Trial on the Road

Russian films are always a bit of a gamble. They tend to be rather grim and downtrodden by design, and while that's not always a bad thing, it's certainly not a guarantee for success either. Trial on the Road is a dreary war drama that firmly landed in the second category for me, meaning that the trial part of the title was certainly apt enough.

Lazarev is a former Red Army sergeant who values his life more than his allies. When the Germans capture him he joins their side, but when he finally ends up into the hands of partisans he is eager enough to fight against the Nazis. Not all the partisans are immediately willing to trust Lazarev though.

The stark black-and-white cinematography could've elevated the barren and snow-covered landscapes, but in the end, it just turns it into a dulled, dire setting. The performances are terrible and overstated, the plot is equally uninviting, and whatever intrigue there is never felt in any way engaging. It's a pretty short film, but to me t it felt like it would never end. Had a horrible time with this one.