The background of Andrei Tarkowski's first feature film is the Second World War, with the 12-year-old boy Iwan at the centre. As part of the official programme of films, it is still astonishing today how the Russian managed to shoot a film that stood across the system and showed the war from the perspective of a boy. Iwan seems totally hardened after losing his family and escaping a camp, he sees little prospects and quite simply wants to avenge the death of his loved ones. Tarkowski shows his masterly skills in cinematography in this early oeuvre. Using simple means, he tells the story in incredibly strong black-and-white tableaux.

Goldener Löwe. Mostra Dell'Arte Cinematografica di Venezia

«Bemerkenswert ist, wie ungebrochen das Potenzial der Verstörung erscheint, das dieser Film fast mehr noch dadurch, wie er erzählt, als was er erzählt, offenbart. Nach wie vor revolutionär mutet ein Zeitverständnis an, das herkömmliche Hierarchien in der Codierung von Vergangenem und Gegenwärtigem einfach ausser Kraft setzt.» Christoph Egger, Filmpodiumszeitung