Liberation (DEFA Film Jewels)

The five-part epic "Liberation" was one of the most elaborate works of Soviet cinema, with a budget equivalent to 40 million dollars. For this immense prestige project, no expense was spared. It depicted the events of World War II from the Battle of Kursk (1943) to the fall of Berlin and Hitler's suicide (1945) as a grand panorama from the perspective of Soviet generals, making it more than just a war film. It is the most significant military-historical work of Russian feature film. For some, it represented downfall; for others, liberation. Part 1: The Fire Arc, Part 2: The Breakthrough, Part 3: The Main Offensive, Part 4: The Battle of Berlin, Part 5: The Last Assault. Current events also place this film in a new discussion context regarding the relationship between Germany and Russia, highlighting its nationalist pathos and the portrayal of the adversaries Stalin and Hitler, both autocrats. With this edition and a new commentary, we undertake the necessary analysis, including a correction of facts.