jambalulu On first viewing, Belyy tiger appears to be a simple attempted mix of a war story and a ghost tale. The movie is extremely well done, but when you first watch it, the ending does feel like an unresolved dead end that does not satisfy the questions that are formed throughout the plot. But after dedicating some thought to the symbolic meaning behind the story and understanding some of the messages passed in the plot, i couldn't help watching it a second time, and then a third time and a fourth time, just to relive it from that informed perspective that enabled me to change my focus to look deeper at all the hints and clues that reveal what the story is actually about, rather than just taking in the plot at face value. This isn't a movie that aims to be historically accurate or realistic, but rather it's a fictional tale with a strong symbolic message about humanity, passed in the proper context of the greatest war of all times. The simplest explanation i can give without spoiling it is that it uses world war 2 as an example to make a statement about the eternal struggle between the forces of good and evil within our civilization, and in many ways i think it's also a tribute to the heroism of allied troops in WW2, using the particular example of a soviet tank crewman. It really is an outstanding film, and cryptic symbolism aside, it's also an incredibly real and beautifully done war movie, the actors are wonderful, the music is phenomenal, the locations are perfect, and it's one of the very few authentic feeling WW2 movies, with actual tanks, battlefields, soldiers and environments that all look and feel like they really came straight out of 1943. Don't expect a standard action packed war movie with this one, but rather an artistic depiction of a fictional mystery story that takes place in the russian\german front in WW2, and be mindful to look for the meaning and the message behind it when you get to the end. I can honestly say that despite not being a historically accurate or realistic movie (like i usually enjoy), it is still one of the best WW2 movies i have ever seen (and iv'e really seen a lot), and i honestly do prefer it to other high budget "realistic" films like Fury and other ones.. Honest 10 stars.

clive_slatter When I first starting watching this film I wasn't sure what to expect. This is a sort of Moby Dick with tanks. In the early part of the film we see what remains of a Russian tank regiment after an attack by a German 'Tiger' tank. Whilst trying to prise the hands of a corpse from the steering handles of a tank they discover the driver is still alive despite what looks like 90% burns. Somehow he survives and is selected to hunt the German down using a new prototype tank.What we are given is a film that builds up tension very well as the Russian seeks to put an end to the Tiger's reign of terror and destruction. Here is where the problem lies as far as I'm concerned. The film builds up really well and is well paced... until the end. What had been a really enjoyable film has a substantial anticlimax. I was left with a real 'is that it?' moment. I had to watch the end several times to make sure I hadn't missed anything. Either that or it's one of the best film endings and I'm too much of a barbarian to appreciate it fully.

rhadoo32 The surrealist scenes are very becoming of Russian cinema, the symbolism used is refreshing, compared to the American gratuitous violence and corny love scenes. While the movie is propagandist, it is subtle at that, and its message can be considered one of strength, Russia's glorious past and its legacy as Germany's watchdog. The message is even more true today, with Germany's economic blackmail of the EU countries and its blatant favoritism inside the EU(EU is funding mainly German companies, instead of poorer new East European members, Germany is also dictating the immigration policies of other countries, and so on).

Lomax343 First things first - if you expect a "standard" war film like Saving Private Ryan or Enemy at the Gates or Fury, then this is the wrong place to look. White Tiger is a Russian film set in the dying days of WW2. The titular AFV is a lone German tank which appears mysteriously on the battlefield and destroys Russian tanks by the dozen, whilst seeming invincible. No crew is ever seen, with the result that it feels like a mash-up between the great white whale from Moby Dick and the homicidal tanker in Spielberg's Duel.Hunting the tank is a character halfway between Captain Ahab and Ishmael; a Russian tank-man who makes a miraculous recovery from seemingly fatal burns, only to find that he has total amnesia. He only knows that he can talk to the souls of tanks, and that he must hunt the white tiger.Sounds odd? That's the point. The film is heavy on metaphor and mysticism, and in the latter third becomes deeply surreal. There's a scene of three German generals signing the document of surrender, then enjoying a strange meal. Then cut to a line of Russian PoWs; then to Ahab/Ishmael alone in a field with his tank. The white tiger hasn't gone, he says. It's merely hiding, and will be back in a hundred years or so. Then the final scene: is it real? Is it symbolic? Is it happening in someone's head? You decide.This is a cerebral film. It asks questions, and leaves the viewer to struggle for answers.In Russian, with subtitles.