Attack on Leningrad

A Devastating And Powerful Story Muted And Lost In A Clunky And Awkward Screenplay
The World War II presentation "Attack on Leningrad" takes a harrowing real life subject and should have been a powerful and unforgettable movie experience. Wanting to be a historical epic, a sweeping romance, and a heart-rending tragedy--the film, ultimately, falls short on all fronts. It's a real shame, too. Setting a personal story amidst the siege on Leningrad, where German troops isolated the city for nearly 900 days as its inhabitants starved to death, seems like a can't miss proposition to tell a devastating and important tale of survival and perseverance. But this Russian production fails to shed much light as either a personal story or as a tribute to a great city (which is certainly what director Alexander Buravsky must have intended). Populating the cast with international actors including Mira Sorvino, Gabriel Byrne, and Armin Mueller-Stahl further upped my expectations for a truly memorable experience. Sadly, though, the movie flounders at its most basic element--the...

Starving, Freezing & Dying at Leningrad!
I'm a fan of WWII films and always in search of new ones from whatever origin. This is a Russian movie and it is a real grand war film, even with some minor flaws.
"Leningrad" (2009) is a movie reflecting the incredible suffering of civil population inside the besieged city. At the same time criticizes the Communist Regime and pay homage to heroic Russian people.

The story is about a British reporter accidentally stranded at Leningrad without papers. There she meets a sympathetic militia-woman that risks all to help her survive and try, eventually, to return to Moscow.
Kate shares the daily life of a group of civilians subject to incredible odds: a constantly reducing food ration, freezing cold, no electricity, no phones, no heating, no medical aid, and no nothing!
The film gives a very realistic depiction of how a human reacts under these extreme conditions.

Playacting is really very good, Mira Sorvino as Kate Davis and Olga Sutulova as Nina...

A Flawed but Ultimately Deeply Moving Film
'Some fight. Others fall. All are heroes.' ATTACK ON LENINGRAD as written and directed by Aleksandr Buravsky does indeed address one of the longest and costliest sieges in the history of war. History books relate it as follows: 'This was undoubtedly the most tragic period in the history of the city, a period full of suffering and heroism. For everyone who lives in St. Petersburg the Blokada (the Siege) of Leningrad is an important part of the city's heritage and a painful memory for the population's older generations. Less than two and a half months after the Soviet Union was attacked by Nazi Germany, German troops were already approaching Leningrad. The Red Army was outflanked and on September 8 1941 the Germans had fully encircled Leningrad and the siege began. The siege lasted for a total of 900 days, from September 8 1941 until January 27 1944. The city's almost 3 million civilians (including about 400,000 children) refused to surrender and endured rapidly increasing hardships in...

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