Raduga (1944)

Director:

Mark Donskoy

Writers:

Wanda Wasilewska (novel)
Wanda Wasilewska (screenplay)

Release Date:

21 October 1944 (USA)

Genre:

War | Drama

Plot Keywords:

WWII | One Word Title | War Crime | Ukraine | Based On Novel

Cast

Nina Alisova	...	Pusya
Natalya Uzhviy	...	Olena Kostyuk (as Natasha Uzhvij)
Vera Ivashova	...	Olga (as V. Ivashova)
Yelena Tyapkina	...	Fyodosya (as Ye. Tyapkina)
Hans Klering	...	Captain Kurt Werner (as Gans Klering)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Nikolai Bratersky	...	Gaplik
Anton Dunajsky	...	Okhatko
Alik Letichevsky	...	Malluchika's child
Anna Lisyanskaya	...	Malluchikha
Vladimir Ponomaryov	...	Malluchikha's child (as Vova Ponomaryov)
Anne Seymour	...	English Voice
Viktor Vinogradov	...	Malluchikha's child (as Vitya Vinogradov)

Also Known As:

Радуга (Soviet Union: Russian title)
The Rainbow

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

Soviet Union

Language:

Russian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16

Company:

Kievskaya Kinostudiya (Kiev Film Studio)

Striking Soviet War Film

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

This film was shot during the war in 1941 and was released in the USA in 1945 with an English language voice-over narration. The idea apparently was to display the hardships endured by our (then) allies just before they were to capture Berlin.

Nazis occupy a Ukrainian village and brutalize the inhabitants. The victims include a pregnant woman who is tortured in the most harrowing sequence. Surprisingly, for a Soviet film, Christianity is tolerated.

I saw a version at MOMA without subtitles or English narration, but I followed the action easily. "The Rainbow" is beautifully shot, and director Mark Donskoy was a strong visual storyteller. Recommended.