History

Fortress of War: remembering a forgotten corner of the Second World War

Screenshot from Fortress of War: Russian soldiers firing.


The 29-day siege of the Russian fortress at Brest is, at least outside the old Soviet Union, a largely forgotten piece of Second World War heroism against the odds. It has no easy heroes (fascists besieging communists) and had the additional misfortune of only being revealed by an investigative journalist after the Cold War was already firmly underway. Unlike the heroics in places such as Stalingrad, referred to in many a Hollywood film, the siege of Brest, as a result, has not achieved similar international cinematic fame.

However, the 2010 Russian film Fortress of War does it and its heroes justice. If you look online, you will find it has scored some bad reviews, but almost all are from people taking exception to it being a subtitled film. The packaging does not make this clear, though personally, I’m quite happy to watch subtitled films so it doesn’t matter much to me (save that the subtitle of the opening caption is in poor English and clearly missing some parts).

Aside from subtitles, and rather more importantly, the film features very impressive cinematography. Many of the scenes contain snippets of action which are familiar from other war films – plane being shot down and pilot bailing out, desperate soldiers making a foolhardy charge and so on. Yet there is a freshness and originality about the way these scenes are framed and shot.

Generally, the film seems to stick close to the actual historical account, avoiding some of the myths which have grown up and (praise be!) also avoiding some of the crass re-writing that sometimes goes on to make a film fit a formula. No dropping in of fictional US servicemen to steal the scenes here. (See the film U-571 for an example if you wonder what I mean.)

It also does a very good job of evoking wider historical themes without belabouring them. The viewer comes away knowing something about the Soviet Union’s official blindness to the German build-up prior to invasion in 1941, the chaotic absence of sensible orders in the face of attack, the tension between professional soldiers and political commissars and the fear of speaking your mind, all without feeling bludgeoned by crude symbolism or earnestness in the film making.

Centre stage all through are the soldiers holding out against massive odds, with a high performing cast giving their characters depth.

It all makes for an enjoyable watch.

You can buy Fortress of War from Amazon here.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

All comments and data you submit with them will be handled in line with the privacy and moderation policies.