Ashes in the Snow (2018) Reviews

• Soul touching movie

  vaida-638342018-10-23

  I have cried most of the movie - so touching and sensitive it is. Most of Lithuanians are well aware of the facts: people banishment to Siberia, their horrible travel and terrible living conditions there, deaths, illnesses, we've read books, we have listened stories of survivors. But to see this story on screen is as hard, as empowering - this trauma our nation carries through generations it keeps us strong and it keeps vulnerable at the same time. I keep wondering, what kind of nation we would be, if this would never happen, if these doctors, professors, artists, musicians, teachers would be alive and working for our country? I like the actors work very much, they did wonderful job, also the costumes are impressive as the camera work - amazing. The music is powerful and making cry - the national hymn in one of most unexpected and yet most reasoned place has left everybody I talked just speechless and breathless. I can understand, if for someone who is not familiar with our history, the movie might seem not so touching or important, but for us, Lithuanians it is.

• Baltic Schindler's List

  KulliKaljulind2018-11-29

  Without giving out the spoilers, it's not possible to say much. But look, I was sitting in the packed cinema hall and I had to sniff again when one of the bad guys started to smoke as I could smell the tobacco burning. And then, when there was a snowstorm, it felt like they turned the heating off. That's a first for me. Yes, it is close to home - I'm Estonian, so the scenario was the same in my country as it was in Lithuania. And in Latvia. And in Ukraine, and so on. Just replace the nazis SS with the communists NKVD and you get it why I referred to the Schindler's List. Brilliant acting, brilliant cinematography, everything worked really well together. Thanks! Please indulge yourselves and get some real cinema experience.

• Heartbreaking story

  morozanzelika2018-11-01

  A story of Lithuania, or other Baltic states is usually unseen, somewhere in the sidelines. Howeve this movie brings it forward and it's captivating, also cinematographically very beautiful. Could not hold back tears during the movie, but would watch it again and definitely recommend it. I hope this movie reaches the attention it deserves.

• heartbreaking and well done

  anikalietuv2019-01-14

  To someone who is not from the countries that were impacted by the soviet occupation, it may be difficult to see how this movie is an important re-telling of our history. To some it may be a small 'footnote' in all that's happened in our world's history, but as someone who's family was greatly affected by the Soviet occupation, I found this movie beautifully done and heartbreaking. Compared to the book, it left a lot to be desired but film adaptations are rarely just like the book. However, considering what they did, I thought they did a brilliant job and I would definitely watch it again. I'm sad to hear that many people didn't like it because i found it eye opening and well done. The acting, cinematography, and especially the fact that they brought in people who had actually lived through such a terrible time.

• Seeing but not feeling it.

  schuylerskye2019-01-12

  For fans of Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys, the book from which it was adapted from, it was a disappointment. I have read the book so many times and it never fails to make my heart hurt. When I heard that it would be adapted into a movie, I prepared my heart and a box of tissues for it. I was so excited for it. Sadly, they were not needed. For non readers of the book, they would probably be more accepting of this movie. To the readers and fans, they kinda cheated on by removing parts of the book that were the most heartbreaking, changing certain parts in the story and overall failing to show and evoke emotions like despair, anger, hurt...emotions I certainly felt all throughout the book. There was nothing memorable with the movie. I did not connect with any of the characters. Tbh during some major plot points they decided to keep (although there were changes, most of them big ones), I was thinking this is it, this will be the part which would change my mind about this movie but after seeing it, my reaction was meh, that was it? They really could have done a better job with the screenplay. Will I watch it again? Sorry, hard pass for me. I'd just stick with the book.