The film is a Russian - Polish coproduction spoken in both languages. Intriguingly, the original title in both Russian and Polish is Just Not Now, which may or may nor refer to a line in the dialogue midway through the movie or to the time in which the action takes place. In the streaming services the title has been translated to Hearts of War, which makes not much sense as there is no war in sight.
The plot is simplicity itself. The scenario is a Polish village, the year is 1953 and the characters Elka and Ivan, both in their twenties. Elka is Polish while Ivan is Russian, a Soviet soldier temporarily stationed in the village. Elka and Ivan fall in love and face predictable complications; the Soviet command strongly discourages relations between soldiers and locals, and Poles resent foreign uniforms in their midst.
What makes this movie worth watching is the quality of the acting and the loving reconstruction of time and place; most of the filming was done in authentic locales such as Bartoszyce (Poland) and Pravdinsk and Zeleznodoroznyj (Russia's Kaliningrad District). Music supports the action perfectly and cinematography captures the beautiful, melancholic landscapes of northern Poland.
The plot is simplicity itself. The scenario is a Polish village, the year is 1953 and the characters Elka and Ivan, both in their twenties. Elka is Polish while Ivan is Russian, a Soviet soldier temporarily stationed in the village. Elka and Ivan fall in love and face predictable complications; the Soviet command strongly discourages relations between soldiers and locals, and Poles resent foreign uniforms in their midst.
What makes this movie worth watching is the quality of the acting and the loving reconstruction of time and place; most of the filming was done in authentic locales such as Bartoszyce (Poland) and Pravdinsk and Zeleznodoroznyj (Russia's Kaliningrad District). Music supports the action perfectly and cinematography captures the beautiful, melancholic landscapes of northern Poland.
