Arthur Moore97 said:Just like all the recent Russian war films, this one feels like a pale imitation of the American classics—though honestly, I wouldn't spend much time on it anyway. It’s basically a knockoff of those American movies about the Vietnam War, specifically *Full Metal Jacket*. When you stack them up against German war films, the Russian ones just feel second-rate. And I'm not even talking about political bias; I mean the actual artistic quality is just lacking.
Full Metal Jacket ???
God, that's a stretch... You can't really compare a highly stylized Kubrick film—where even the Mickey Mouse March says more than the dialogue—to a gritty, grounded look at the 9th Company. If you ask me, the 1997 film Purgatory deals with that same "enemy" much more directly through its relentless, almost excessive brutality. The only real link here is just military intervention outside of one's own borders.
Just a quick side note here: I have to admit, I’m a bit of a mindless consumer when it comes to war movies. I’ve probably watched way more Russian war films than your average person—I definitely have a bit more "experience" in that department.
It’s pretty obvious that even with all the changes happening in Russia, their war movies haven't really moved the needle. It’s still that same old "government-directed in the right direction" kind of grind—something they just can't seem to shake. Most of what comes out is still loaded with cheap melodrama and massive sacrifices. Financially, you see this huge split: on one side, you've got these big-budget, flashy epics stuffed with classic political messaging, and on the other, you have the smaller stuff. And that small stuff? It's either total propaganda trash or genuine little gems that definitely deserved a bigger budget.
There’s this whole subgenre of "anti-war" war movies out there. Most of them focus on more recent conflicts, like Afghanistan or Georgia, and they all lean into that same critical tone. It’s funny how that style became so iconic through those classic American films about the Vietnam War, right?
Honestly, you need a similar kind of backdrop to even attempt a "neutral" comparison between American—well, Western in general—productions and Russian ones.
WWII movies are usually just loaded with cheap sentimentality and over-the-top patriotism on both sides. It’s like they can't help themselves, right? Then you have Hollywood getting all bold and deciding to film their own specific version of how the Eastern Front went down—you know, those massive blockbusters that basically built our entire stereotype of rigid commissars and secret police. Meanwhile, the Russians never really did that kind of thing. On the flip side, a much better example is that recent attempt at a faithful reconstruction in "The Podolsk Cadet." It actually goes against those tired clichés, and honestly, why would anyone even bother faking history in the first place?
All those "patriotic" movies always seem to carry this heavy dose of exaggeration and pure melodrama, especially when they're made by people who weren't actually there or aren't looking at things from a neutral perspective. Even we tend to be way too critical of our own war movies, even if we don't make them very often...
Other movies deal with foreign interventions too—think Afghanistan or Georgia versus Vietnam or Korea. We’re basically looking at similar platforms here. You get those films that try to justify why we step in, but honestly, the critical ones are way more interesting. It's like how the Russians always seem to take the brunt of the criticism. There's even that one great series about Georgia, though I can't recall the specific movie right now. Generally speaking, they aren't as polished as a big Hollywood production. Over there, it's totally mainstream, whereas in Russia, it still feels a bit subversive. Still, they're all driving home pretty much the same message, aren't they?
Honestly, I don't think it's even fair to call *Salvation* just a "copy" of *Full Metal Jacket*. Look, *Full Metal Jacket* is built on a massive mountain of war movies, but it takes everything to a whole new level by playing with those deep-seated stereotypes in such complex layers. To me, *Salvation* feels more like one of those early, gritty attempts to tackle those heavy themes within a much more rigid style of filmmaking. You aren't going to see any Oscars or big-time hype there. It only gets labeled a "copy" because it hits the same subject matter, whereas that "big, soulful American spirit"—another stereotype if you ask me—usually handles these things in a much more direct way...
Michael Ortiz68 said:But didn't the filmmakers handle that poorly? That whole scene meeting Eleanor Roosevelt where she’s shocked that the top sniper is actually a woman? Honestly, it was almost painful to watch.
And then there's this:
🙈
I saw the movie right when it dropped, and man, I remember it being just loaded with clichés and pure melodrama. Maybe the reason people hype it up is just because it doesn't feel like a typical Hollywood production, so everyone assumes it's automatically a masterpiece? 🤷
That "unwatchable" feeling usually comes with true stories. Especially when you look back from a distance and haven't lived through anything similar—people tend to label everything as "cheesy" or "cringe." But let's be real, wars are basically built out of clichés anyway.
To me, the whole thing feels way more authentic when you consider where these "Soviet heroes" actually came from: mostly just farmers and peasants. The absolute best among them were the ones who simply knew how to survive the harshest conditions imaginable. Is it really that weird that they lack tact or "political correctness"? When they're thrown into situations they aren't used to, they just let whoever knows what they're doing take the lead.
Just great heroes living these "pathetic," small, ordinary lives with totally down-to-earth problems.
