An impressive compliment for Ukrainian cinematography can serve the boom concerning the premiere of Oles Yanchuk’s film Unconquered on the biography of legendary UPA General Roman Shukhevych. There was every sign of sensation: hordes of people willing to get into the Cinematographers’ House, the guards’ and administration’s provocative and, unfortunately, habitual boorishness, overcrowded Red and Blue Halls where the film was simultaneously shown. All that was more than enough to disprove any speculation about a lack of interest in our domestic cinema. People came to watch Unconquered if only because of its being a Ukrainian film, one of the rare and thus especially dear Dovzhenko Film Studio new productions.
The premiere attracted the most mixed audience — from politics and state officials to film fans and critics. Oppressive was the large number of swells looking like fascist thugs. To the credit of the director, author of Famine-33 and Assasination: Autumn Murder , be it said, his latest work gives no reason to such a public to regard it as their own.
Hryhory Hlady, the lead, was undoubtedly hero of the night. Hlady, undeniably a symbolic figure in the Ukrainian artistic world, trained by such theater maestros as Jerzy Grotowski and Anatoly Vasiliev, is quite a rare guest to his historic motherland. His return, even in such screen role, is a hope-inspiring violation of a sad conformity according to which our actors, writers, and painters, leaving us, enrich the culture of their host countries with their talents.
As regards the film itself, it narrates the story of Shukhevych’s final years, his life full of danger, his everlasting struggle against Polish, German, and Soviet occupation. As in any film on war subjects, the movie features guys in black and white hats (or our) guys. Hlady performed his part in this in fact adventure film as a real master. He succeeded in creating Shukhevych’s image as a romantic hero, a member of an underground organization without fear or reproach. Naturally, the spectator worries about the attractive, courageous, and noble hero and hopes our guys win (they do not, of course). Unfortunately, the plots in Ukrainian history has hitherto not had many happy endings. This sad tradition is still preserved, including in cinematography. But in this particular case the climax is not needed; we need a sequel, at least a minimal chance for life. Unconquered is definitely not a masterpiece but a competent mediocre film. Such movies support the domestic cinema market’s average level, dozens of them appear on the wide screen and television. The routine existence of our film, let it be without Oscars and Cannes, but worthy in all senses, is formed precisely like this. In spite of all the problems torturing our Dream Factory there still are a few people who know how to shoot films and many people willing to watch them. It appears that it is the main and best result of the Unconquered premiere.
