Watch
Criterion Channel
The Ascent

The Ascent

1977
Drama, War
1h 51m
Two Soviet partisans depart their starving band on a short march to a nearby farm to get supplies. The Germans have reached the farm first, so the pair must go on a journey deep into occupied territory, a voyage that will also take them deep into their souls. (imdb)
Your probable score
?

The Ascent

1977
Drama, War
1h 51m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 76.82% from 608 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(608)
Compact view
Compact view
Rated 27 Aug 2009
99
99th
From the opening scene, I knew this film was going to be special. The camerawork is spectacular, but what is more interesting than the imagery, are the characters in Shepitko's camera. Sotnikov and Rybak are extremely interesting characters, both of which show initiative and courage in the face of adversity, but get tested when faced with death. One of the best films made about the human conscience. I was absolutely blown away, A Masterpiece.
Rated 30 Aug 2016
79
77th
Gripping, chilling, depressing. Would you expect anything else from a Soviet war film? A powerful combination of haunting environment shots, eerie music and sound, and characters forced to choose between saving their soul or their hide once the spectre of death looms over them. The movie portrays dying for your country without concessions as something saintly, which leaves an uncomfortable aftertaste, yet it's understandable considering the horrifying period depicted here.
Rated 04 Oct 2008
86
87th
This movie could certainly be a little more subtle, but the Soviets were never really known for that. It is an intense film about integrity and conscience, with excellent cinematography and a gripping plot. What I found most interesting is how Shepitko handily shifts how you feel about the two main characters. It's also a much better film than the very overrated Come and See, by her husband.
Rated 10 Jun 2016
65
65th
Starts out as a tier 10 with everything going for it: great directing and photography and acting, fascinating storytelling. Then ruins everything by devolving into into a dumb, uncritical and uninspired regurgitation of the Jesus story. I found it painful to be hooked on a movie so early only to have my intelligence so thoroughly insulted later on.
Rated 10 Oct 2013
90
95th
At once harrowing and ethereal, this is a truly ambitious and powerful work. A lot of the appeal here is the beautiful high-contrast winter photography; I'm a sucker for winter photography anyway but here it also serves as a powerful backdrop for the intense moral journey Shepitko puts her protagonists through. Very soulful and visceral performances by the leads as well.
Rated 14 May 2011
90
94th
It lacks a little bit of punch, especially as you're watching it, but it's still a really effective movie that uses the war setting as an exploration of motivations and conscience. Every decision made by the characters in the film leads to the next, and seeing it all come together provides some interesting food for thought.
Rated 17 Jan 2016
80
77th
A diptych wherein defiance of death looks first noble, then deeply craven. Some very intense scenes; a film so heavy always produces a nagging skepticism in me, but it's an effective nail-biter all the same. Bold sound design. High-contrast b/w photography, recalling something like The Elephant Man.
Rated 09 Jun 2014
7
92nd
elem klimov made come and see, his last film, after the death of his wife. she directed this film, also her last. between them, they have directed two of the most astonishing, wretched war films ever made. klimov's was an audiovisual assault of horror, where this one probes much deeper into the conscience of our characters. nonetheless they have striking similarities, most notably in their jaw-dropping sound design. no subtlety either, which in both cases makes for shocking, powerful films.
Rated 02 Jul 2014
74
84th
Very impressive interrogation of the problem of making choices while living in the proximity of the imminence of death. There are numerous fine sequences, but the odd mix of subtlety and heavy-handedness too often veered into the latter for this viewer, somewhat blunting the effect.
Rated 08 Oct 2015
80
86th
Functions in many ways similar to Rome, Open City, praised in part for its documentative ability to capture and reflect local zeitgeist towards the war, here being strong nationalist ideas demanding pain, sacrifice, death, among other things of distressing nature. Some risks taken on the part of Shepitko, though admirable, didn't pan out, even if the overall style it fit into did.
Rated 21 Mar 2010
9
90th
A well crafted war film about the repercussions of frailty but by taking the story beyond its literary boundaries it becomes excessively dramatic so it never hit me on a gut level, though there are enough gorgeous shots, nail-bitting moments and compelling characters to satisfy most of you filmlovers out there (myself included).
Rated 12 May 2016
10
98th
thanks to criticker I'm discovering a whole universe of amazing Soviet movies
Rated 14 Jul 2013
80
78th
The religious overtones can occasionally get a little bit overbearing but this war film is, nonetheless, a gorgeously shot and stirring examination of conscience and moral dilemmas.
Rated 13 Jun 2018
87
94th
Crushingly powerful work by Shepitko. Contrast this with Wings & it's obvious her reputation as a master is if anything undersold. In retrospect it's easy to overestimate its nationalist/propagandist aspect, especially since the biblical allusions are not exactly subtle. Looking closer its psychological hellscape goes much deeper as it deals with the role of solidarity in a hopelessly cruel situation. Its brilliantly crafted mix of nihilism & transcendence defies all that's generic in war films.
Rated 02 Jan 2023
71
84th
(COME & FREEZE)
Rated 02 Mar 2008
56
29th
# 875
Rated 16 Sep 2013
59
62nd
Moving war drama with good acting and excellent cinematography but I think the heavy emotional content creates the illusion of a bit more depth than there really is.
Rated 26 Nov 2011
90
96th
Soul crushing portrayal of the effects of the brutality of war on the human spirit that builds to a devastating climax, every bit the equal of Shepitka's husband Elem Klimov's Come And See.
Rated 01 Sep 2012
29
11th
I just don't care, I don't think it's particularly impressive or good either. Solonitsyn is great, though.
Rated 08 Mar 2013
75
18th
Directed by Larisa Shepitko, "Voskhozhdeniye" can be placed in the genre of "rare" Soviet war-time films which are not focused on "mainstream" heorism of Red Army. Taking a closer look into the conflicting human soul in the face of death and life border, Shepitko's film worth to be seen. Andrei Tarkovsky's alter ego, Anatoli Solonitsyn is also takes place in the film.
Rated 28 Jan 2009
90
95th
It falls in the same category as 'Saints and Soldiers' and 'When trumpets fade'. If you like these, you'll enjoy this one.
Rated 08 Dec 2021
83
68th
Hard to believe this is from 1977.
Rated 14 Aug 2009
94
99th
Russians made ''the all time best war movies''.
Rated 11 Dec 2011
90
95th
Hard to put into words but watching this was a powerful experience. At no point does the film give me comforting anwers, it only asks tough questions, and it's hard to watch all the characters become more and more hopeless and "accept" their fates. Particularly the kid and the woman. That ending scene was incredibly intense. Stunning movie in many senses of the word.
Rated 22 May 2009
84
94th
nice
Rated 20 Sep 2012
57
30th
A bleak Russian war movie with a distinctly Russian Orthodox tinge. The suffering has a voluptuous quality reminiscent of Dostoyevsky. The lighting of some of the scenes seem to recall Icons found in churches. I love the earlier section in the snow encrusted forest, which is filmed in a sort of heightened realism. The latter part, in the confined space of a cell, is more stylized and less convincing.
Rated 18 Oct 2012
90
92nd
Harrowing is the word; in the depths of both WW2 and a Russian winter, the struggles of two men run from basic survival to the defense of their very souls...and the outcome is anything but certain. The B&W cinematography at times traps the characters in what seems to be an endless white void, the use of contrast and texture is frequently stunning. Larisa Sheptiko, who died too soon, directs beautifully; the acting is excellent all around. Overplays its hand at times, but it's truly wrenching.
Rated 05 Mar 2012
54
41st
Excellent themes and moral dilemmas posed. I didn't find the characters believable enough to find the story gripping like others found.
Rated 08 Mar 2016
2
21st
On first impression an existential and forsaken tragedy about wartime toil and desperation. The barren snowscapes, the lengthy close-ups, the ragged conviction of its players... it's a gorgeous film. Disappointing then, when it becomes apparent that Shepitko estimates the greatest atrocity to be betrayal of the motherland. A moral compass which pivots on repeated gestures of nationalist principles, where loyal heroes are martyred in front of single tear-cheeked children. It's off-putting.
Rated 12 Jun 2018
87
88th
Everyone always loves the Christ figure
Rated 17 Jun 2018
5
95th
Best war movie Ive seen. After it, a timer goes off where for a while you can't watch Western war films
Rated 26 Aug 2018
86
91st
Harrowing. Beautiful. It leaned a bit too much on a christlike story towards the end, but still delivered an original diversity of human reactions in the face of death. Some very powerful existentialist moments. Cinematographically similar to Come and See, a lot because of the face-camera shots.
Rated 25 Oct 2018
6
40th
Thick and heavy and loud, interesting if you like socialist nationalism and those soviet interpretations of Christianity. For a while, a worthy portrayal of the inner conflicts of soldiers facing imminent capture and death. In the sad, long history of soviet propaganda, this is actually far on the subtle side. Don't laugh.
Rated 17 Nov 2018
100
94th
Jesus Christ, Soviet war movies hit hard.
Rated 23 Jul 2020
7
77th
The first half hour or so is extraordinary and there are powerful images throughout. The final act spreads on the Christ/Judas allegory too thickly, but is potent despite that.
Rated 06 May 2021
50
10th
????????? - 3 ???????? - 2 ???????? - 1 ????? - 3 ????????? - 1 ????????? ???? - 2 ?????? - 1 ????????????? - 3 ?????? - 2 ???? - 2 ???? - 1 ?????????? ????? ???? - 2 ???????? ?????? - 3 ?????????? - 3 ??????? - 3 ?????? - 2 ??????????? - 1 ?????? - 5 ????? - 52
Rated 16 May 2021
2
17th
what moribunny said, but yeah it's worth it for the interrogator and that shot where jesusov is dragged through the snow.
Rated 14 Jan 2022
50
14th
At the beginning, for a while it seems as if it's going to be yet another entry into endearingly unpleasant Soviet war movies. Raw storytelling, great photography; unflinchingly conveyed how it would feel to be in this setting. But then it gets to a certain point and it just slows down hard and I stopped caring until the final bit, which is admittedly powerful. They needed to do/say something interesting and they didn't. It became a chore, technical competence be damned.
Rated 03 Apr 2023
85
87th
One of the few films I've seen where I could feel the cold. An absolutely miserable film that showcases two tremendous lead performances. Each man finds a breaking point that is completely believable and captured elegantly.
Rated 17 Jul 2022
78
55th
For the first half at least, this gripping saga appears destined for masterpiece territory, with Shepitko's spare, unflinching direction establishing an atmosphere of dread terror (the barn scene in particular). Unfortunately the second half devolves into a not uninteresting but simplistic (and heavy-handed) Christ parable - the final scene in particular reaches a level of mysticism out of place with the remainder of the film. Solonitsyn is wonderfully sinister as their Pilate equivalent.
Rated 20 Jul 2022
96
98th
An absolute masterpiece of bleak despair. The first 45 minutes or so were among the most gripping I've ever seen in a movie--I've seen plenty of war movies where it's depicted as unpleasant, but few if any depict it quite that awfully. The rest is only slightly less great, with internal rather than external issues taking over as it examines different reactions in the face of death. Amazing B/W cinematography, especially (again) in the first 45 minutes. Sparse but effective score. A special movie
Rated 15 Nov 2023
53
56th
War movies usually aren't this intimate and small in scope, and I appreciate that aspect, along with the cinematography. There are plenty of powerful moments, and a few bombastic ones, especially toward the end. It's definitely worth a watch.
Rated 11 Nov 2023
100
96th
Watching this for the third time, but many years after the last time, I remembered thinking it was utterly brilliant, but wasn't exactly sure why. For most of it's running time, this is a very good war film with a particularly good sense of what this much snow is really like. Then I got to the last 20 minutes and remembered. What an absolutely stunning piece of work.
Rated 11 Mar 2024
88
85th
Impressive. While it is very much in the vein of Come and See (which was actually made after this, but which I saw first), I appreciate this film more because of its clear-eyed focus on what it means to be human. There is a fair bit of cinema that seems content wallowing in the mire of broken humanity, but this presents an alternative vision, using Snitkov to provide moments that transcend the brokenness and orient us toward true humanity.

Collections

(51)
Compact view
Showing 1 - 24 of 51 results

Similar Titles

Loading ...

Statistics

Loading ...

Trailer

No Trailer