THE SNIPER: WHITE RAVEN

Ukraine, 2022, 111 minutes, Colour.

Pavlo Aldoshyn, Maryna Koshkina.

Directed by Marian Bushan

Ukraine, the Donbass region, 2014, Russian invasion, the annexation of Crimea. This film began production in 2019 with government assistance, help from military authorities and personnel and vehicles for the filming. The background to the film was the personal experience of the director and co-writer, his work as a teacher, tragedy, his enlisting, training to be a sniper, war involvement against the Russians.

The film was intended as morale-boosting for Ukraine and its interactions with Russia, reaction to Russian ambitions and annexations. However, as the film was nearing postproduction, Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. A scene was added to the end of the film indicating this new Russian invasion. And the film was released in July-August 2022.

This film is significant for Ukraine and the continuing conflict with Russia, certainly morale boosting during the consequent years of the war. With his story, and showing of the training of the Ukrainian volunteers, their intensity, loyalties, the involvement in battles, outwitting the Russians, attacked by the Russians, it provides vivid images of the 2020s’ realities of war for the Ukrainians. But, with the subsequent support for Ukraine, the role of President Zelinsky, issues of morale and arms support, NATO, the policies of the Biden administration, then the experience of the Trump administration, the European union of the Willing, international diplomacy, Putin meeting Trump in Alaska, issues of ceasefire, issues of disputed areas of Donbass and Donest, the film is very helpful in enabling audiences outside Ukraine to visualise what the war is like for those participating – and some consequences for the ordinary citizens.

The first part is arresting, the introduction to the couple, she pregnant, living a simple lifestyle outside the city, environment conscious. Then some scenes of him teaching in the city, and some hostile students sympathetic to the Russian influence rather than mainstream Ukrainian. But, the Russian presence, invading, the confrontation with his wife and himself at their home, culminating in the death of his wife.

The rest of the film focuses on the teacher, anger, vengeance, sadness, the burial of his wife, the Russians burning down his home, his going to volunteer for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, undergoing many sequences of rigid training, his testing to become a sniper, knowledge of guns, his abilities, being tested, succeeding. The rest of the film shows the many sequences of war, out in the open fields and troops well camouflaged, the camouflaging of vehicles, some aerial bombardments, sequences with Russian snipers and their attacks on the Ukrainians, the single mission of the teacher to confront the Russian snipers.

Which means that this part of the film is a continuous and strong close-up of war and warfare.

The screenplay is sympathetic to the teacher, a strong performance by the actor who has some physical reminders in face and manner, angry intensity, of American actor, Michael Shannon.

Towards the end of the film the action moves forward for years, fighting continuing, the time of preparation for the filming of this story.

And, finally, a small epilogue, February 2022.

Commentary on the quality of the film is mixed, some, even some Ukrainians, critical of the filmmaking, of the incorporation of what they call stereotypical tropes of war films, and some accusations of bias. However, bias is not quite the word. This is a very strong film on the part of Ukrainians to dramatise their war experience and conflict with Russia and Russian invasion. To that extent, the film serves as a plea to the rest of the world.