The film war secrets tells a story of war, prejudice, love and death. Directed by Peeter Rebane and written by and starring Tom Prior, the film manages to drive the story beautifully without falling into sentimentality.
The story is set during the Cold War period and accompanies Sergey (Tom Prior), a young soldier who doesn’t have much of a vocation for work and whose dream is to be an actor. While in the military, he befriends Luisa (Diana Pozharskaya), an aspiring doctor.
Shortly thereafter, the two meet Roman (Oleg Zagorodnii), a lieutenant and fighter pilot who joins the KGB. The trio soon become friends, but Roman cannot hide his feelings for Sergey and they become romantically involved. Of course, all romance has to be kept secret, since having relationships with other men was an offense punishable by five years hard labor in the Soviet Union at that time.
After Sergey decides to leave the Army, Roman ignores him and goes on with his life. Years later, he appears engaged to Luisa, shocking the former lover who is now trying to earn money as an actor. From then on, the three find themselves trapped in a love triangle, with Luisa not knowing anything about what is happening.
Here it is worth mentioning that all this approximation of the couple is done in a beautiful and masterful way, and the fact that the romance is built little by little makes the story tender and makes the audience hope that the courtship works out.
The plot is well directed, the photography enchants and the sex scenes are done with the necessary delicacy so as not to become vulgar. Another hit is that although the narrative is slower, the story moves forward, preventing the viewer from getting bored.
Similar stories, told in a different way
Who has seen the movie my policeman, by director Michael Grandage, might recognize some of the narrative. The truth is that both feature films have a similar plot and were based on books that tell real stories. war secrets is an adaptation of A Tale About Romanwhich tells the story of the real Sergey Fetisov.
However, Rebane and Prior managed to lead the plot in a very different way. Although there are similarities, the stories differ especially in the way the third element, in this case Luisa, is portrayed. Therefore, those who saw one film will be able to see the other without having the feeling of being in a rerun.
Another interesting point is that war secrets the suspense works well in the moments when the colonels start to distrust Roman and threaten him. The fear that the character will be arrested and punished with violence remains in the air.
performances please
The film’s performances do not disappoint. Prior, who had already appeared in The theory of everythingdelivers a sensitive man at the same time that he is closed and complacent, as he could not be otherwise, after all we are talking about a period of war.
The Ukrainian, Oleg Zagorodnii, from the series Who Are You?also pleases and manages to demonstrate the contradiction of a lieutenant who has to be firm, but is weakened by not being able to live the love he wants.
Diana Pozharskaya, who gives life to Luisa, stands out especially in the scenes in which she confronts Sergey. The Russian actress has productions such as The Mystical Game and clandestine life.
A Russian story told in English
One issue that bothers (perhaps not everyone) is the fact that the film is entirely spoken in English — with small exceptions in Russian. Of course, because it is considered an “international” language, it was to be expected that it would be chosen for the production, after all there are actors from Russia, Estonia, Ukraine, England, etc.
However, it sounds a little strange to see characters who lived in the KGB era, in the Soviet Union, speaking in the language of the enemy. It may just be a detail that causes individual discomfort, but it deserves attention anyway.
Is Secrets of War worth watching?
OK! war secrets pleases and excites when telling a story of the fight against prejudice. The adaptation managed to convey the feelings of the characters in a tender way, without falling into superficiality. The film is worth the plot, the performances and photography. Prior hits as a screenwriter and does not disappoint as an actor.
If you want to give a chance to war secrets; the film is showing in cinemas all over Brazil. Secure your entry at ticket.com.
