Over the last several weeks, Russia has shifted its focus in the war in Ukraine, retreating from the capital of Kyiv and focusing largely on eastern Ukraine and the Donbas region. Russia has had success in that area after annexing Crimea in 2014 and fanning and arming separatist forces. The Donbas region is the setting of Sniper: The White Raven, a powerful Ukrainian film that showcases the horrors of war, the contemporary history of the conflict, and the strength of the Ukrainian people.

Director Marian Bushan‘s film was created with the support of the State Film Agency of Ukraine and the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine, so this film is as much a rallying cry as it is a moving narrative. The story centers around Mykola (Aldoshyn Pavlo), a physics teacher and eccentric pacifist who just wants to live a peaceful existence in the middle of nowhere with his pregnant wife, Nastya (Maryna Koshkina). The problem is that they set up shop in their little hut just as Russia invades the Donbas region in 2014. Soon, checkpoints are set up. Mykola’s school shuts down, and militants murder his wife in front of him after burning down their house.

After burying his wife, Mykola signs up with a sniper company. This is my only real gripe with the film. His transition happens so fast. I get his justified anger against the Russians. Who can blame him? But he becomes trigger-happy a little too soon. Wouldn’t a pacifist have held out on arming himself just a little longer? By the end of the film, you’re certain he’ll mow down any Russian standing in his way.

This film doesn’t skimp on showing the horrors of war and Russia’s aggression against a sovereign nation. You see civilians harassed, kicked, and punched, all while Russians point guns at their heads. You witness what happens to Nastya the minute she picks up a rock and resists the invaders. You see more Ukrainian casualties, too, including other snipers in Mykola’s unit. This film isn’t gory, necessarily, but it certainly shows blood. This is a movie about a sniper’s story, after all, and how he turned into a steely-eyed hero and killer.

The cinematography frequently focuses on Ukraine’s stunning natural beauty, making the land and country that much more of a character constantly under threat. When you think of the images we’ve seen out of Ukraine over the last five months, it makes these shots all the more heart-wrenching. There are also sequences of soldiers doing push-ups in mud and rain and snipers crawling through the sand, snow, and other harsh conditions. I wouldn’t say this is a movie that glorifies war, but it certainly trumps up the will and determination of the Ukrainian people.

Sniper: The White Raven is certainly a moving feature. It underscores the fierce courage that we’ve seen from the Ukrainians over the last five months. Though the narrative begins in 2014, it ends with a shot of someone on the ground, covered in snow, a finger on the trigger. The date reads February 2022, the start of Russia’s latest invasion. It’s a powerful last image, a reminder this war may not end anytime soon, nor will Ukraine’s resistance.

7 Out of 10