I believe this movie is based on a true story. The year is 1944, Operation Bagration just about to start. Bagration is the Offensive that smashed German army group center. It's about a Duel of a young female Russian sniper named Olga, against an older distinguished German sniper Ace, with a record of 269 kills. Olga, now 19 years old, has only a credit of 16 kills, but won the Russian junior sharpshooting contest in 1940. Now Olga has been ordered to eliminate this thread. Olga uses very unorthodox and witty method's to outfox the German "Specialist". So far the German sniper seems to keep a step ahead of Olga, relying on his cunning instincts and experience. Both persons are of "unusual character trades, as viewers will find out with astonishment. But unlike in "Enemy at the Gates" this movie is not just about a Sniper Duel, it has several other stories and destinies woven in. There is this hyper "Jolly Good Fellow" young conscript, who falls deeply in love with Olga. Olga is and can not be distracted, and rejects his sometimes charming, but clumsy advances. There is also the fight of wills between a 52 year old veteran, a distinguished soldier, who hasn't risen in the ranks, against a young Russian Commissar, who works without compassion, to execute Stalin's orders. To top it all, there is a German Commando unit behind the Russian lines, dressed in Russian uniforms to create havoc. The battle scenes are made in the realistic style of "Saving Private Ryan", The characters are painted in gray, no formulated good guys vs the bad guys scheme, the war is portrayed as sheer terror mixed with human intrigues, misunderstandings and confusion. So you get the "been with them" feeling of a believable story. Gritty Realism is not left out, but not over-emphasized in this made for TV production. I watched the CP Digital version with English subtitles. This movie beats most over tuned Hollywood productions, it relays more on real military coaches, than on formulated effects.
Review of On an Unnamed Hill
