people hope for a happy ending. It can be called a musical: most of the dialogues are performed in poetic form, songs are heard that convey the atmosphere of the time - the composer of the picture was Tikhon Khrennikov. The title of the film is taken from Yaroslav Hasek about the adventures of the good soldier Schweik.
Varya Pankova - a kindergarten teacher with whom an artilleryman lieutenant falls in love Vasya Kudryashov. The lovers agree meet at Stone Bridge at 6 pm after the war. But they face many difficult trials. Over time, Barbara turns from a fragile girl into a brave anti-aircraft gunner, who will have to face the enemy aircraft one on one. She does everything in her power to restore the usual order of things and peace in her native country. For all her heroism, the image of the character shows the stereotypically feminine traits familiar to that era: first of all, she is the young Motherland, the future Mother and the faithful Beloved, protecting her husband-soldier in the songs.
As the leading lady recalled Marina Ladynina, many fighters, like the heroes of the film, also began to make cherished dates with their loved ones on the Stone Bridge. And one soldier wrote in a letter that now he is not afraid to die, because he saw the end of the war - at least in the film.
[webnavoz_rating id=52191]She protects the Motherland
Directed by: Friedrich Ermler
Genre: Drama
YOM: 1943
Very often, women went to fight not only out of a sense of duty to their homeland - they wanted to take revenge on the enemy for the destruction of relatives and desecration of what was dear to them. Before us is another picture, taken in wartime in difficult conditions at the Central United Film Studio in Alma-Ata. Lead role performer Vera Maretskaya by the end of filming, a funeral came for her second husband, but she found out about this after the film was handed over.
Peaceful life of an ordinary villager Praskovya Lukyanova collapses when the war breaks out and enemy planes fly over her native village. Her husband goes to the front. Soon, helping the wounded of the retreating medical unit, she recognizes her husband in one dying soldier. Not having time to recover from his death, on the same day she loses her little son. Since then, she decides to take revenge and organizes a partisan detachment. She brings a lot of trouble to the Nazis, after each diversion leaving them a note: "Comrade P did it.".
The film was a great success both at the front, and among the partisans, and in the rear. The newspapers wrote that the image of Praskovya had no precedents either in Western literature or in cinema. This is an image simple Russian woman, a patriot who ionately loves her homeland and is merciless in sacred revenge on her enemies.
[webnavoz_rating id=52192]Rowan waltz
Director: Alexander Smirnov, Alena Semenova
Genre: Drama
YOM: 2009
And again we have a story based on real events. In accordance with the decision of the State Defense Committee in 1944-1946 mine clearance was carried out in Kareliapreviously occupied by the Germans. This dangerous work fell on the shoulders of young girls, still children, because there was no one else, and not fully trained, since there was no time for this. Before working on this picture, the producer Vladimir Esinov filmed a documentary about just such women sappers. The topic hooked him so much that he decided to shoot a feature film based on real events.
Pauline - one of the women who is in a special squad of miners. It mainly includes girls 17-20 years old who can die overnight, blown up on the "death field", but the state machine does not care about this: the order "from above" is to clear mines, and to people left face to face with deadly earth under their feet , you need to execute it. The heroine shows courage and selflessness, performing her feat in the name of all the soldiers who died at the front, including her husband. Yegor. In parallel, a romantic line develops: Polina falls in love with Alexey, demining instructor officer. But unexpectedly her husband returns from the war: it turns out that the funeral was erroneous.
[webnavoz_rating id=52195]The Last Days of Sophia Scholl
Directed by: Mark Rotemund
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Biography
YOM: 2005
We dilute the selection with Western cinema: German cinema in our list is represented by a film about a young German activist Sofia Scholl, a member of the youth anti-fascist association "White Rose". The heroine became an unofficial symbol of the German underground, and her biography formed the basis of several feature films shot in at once. This picture was awarded many German film awards and was nominated for "Oscar" How "Best Foreign Language Film".
The events take place in February 1943. Sofia Scholl along with his older brother Hans takes a bold step distribute campaign leaflets at the University of Munich with a call to rebellion against the current government. But she, her brother and another friend of theirs are detained and arrested. They are accused of high treason, propaganda of defeatist sentiments and even links with the enemy. A few days before her death, the girl shows remarkable stamina during interrogations and remains true to her beliefs that the Nazis will lose the war, and the existing system will fall.
Movies like this make it clear not everyone in fascist was in favor of the Fuhrer's bloody regime: there were those who fought with him even at the cost of their own lives. The stamina and strength of the young main character deserves only iration.
[webnavoz_rating id=52196]Black book
Directed by: Paul Verhoeven
Genre: thriller, drama
YOM: 2006
After several failed jobs in Hollywood, the director Paul Verhoeven returned to his homeland Holland and made the most expensive and highest-grossing film in the history of the country. The picture received the main national film award of the Netherlands "Golden Taurus" in several categories. It can be called rather ambiguous, but it is worth noting the unpredictability of the plot and the vivid image of the main character.
Beauty Rachel Stein - Jewess trying to survive in the German-occupied Netherlands during the final months of World War II. Her entire family died because of a traitor, so she vowed revenge. Having changed her make-up so that her Jewish roots would not be identified, she begins to work for "Resistance" and act under cover of the Nazis. The filmmakers show the war from the point of view Western europe, which is atypical for the Russian audience, and also trying to convey the idea that during the war there were vile personalities on both sides, and traitors under the guise of "their own" could be much more dangerous than enemies.
The main character, behind external beauty and fragility, turns out to be very strong personality, who overcomes life's difficulties and does everything possible for the sake of revenge on enemies and struggle - just like almost all the heroines of the films from this collection.
[webnavoz_rating id=52197]If you liked the selection, then we recommend to your attention more movie selections, among the latter there will be several devoted to the Second World War.
