Russian cinematography of the Great Patriotic War: “Each film is a blow to the enemy”

Abstract

The article examines the domestic cinema of the period of the Great Patriotic War. It is noted that documentaries and short propaganda films became the most operational cinematographic form of the first years of the war. The most mobile genres of cinema of this time were film reporting and newsreels of military operations. “Combat Film Collections”, despite their simplification and obvious errors associated with poor knowledge of the subject, inspired hope and faith in victory over the enemy and played an important role in moving filmmakers to more mature works. The article discusses the fate of war films released in the pre-war period, which did not stand the test of time. At the same time, it is noted that criticism of the creators of these films is not always fair. An analysis of new full-length feature films, which began to appear in 1942, showed that in this harsh time, thanks to the talent and dedication of directors, screenwriters and actors, many wonderful films were created that raised morale in the army and had a powerful mobilizing effect on viewers and brought victory over the enemy