Mitka (Anton Krymskiy) is a twelve-year-old musician given a task that anyone might struggle to follow through with. He has been asked to carry out an attack on a series of SS officers as a means of retaliation and revenge for the crimes they have committed. As he comes to terms with the repercussions that will come with his decision, he knows that a lot rests on his shoulders. Nakam means revenge.
Nakam is based on a true story, and even before I realized that, this story is wild. A twelve-year old boy tasked with murdering multiple soldiers seems absurd for any time period, even when in the throes of World War II. Furthermore, with the subject being as taboo as it is, Writer Fabian Virayie and Director Andreas Kessler have to be careful how they present it to the public. This can easily be viewed as inappropriate or unnecessary–but I believe that Virayie and Kessler do a wonderful job of presenting this in a way that the world understands its purpose and appreciates the film as a result.
Much of that comes from the casting–and I think that viewers have to genuinely believe the emotion exuded by Krymskiy throughout, or the film fails. However, they find themselves a series of actors that seem to embody all of the qualities of the characters whose shoes they fill. Led primarily by Krymskiy, this cast exudes emotion in a way that perfectly represents all that this story is–and he is the catalyst for the massive amounts of emotion that exist throughout the film. Krymskiy is as powerful a young actor as I’ve ever seen, and Nakam thrives as a result of what he brings to the table.
The setting is so ironically beautiful in the sense that it perfectly represents the tone of the film and the reality of what the war would have looked like. It’s beautiful in the sense that it’s exactly what it needs to be, but ironic in the fact that it’s rugged, difficult to look at. Viewers are instantly immersed in the struggles of WWII, and they aren’t ever able to escape the firm grasp of what Virayie and Kessler are able to create. Nakam is so historically accurate, and that’s an important part of bringing this story to life. The reality is that the story is obscure enough that a slight failure on the part of the crew to create realistic sets isn’t a make or break–but they are so set on creating something honest, that they find themselves in the midst of something truly brilliant. While accuracy exists in nearly every facet of the film, it’s the aesthetic of Nakam that really drives it home.
Nakam manages to be beautiful; a film about murder and putting children in harm’s way twists and contorts into something that intrigues viewers. This is one of those stories where when the phrase “based on a true story” appears on screen, you have to do a double take. It’s nearly impossible to believe that this story is real, that at some point in history, in the throes of a world war, a child was tasked with so much. Led by Krymskiy, Nakam comes alive, it presents this incredible story to viewers in a way that will certainly appeal to them. In terms of war-related films, Nakam ranks among the best.
Directed by Andreas Kessler.
Written by Fabien Virayie.
Starring Anton Krymskiy, Peter Miklusz, Yevgeni Sitokhin, Rostyslav Bome, Irina Usova, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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