Rob Halpin The last couple of months have been great when going shopping as I have re-discovered Russian cinema. Especially war films! The first Russian war film, I ever saw, was "Come & See". Perhaps the most outstanding war film of the last 30 years. However, the Russians have re-emerged with numerous war offerings, from Fortress of War, to The Bomber. The former being absolutely stunning!!! The Star however, was a film certainly made in the same vein. The realism and the style of the film was direct. The stealth, guile and intelligence of Soviet soldiers behind enemy lines was thorough and admirable. By 1944 the Red Army was perhaps the most battle-hardened and skillful soldiers in existence. Night manoeuvres and fighting was by that time a master-class in Red Army operations. All I can say, is that it seems that the Russian film industry is returning to this genre, without the communist baggage. All one can hope, is that the Russian film industry keeps making these types of movies.

richard6 Based on the novel by Emmanuil Kazakevich, The Star is a story focusing on a Soviet reconnaissance unit comprising of seven soldiers sent on a scouting mission behind enemy lines. The enemy is the German armed forces and the line is Eastern Poland, late summer 1944. The reconnaissance is required in order to gather intelligence concerning current German positions and strengths of counter attack indications.The scouting skills are demonstrated in a ghostly atmosphere effectively using the forest environment as cover. The film moves along at a nice pace and the story widens upon detection and advances through the interception of the scouts by the SS. What actually kills the scouts is their need to obtain a wireless in order to transmit their discovery of military information back to divisional headquarters. This they succeed at the cost of their lives. The film conspicuously emphasises that the soldiers fighting in the Soviet army were young men. This is demonstrated through the youthful and fresh appearances of the soldiers. Also, the film acknowledges the participation of young women enlisted into the Soviet army. The director, Nikolai Lebedev, deliberately indicates the human cost of war and the justification for the conflict and defeating their enemy. This point also exists in the screen play by Yevgeny Grigoriev, Nikolai Lebedev and Alexander Borodyansky and performed well by the actors. Their is no joy expressed in killing and regardless of nationality each life lost appears to strengthen the sadness of war.The Star has a satisfactory running time of 97 minutes. If I had to categories this picture it reminds me of "A Bridge On The River Kwai" or "The Guns Of Navarone" and "The Dirty Dozen". The qualities or attributes of hero's during the second world war. The Star, in the same manner, highlights the sacrifices of the Soviet nation. The style of the film is in the mold of many modern combat pictures. Also, cinematography concluding the demise of our screen hero's simulating "Saving Private Ryan", Brotherhood or even "The Alamo"! For these reasons a picture of this quality and authenticity deserved a marketed international release.The distraction of the sub-plot love story between the scout leader Travkin and wireless operator Katya did not several damage the accomplishment of the film. Even though this plot could be described as embarrassing and unnecessary, it helps apprehend, in a mildly unconvincing manner, the youthful conditions of still being a teenager, regardless of the terrifying surroundings. Evidently, the characters are between 17-20 years of age, expressing innocence and spirit of adolescence. "The Star" is effective, sharp and abrupt, at the same time as providing tension.

gest1969 I believe that war films should try to convey the terror of war, avoid idealism and respect some rudimentary military principles. Zvezda barely does the first. Zvezda being a Russian war film, I was expecting patriotism, sentimentality, beautiful poetic pictures, a lush score, Slavic cheekbones and cruel Germans. What I didn't need was the naive love non-affair, the unrealistically silly war scenes and the abuse of the syrupy soundtrack in a film which avoided carefully all historical or political references (Stalinism, Nazism, Holocaust) only to end on a passing but nonetheless insulting to our sense of history endnote about "liberating Poland". A missed opportunity as a film but not as propaganda apparently.

alex_kleimenov This movie is about romance that went without a touch, every word of which was sent through the airwaves in form of a code.A newly recruited radio operator girl falls for a young handsome reconnaissance officer. Zvezda is the call-sign of his squad that steals into the night on a mission that may turn deadly.Watching a movie set in the middle of a war, we instinctively try to guess who will survive until the end. In this movie, we hope they all will as we bond with the 6 guys on the squad to the point of our hearts starting to beat with theirs in unison.Communications on a reconnaissance mission is about signs and looks. That's the way a viewer gets to communicate with the characters. The contact takes place on the eye level: the eyes on the screen are larger than life, as well as what we see in them. And what we see there is very often the fear-a feeling very familiar to us, something that makes us bond with the characters even stronger. `Which one would I've been like?' is a question drilling through our heads. The plot is far from schematic and the axiom that `the ours will always win' is subject to a reasonable doubt. Tears are inevitable.A masterpiece music score accompanies the movie shot in beautiful landscapes. The cast is perfect: the actors are not well-known and free from unnecessary stigma. Don't miss a chance to see it.