Product description

The Star (Region 2) [2002]

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Average customer rating: 4.0

Binding : DVD
EAN : 5035017010433
Label : Nouveaux Pictures
Manufacturer : Nouveaux Pictures
Publisher : Nouveaux Pictures
Release date : 2007-02-05
Title : The Star (Region 2) [2002]
Actor : Array
Audience rating : Suitable for 15 years and over
Format : Array
Languages : Array
Number of items : 1
Original release date : 2002-01-01
Region code : 2
Running time : 97
Studio : Nouveaux Pictures
Theatrical releaseDate : 2002

Editorial reviews

Product Description
Created by the same studio that produced "Come and See", The Star is an action packed war adventure that has been favourably compared with recent Hollywood depictions of war and inhumanity. Set during the end of the Second World War, on the Polish front separating the Russian and German armies, The Star is the call sign for a Russian scout unit being sent behind enemy lines to spy on troop movements in the knowledge that two such units have already been despatched and vanished without trace. Almost from the start the film is charged with tension as the scouts use their tracking skills to avoid detection and their killing prowess to exterminate obstacles in their way, leading to an almost unbearable climax.

Customer reviews

review by: date: 2008-06-09 rating:

A good, solid action film.
,The Star' is the heroic tale of a Soviet recon mission behind enemy lines during WW2. It is also my favourite Russian film. It's a solid, story-driven war film that literally "sticks to its guns" and doesn't lapse or morph into the ubiquitous Russian arthouse style that seems to permeate the genre. It wants to be, and is, an action film with convincing characters and a strong plot and it's nice to watch a "good old-fashioned" war film, that does what it says on the tin, without depressing morality messages or ultra-violent shock-tactics. We all know by now that war is hell - Let's just enjoy the movie.

review by: date: 2008-05-18 rating:

A solid propaganda like war movie
Good war scenes, remembering The Iron Cross, but a little out to date point of view after Prestrojika. Perhaps correct title may be The RED Star

review by: date: 2008-04-28 rating:

A view from the Eastern Front
This is a solid, if not quite spectacular war themed effort from Russia, focusing on the efforts of a young recon squad, infiltrating the German lines to send back information on troop concentrations. Unfortunately we don't get many Russian war films seeing English release, which is a shame as there is an important story to be told, one which many English speaking folk are not familiar with, and as far as we know America won the war on their own! This film obviously had a decent budget, the attack on the train station is replete with big bangs and fireworks, and the final set piece is intense. The acting is solid, the script not too bad (well, the subtitles at least, my knowledge of Russian is neglible), but it does feel quite old fashioned in places, some of the direction and cuts will raise an eyebrow (the up close, on rails, third person view of a death scene of one brave soldier is bizarre to say the least), and one shot that very swiftly goes zoom - cut - zoom - cut - zoom each to a dramatic musical note is like something out of the 50s, but hey. The film works, and the ending is suitably Russian and resolutely un-Hollywood. At 90 minutes, it doesn't outstay it's welcome, and if you enjoy the genre and are interested in a Russian action movie take on WWII, then you should check this out.

review by: Dave Harris date: 2008-04-09 rating:

The Star is a brilliant film.......
Excellent film. Well worth a look, particularly if you want to get another angle on the Soviet campaign.
Very different and in many ways much better than Enemy at the Gates.
The film does not rely on Hollywood special effects ( I know EatG was not Hollywood) but the landscapes and the simple approach to creating suspense is very good.
The actors are very young and appear to be very good, they really portray the youth of the average combatants, and that does make you think a bit.....
Rent it, you won't be disappointed.

review by: date: 2008-02-28 rating:

Heroes of The Soviet Union
An unashamedly proud film about Soviet forces in World War 2 and their forward scouts. The film uses many of the old cliches of war films but does so in a charming way, with plenty of tension as the patrol starts to take losses and finds itself with a very important mission. One identifies entirely with the patrol during the film and its final denouement leaves one in no doubt as to what are the director's feelings.

The patrol contains the usual mixture of Soviet nationalities and types (much as any American film must have a kid from the Bronx and one from the South). The Germans are shadowy figures seen only at close hand when they are captured or killed (indeed captured and killed). This is not a sentimental film about war, thought it is about the bonds of the patrol. There is even an effectively managed love interest back at base.

The final scene with the Soviet unit marching by while the credits explain how long it took to get the contribution of the scouts recognised is as proud as any episode of the excellent Band of Brothers. Saving Private Ivan, as it were.

As always with Russian films the Russian/Ukrainian countryside is a character in itself with its woods and swamps all lovingly shot.

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