Fortress of War

22 June 1941. The Brest Fortress, on what is now the border of Belarus, is among the first targets of the German invasion. The attack begins in the early morning; the soldiers inside do not even know war has been declared. There are soldiers' families in the fortress: women, children and a regimental band. The water is cut, the ammunition runs out and no help comes. Those who remain hold out for days. Alexander Kott directs. It is a joint Russian and Belarusian production. The narrative rests on real events. The defence of the Brest Fortress is among the best known passages of Soviet historical narrative, and some of the units inside held out for weeks. The film tells it through the eyes of a fifteen year old boy from the band; the boy is based on a real person and is used as narrator. The battle scenes are at large scale and shot with practical effects; it was among the most expensive Russian productions of its time. The tone is built on heroism and stands close to the official account; the other side is never shown as individuals. Against that, the conditions of the siege are not decorated: thirst, the state of the wounded and the civilians trapped inside are shown directly. Who it is for: viewers who follow Second World War films and Eastern European production. Who it is not for: it is long, the violence is severe, the characters do not separate, and the narrative keeps a nationalist register.