Sniper: The White Raven

Sniper: The White Raven (2022) came out of Ukraine and is based on a real person. Mykola is a pacifist, an environmentalist, a teacher living far from any city. When war starts in Donbas in 2014 his pregnant wife is killed and his home is burned. He enlists as a sniper. Be clear about what this is. It is not a war drama, it is a revenge story, and it takes a side openly. It was made as the full Russian invasion began in 2022 and it carries the mood of that moment. The other side is barely humanised at all. Treat that as a description of the film rather than a flaw to be argued about. The action is competently staged given the budget. The first half hour, showing the life that existed before, is the strongest part of the film, and the contrast is intentional. Good for: war films, and anyone who wants to see how the war is being told from inside Ukraine. Less good for: the killing of a pregnant woman and several executions are shown. Anyone looking for a balanced account, or for the complexity of war rather than its justification, should look elsewhere.