The plot and the development of rapid, intense action of the film «Angels of War» (FILM.UA), which was broadcasted on TV channel «Inter», is based on the ambiguities and contradictions.
Films on military themes are becoming a calling card film of FILM.UA. It is a habit year after year in the last month of spring to watch the next gripping military adventure drama from FILM.UA which made me to watch TV on the 13th. Significantly, that before Ukrainian premiere, which took place on the channel «Inter», 4-episode series «Angels of War» has been sold abroad to Kazakhstan.
Given that it is a series of military films which is being actively sold in foreign countries, we can safely say that the trend was found. And this, in turn, opens up many opportunities for experimentation within the genre. Which, as any experiment, go beyond the genre. Remaining in clear format or genre limits, story itself is able to touch on questions that are easily interpreted with the help of mass culture. This is what we see in «Angel of War».
I admit, I was a little strained at first when heard about the new «military melodrama» - due to lack of melodramas in the list of my personal male and viewing values and priorities. Prejudice was strengthened when I found out that its authors were women: the script written by Alla Krynytsyna, the story was embodied on the screen by director Tatiana Khodakovskaya. Taking into account that viewers were promised a story of «two lovers», and knowing the specifics of Ukrainian melodramas, even military, even about poor single businesswomen, I prepared for a three-hour tearful story: «I love you, but the war separated us».
And from the first minute I was pleasantly surprised. So pleasantly that I’m ready to take my words back from the previous paragraph and to admit my stereotype thinking. However, the producers, in turn, should not declare «Angels of War» as melodrama. For female audience without additional attraction was staring at the screen: there is nothing «about love», but throughout the movie characters save the children. Even give their life for children. And kids are even greater value than love. And not only for women but for the male audience. Moreover, story is made tough, dynamic, I would say in a masculine way. In particular, when one of the main characters, Andrey Hlystov, sees a girl killed by policemen, he forgets that he is in the police, carrying out guerrilla’s tasks, and must not be disclosed: takes his rifle and kills the murders of the children without removing his finger from the trigger.
In the story, in a small Ukrainian village the Germans set up a camp where children are selected for further medical experiments. Twins are most valued, so when a boy runs away, the Germans order policemen to find the child. Then in front of us the story unfolds containing small biblical associations. The Gospel according to St. Matthew has a known record of beating infants and "Angel of War" has something similar.
And when a child's life becomes the cornerstone of this dramatic story, reassessment of values begins for those whose fate somehow depends on a little boy. In the middle of the cruel war child remains calm - not even afraid of wolves, climbs on a tree away from it. But suddenly people stop being guerrillas, policemen, lonely widows insulted by Bolsheviks, doctors, whose task - to take children as «biomaterial» or German occupiers etc. True human essence of a particular person is measured not by party affiliation, nationality or gender but by the attitude to children and conscious unwillingness to protect them.
That’s why wartime laws, in accord with which someone you consider a friend, other – an enemy, someone – a traitor, other – a patriot, in stories which are similar to «Angels of War» are corrected. And the audience’s business is to accept or not to accept the fact that not everyone who surrendered and became a policeman is a traitor, it’s a person which simply wants to live. Not every commissioner of a guerrilla group is a decent man. Not every girl in brothel is a prostitute. Not everyone who sincerely works for an enemy, actually stroke lucky - the new owner can always easily shoot his slave. And so every conscious slave is able to lay his hand on the person whom he was ready to serve faithfully half an hour ago.
