THE LAST TRAIN

Russia, the German Eastern Front, Winter. Medical doctor Paul Fischbach arrives at the front – only to find out that nobody really knows anymore where the front is supposed to be. Everything is in flux, without any indication of military order whatsoever. The only people Fischbach meets are desolate soldiers, trying to save their skin. The characters’ raspy coughing permeates the film and sets the atmosphere. With an old officer, Fischbach wanders aimlessly through the snowstorm – always in danger of being shot by partisans. Both sides are shown as they kill senselessly and die horribly. We can gather from the conversations the doctor has with his comrade that he is convinced of the senselessness of the war and his role in it – but that does not save him from feeling absolutely lost and finally vanishing in this white hell. Young russian director Aleksej German jr. developed the story from tales told in his family: some of his relatives were murdered by National Socialists, others were saved by them. Before him, his famous father got lots of attention for his unusual – and for a long time disparaged – view of the war (PROVERCA NA DOROGACH / CHECKPOINT). The son has shot his radical antiwar film in black and white. He portrays the defence of the motherland not as a heroic act, but shows the helplessness of people drawn into the mechanics of destruction – an explosive departure from the prevailing Russian point-of-view.