Generation of Victors: A Revolutionary Rattle

Is it worth your time?

If you have a thing for black-and-white revolutionary dramas, you might find something to latch onto here. If you prefer your movies to actually resolve their pacing issues, you should probably skip this one. It's a film for people who enjoy staring at faces in shadow and waiting for something to happen.

It’s heavy. It’s also surprisingly quiet for a movie about people trying to overthrow a system.

The vibe

There is a specific kind of intensity in the way these actors hold their pipes. Nobody just smokes; they contemplate the state of the union while holding the tobacco like it’s the only truth they have left. It’s honestly a bit much.

You can tell the filmmakers really wanted you to feel the stakes, but sometimes the scene lingers on a character’s stoic expression for just a few seconds too long. It starts to feel less like a dramatic pause and more like the film just forgot to cut to the next shot.

Odd bits and pieces

I found myself staring at the background extras more than the leads. There’s a scene in a tavern where one guy in the back is just eating his bread with such aggressive focus that it’s impossible to pay attention to the dialogue.

• The lighting makes everything feel damp, even when they're indoors.
• Some of the dialogue hits like a brick, but other parts just sort of drift away into nothing.
• The transitions are… abrupt. One minute they're in Petersburg, then blink and you’re in Moscow. No map, no travel montage, just poof.

Compared to the sheer kinetic energy of something like Tiger Land, this feels like moving through molasses. It doesn't have that punchy, 'let’s go' energy. It’s more like a slow crawl through a history book written by someone who had a lot of strong feelings about tea.

I’m not entirely sure if the characters are supposed to be this wooden or if the director just really liked static shots. Boris Shchukin does his best to keep the pulse going, but man, the movie really fights him on it. It’s like watching someone try to run in a dream where your legs don’t work.

Still, there’s an honesty to it that’s hard to hate. It doesn't feel like a studio-polished product. It feels like a bunch of people were told to make a movie about the revolution and they just went for it. It’s messy. It’s inconsistent. It’s got a weird heart beating under all those layers of propaganda and heavy coats. 🧤

Don't expect a masterpiece. Just expect to be bored in a way that feels oddly earnest.