Blizzard of Souls (Template:Lang-lv) or The Rifleman (UK title)[2] is a 2019 Latvian historical drama directed by Dzintars Dreibergs.[1] It premiered on 8 November 2019 in Latvia[3] and on 20 February 2020 internationally at the European Film Market.[4] The film is an adaptation of Aleksandrs Grīns' novel of the same name written during his service as a Latvian Rifleman in World War I.[3] It was selected as the Latvian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards.[5][6][7]
| Blizzard of Souls | |
|---|---|
 International release poster | |
| Written by | Boris Frumin[1] |
| Produced by | |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Valdis Celmiņš |
| Edited by | Gatis Belogrudovs |
| Music by | Lolita Ritmanis[1] |
Release date |
|
Running time | 120 minutes[1] |
| Country | Latvia |
| Languages | Latvian, Russian, German, Estonian |
Plot
After losing his mother and home sixteen-year-old Artūrs decides to join the national Latvian Riflemen battalions of the Imperial Russian army in hopes of finding glory. He goes on to fight in World War I, where he loses his father and brother and quickly becomes disillusioned. Eventually, Artūrs returns to his newly-proclaimed country of Latvia to start everything from scratch.[1]
Cast
- Oto Brantevics as Artūrs Vanags
- Raimonds Celms as Edgars Vanags
- Mārtiņš Vilsons as Vanags
- Jēkabs Reinis as Miķelsons
- Gatis Gāga as Konrāds
- Renārs Zeltiņš as Spilva
- Vilis Daudziņš as Sala
- Grēta Trušiņa as Marta
- Ieva Florence as Mirdza
- Rēzija Kalniņa as Mother
Reception
During the first five weeks of screening the film was seen by more than 200,000 people, making it the most-watched film since the restoration of Latvian independence.[8][9][10]
Critical response
Blizzard of Souls has received generally favorable reviews from the critics. Ellen E Jones of The Guardian gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, praising Brantevics' acting as "convincing", but concluding that "as a national coming-of-age story, The Rifleman never quite outgrows its innocent, uncritical patriotism".[11] Deborah Young of The Hollywood Reporter also noted the film as being "underscored by evident, old-fashioned patriotism", but praised the "exceptionally atmospheric" cinematography by Celmiņš, "poignantly respectful" score by Ritmanis and editing by Belogrudovs', summarizing Blizzard of Souls as "[a] more realistic '1917'".[12] The acting and cinematography was similarly praised by Rob Aldam of Backseat Mafia who believed the film "has the look and feel of a Hollywood blockbuster" and called it "one of the best war films of the last few years".[13]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Tenerife International Film Music Festival Alex North Award | Best Soundtrack (Lolita Ritmanis) | Nominated[14] |
| 2020 | IMAGO International Awards for Cinematography | Best Cinematography (Valdis Celmiņš) | Nominated[15] |
| 2020 | Lielais Kristaps | Best Film (Inga Praņevska and Dzintars Dreibergs) | Won[16] |
| 2020 | Lielais Kristaps | Best Director (Dzintars Dreibergs) | Won[16] |
Production
The lead actor Oto Brantevics was selected out of 1,300 candidates and had no prior acting experience.[17] Former Minister of Defence Raimonds Bergmanis made a cameo appearance in the film, while the then Minister of Defence Artis Pabriks appeared as an extra.[3]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Blizzard of Souls". National Film Centre of Latvia. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
- ^ "Latvian film "Blizzard of Souls" goes to UK and China". Public Broadcasting of Latvia. 23 July 2020. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
- ^ a b c "Blizzard of Souls is a reminder that Latvia's freedom was never a given - director". The Baltic Times. 11 November 2019. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
- ^ Balčus, Zane (20 January 2020). "Eyewell Picks Up Latvian BO Leader Blizzard of Souls". Film New Europe Association. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
- ^ "Latvia enters film Blizzard of Souls for Oscar awards". National Film Centre of Latvia. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
- ^ "Latvia submits Blizzard of Souls for the Oscars". The Baltic Course. 19 November 2020. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
- ^ "FNE Oscar Watch 2021: Blizzard of Souls to Represent Latvia in Oscar Race". Film New Europe Association. 20 November 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
- ^ ""Blizzard of Souls" breaks Latvian box-office records". Public Broadcasting of Latvia. 16 December 2019. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
- ^ Abbatescianni, Davide (17 December 2019). ""Blizzard of Souls" breaks Latvian box-office records". Cineuropa. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
- ^ "Blizzard of Souls breaks attendance record with 200,000 people seeing the film in five weeks". The Baltic Times. 17 December 2019. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
- ^ Jones, Ellen E (24 July 2020). "The Rifleman review – Latvian war epic aims high". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
- ^ Young, Deborah (30 March 2020). "'Blizzard of Souls' ('Dveselu Putenis')". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
- ^ Aldam, Rob (22 July 2020). "Film Review: The Rifleman". Backseat Mafia. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
- ^ "FIMUCITÉ 14 – 8th Edition of FIMUCINEMA". Tenerife International Film Music Festival. 28 August 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
- ^ "IMAGO International Awards. The Nominees". IMAGO International Awards for Cinematography. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
- ^ a b "National film award Lielais Kristaps winners announced". Public Broadcasting of Latvia. 16 November 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
- ^ Veidemane, Elita (7 November 2020). "Director Dzintars Dreibergs: Blizzard of Souls is the story of the birth of the Latvian state". Neatkarīgā Rīta Avīze. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
External links
- Official website (in English)
- Blizzard of Souls at IMDb
- Trailer of the film (in Latvian and English)