In the Fog

Most war movies focus on the big picture, meaning that all of the character and drama is there only to support the cinematic spectacle of the big battle. This fascinating film from director Sergei Loznitsa takes the opposite approach: It shows audiences how the big events of the war impact the life of one man, an innocent rail worker named Sushenya (Vladimir Svirskiy). Sushenya is mistakenly arrested as a saboteur when a train is derailed near his village and, instead of being killed with the others, he is set free by the Germans. His freedom comes with a price, however; the price of being suspected of collaboration by everyone in his village. The movie moves at a slow, at times glacial, pace which takes a bit of getting used to. Loznitsa knows what he’s doing though, as the rhythm of the movies goes from slow to hypnotic as the story progresses, setting you up for a nerve-shaking climax.