A magnificent, yet heartbreaking film. Larisa Shepitko’s masterpiece probably is wonderful in story, film composition and actually more deserving of an actual Criterion Collection release than an Eclipse Series release. Nevertheless, an important film that finally gets its much-deserved DVD release in the U.S.
Image courtesy of © 1977 Mosfilm Studios © 2008 All Rights Reserved.
TITLE: The Ascent (as part of the Larisa Shepitko – Eclipse Series #11)
RELEASE OF FILM: 1977
DURATION: 109 Minutes
DVD INFORMATION: Black and White, 1:33:1 Aspect Ratio, Monaural, Russian with English subtitles
COMPANY: Janus Films/The Criterion Collection
RELEASED: August 12, 2008
Based on the novel “Sotnikov” by Vasili Bykov
Directed by Larisa Shepitko
Written by Yuri Klepikov, Larisa Shepitko
Produced by Willie Geller
Music by Alfred Shnitke
Cinematography by Vladimir Chukhnov, Pavel Lebeshev
Edited by Valeriya Belova
Production Design by Yuri Raksha
Starring:
Boris Plotnikov as Sotnikov
Vladimir Gostyukhin as Rybak
Sergei Yakovlev as Village Elder
Lyudmila Polyakova as Demchikha
Viktoriya Goldentul as Basya
Anatoli Solonitsyn as Portnov, the Nazi interrogator
Mariya Vinogradova as Village Elder’s wife
Nikolai Sektimenko as Stas’
The career of Larisa Shepitko, an icon of sixties and seventies Soviet cinema, was tragically cut short when she was killed in a car crash at age forty, just as she was emerging on the international scene. The body of work she left behind, though small, is masterful, and her genius for visually evoking characters’ interior worlds is never more striking than in her two greatest works: Wings, an intimate yet exhilarating portrait of a female fighter pilot turned provincial headmistress, and The Ascent, a gripping, tragic wartime parable of betrayal and martyrdom. A true artist who had deftly used the Soviet film industry to make statements both personal and universal, Shepitko remains one of the greatest unsung filmmakers of all time.
Larisa Shepitko’s stunning first feature after graduating from the All-Russian State Institute for Cinematography was this fascinating character study about a once heroic female Russian fighter pilot now living a quiet, disappointingly ordinary life as a school principal.
Larisa Shepitko, the Russian filmmaker who just became noticed of her filmmaking style and becoming part of the “New Generation” of Russian filmmakers that started to achieve worldwide recognition died at the young age of 40 (Shepitko and five members of her crew were killed while driving to the location to shoot their next film “The Farewell” in 1979).
Married to another well known filmmaker, Elem Klimov, Larisa studied under Alexander Dovzhenko (one of the well-known, important Soviet Filmmakers) at the All-Union State Institute of Cinematography in Moscow and through her brief directing career which began in 1956, she is known best for her last film, “Voskhozdeniye” (The Ascent) in 1977.
In celebration of Larisa Shepitko’s film career, The Criterion Collection has released an Eclipse Series set featuring two of her films: “Krylya” aka “Wings” (1966) and “Voskhozdeniye” aka “The Ascent” (1977).
“The Ascent” was a film that came to Larisa when she was 35-years-old and after she had her son Anton. She suffered a spinal injury and was under the risk of dying because of it and the writer/filmmaker faced death for the first time and as she was looking for her own formula of immortality, she and her co-writer Yuri Klepikov would write the screen adaptation to “Voskhozdeniye” (The Ascent) and eventually she was able to begin directing the film based on the novella made popular by Vasili Bikov.
The film was well-received in Russia and would earn her the prestigious “Golden Bear” award at the 1977 Berlin Film Festival and is considered Shepitko’s masterpiece.
“The Ascent” takes place during World War II, when the Nazi’s were going through Russian villages, taking over and killing anyone who was against them.
The film focuses on two peasant Byelorussian soldiers who were part of a group escaping from Nazi Germans who have invaded the Soviet Union (note: for historical context, on June 22, 1941, 4.5 million troops from the Axis Powers invaded the USSR and occupied many areas throughout the country).
With the group consisting of Byelorussian men, women and children trying to escape the Nazi’s during the cold and very harsh winter, they don’t have much weaponry or food, so the group depends on soldiers, Sotnikov (played by Boris Plotnikov) and Rybak (played by Vladimir Gostyukhin) to go to nearby villages and hope try to find a farm in order to find an animal and bring it back to their starving group.
The trek through the snowy terrain is not easy and Sotnikov is very sick but yet there is no one else from the group but these two who can get the job done. Both men eventually stumble upon a home owned by the collaborationist headman (played by Sergei Yakovlev) who was forced to work with the Nazi’s. Disgusted that a Russian would help Nazi’s, the soldiers allow him to live but kills one of his animals to bring back to the group.
As the groups head out back to the frigid snowy terrain, the Nazi’s spot them and Rybak manages to get through the woods with his animal but unfortunately Sotnikov is not so lucky and is struck by a bullet. Rybak goes back to help Sotnikov escape and the two know that with Sotnikov not being able to walk, they need to get help quickly.
Eventually both men manage to find a home with a mother named Demchikha (played by Lyudmila Polyakova) and her three children. The woman gives them a place to hide but unfortunately, Russian traitors catch the two men and because Demchikha was responsible for hiding them, she is taken along with them (her little children left behind) and are taken to a Nazi prison in a Russian village.
Now both soldiers, Sotnikov and Rybak are being held prisoner by the local commissar, Portnov (played by Anatoli Solonitsyn). And we see how both men respond to the questioning (and torturing). One who is willing to die for his homeland and not give up information of his group, while the other is doing his best to survive, even if it means betraying his homeland.
VIDEO:
“The Ascent” is presented in (1:33:1) in black and white. For a 43-year-old print and the fact that this is an Eclipse series release versus a Criterion Collection release, the print for “The Ascent” is actually very good. Unlike “Wings”, I didn’t really see many dust or scratches on the overall print. I didn’t see much flickering as well.
AUDIO & SUBTITLES:
“The Ascent” is presented in monaural Russian with optional English subtitles. The film is Dolby Digital 1.0 and comes through the center channels quite clearly but I chose to watch the film via my receiver set to stereo on all channels.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Eclipse Series do not come with special features but included on each DVD case insert is a background on the film and information about Larisa Shepitko and her work on “The Ascent”.
With “Wings” becoming controversial because of its depiction of wartime heroes, “The Ascent” was a film that captured the national pride of Russia in this war-time film but most of all capturing a side of Russia’s past in cinema.
That fact is there were Russians who collaborated with the Nazi’s in order for survival and this film captures the essence of wartime of one man who would die for his homeland, while one man would do anything to survive.
But what makes this film work is how Shepitko was able to capture the feeling of desperation through cinematography. Visually, both cinematographers Vladimir Chukhnov and Pavel Ebeshev were able to capture the sense of despair by the many images of the barren, cold and snowy terrain. Nowhere to run and hide, the cinematographers used effective closeups to show us the fear of those who will be captured or executed.
But one thing that stays in my mind is the effective cinematography. From one scene of Rydak trying to save Stonikov and dragging him through the snow, the shots of the barren ice land…these are wonderful shots but possibly the most effective are the shots that just tear into your heart. From the tragic moments at the end of the film to seeing the children of Demchikha running after their mother and the mother crying after them, knowing that no one will take care of her young children is absolutely heartbreaking.
There are tragic, heartbreaking moments in this film. But it was very effective visually for the film for filmmaker Shepitko to use children and to see them being no different from the adults in showing one being executed.  There were many tragic moments that took place during World War II but these are images that anyone, no matter what time period, may it be in the present or future, can watch and instantly be surprised, shocked and disgusted that Russians would betray each other. And this is where the Christian themes do come into play. Before death, we see one man praying to God, we see a woman in a village who was sickened by the executions, calling one of the main protagonists “Judas” for turning on his own people.
Shepitko also does a great job in showing us the role reversal of the two protagonists. In the beginning, we see Rybak as the gung-ho soldier willing to do what it takes to help his people and Sotnikov being the man who is sick and rather quiet for the most part of the film. But it’s the transformation of the characters by the second act which I found quite amazing. Seeing the role reversal between Sotnikov as he comes from the darkness and sees the light and willing to protect his people and homeland and the gung-ho soldier cowering to fear and willing to betray his own people to survive. Shepitko and fellow cinematographers did a magnificent job in showcasing the role reversal, the fear in their eyes or the acceptance of death.  Just the shots of the people dangling from their noose after their execution is absolutely tragic and heartbreaking. It’s one of those scenes that stays within you because it evokes an emotional response. Especially when we learn more about commissar Portnov and the reasons why people like the young girl Basya is getting executed and how Portnov also relates to Sotnikov. Shocking!
“The Ascent” was wonderfully filmed!  The screenplay adaptation was well-done, the talent were well-cast and performances by Boris Plotnikov (Sotnikov) and Vladimir Gostyukhin (Rybak) was wonderful.
This is a wonderful masterpiece from Larisa Shepitko.  There is no doubt that Shepitko died too young and had tremendous potential for creating more wonderful films. But even with her short time as a filmmaker, Shepitko did make an impact as a filmmaker in her country and also won the praise of many of those who have had the chance to see her films all over the world. The fact that the Criterion Collection has recognized her films and gave her an Eclipse Series release is fantastic.
Overall, “The Ascent” is a magnificent film which probably should have had a Criterion Collection release than an Eclipse Series release but nevertheless, a great addition to this Eclipse Series #11 set along with “Wings”.  For its price point and for these two wonderful films, “Larisa Shepitko – Eclipse Series #11” is highly recommended!
