''In Transit'' (originally titled ''In Tranzit'') is a 2008 Russian-British drama film based on the true story of German prisoners of war in a

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

work camp after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. The film was directed by Tom Roberts, and stars

Thomas Kretschmann Thomas Kretschmann (; born 8 September 1962) is a German actor who has appeared in many European and American films. His notable roles include Lieutenant Hans von Witzland in ''Stalingrad'' (1993), Hauptmann Wilm Hosenfeld in '' The Pianist'' (2 ...

Daniel Brühl Daniel César Martín Brühl González (; ; born 16 June 1978) is a German and Spanish actor. He has received various accolades, including three European Film Awards and three German Film Awards, along with nominations for two Golden Globe Awar ...

Vera Farmiga Vera Ann Farmiga ( ; born August 6, 1973) is an American actress. Farmiga began her professional acting career on stage in the original Broadway production of '' Taking Sides'' (1996). After expanding to television and film, her breakthrough ...

, and

John Malkovich John Gavin Malkovich (born December 9, 1953) is an American actor. He is the recipient of several accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and ...

. The film was released in Russian cinemas on 4 March 2008 and in the United Kingdom on 31 May 2010.

Plot

In the winter of 1946, in

Leningrad Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

, a group of German prisoners of war are sent to a female transit camp by the cruel Russian Colonel Pavlov (

). When they arrive, the Russian female soldiers show hostility to the prisoners on the grounds that have killed their families and friends; only Dr. Natalia (

) and the cook treat the prisoners with dignity. Natalia has an agreement with Colonel Pavlov to keep her former lover, who was wounded on the head during the war, in the camp instead of sending him to an institution in Siberia. Pavlov assigns Natalia to discover the members of the SS hiding in the group of prisoners. Natalia and the prisoner Max (

) feel a great attraction for each other, while another prisoner, Klaus (

), tries to convince Max to denounce a couple of prisoners to satisfy Pavlov. Natalia convinces the businessman Yakov ( John Lynch) to organise an orchestra with the prisoners; they are invited to a ball, where the lonely women who survived the war get to dance with the Germans. After the ball, Natalia convinces Officer Elena (

Thekla Reuten Thekla Simona Gelsomina Reuten (born 16 September 1975) is a Dutch actress. Life and career Reuten was born in Bussum, Netherlands, the daughter of a Dutch father, Joost Reuten, and an Italian mother, who was born in Benabbio near Bagni di Lucc ...

) to let the prisoners spend the night with the women. Natalia has a one-night stand with Max and while he sneaks back to the quarters, he is attacked by Klaus but saved by Natalia, who then discovers who Klaus actually is. Pavlov interrupts the fight between Max and Klaus. Klaus then commits suicide, being hit by a train. Max and Pavlov discuss who Klaus really was and the reputation he had. Pavlov calls Natalia a true soviet for completing her mission, revealing the truth to Max. Max is taken away heart broken. The next day, Max is returned and Natalia’s former lover is taken to Siberia. They eventually receive the news that Stalin made a deal and the POWs will be going home.

Cast

as Max Bort *

as Dr. Natalia *

as Klaus Prompst *

as Colonel Pavlov * Natalie Press as Zina *

Ingeborga Dapkūnaitė Ingeborga Dapkūnaitė (born 20 January 1963) is а Lithuanian actress and television presenter. Known for both her screen and stage performances, she has gained recognition for featuring in films such as ''Burnt by the Sun'' (1994) and '' Katya ...

as Vera *

as Officer Elena * Yevgeni Mironov as Andrei * Beverly Hotsprings as Anya * Brian Kane as Laurie * John Lynch as Yakov *

Guy Flanagan Guy Nicholas Flanagan (born 1980) is an English actor, best known for portraying John Mitchell in the pilot episode of '' Being Human''. Background Born in New Longton, Lancashire, Flanagan attended Cardinal Newman College, and went on to tr ...

as Hans

Production

''In Transit'' was directed by Tom Roberts, from a screenplay written by Natalia Portnova and Simon van der Borgh. The film was produced by Jimmy de Brabant, Michael Dounaev and Kami Naghdi.

Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...

took place over five weeks in

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...

, Russia in March and April 2006.

Release

The film was sold at the

Cannes Film Market Cannes (, ; , ; ) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. The city is ...

in 2007 and was not subject to theatrical release thereafter. It was distributed

straight to DVD Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, television series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strateg ...

by Peace Arch Films in Russia on 4 March 2008, Peace Arch Home Entertainment in the United States on 5 May 2009 and Peace Arch Films and

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment Universal Pictures Home Entertainment LLC (UPHE) is the home video distribution division of Universal Pictures, an American film studio owned by NBCUniversal, the entertainment unit of Comcast. UPHE is the home video distributor for all of the ...

in the United Kingdom on 31 May 2010. Pan Vision released the film straight to DVD in

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

on 30 March 2010,

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

on 31 March 2010 and

Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

on 1 April 2010. The film was also released on DVD in Japan, Australia, the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

and

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

Reception

''In Transit'' received mixed reviews from

film critics Film criticism is the analysis and evaluation of films and the film medium. In general, film criticism can be divided into two categories: Academic criticism by film scholars, who study the composition of film theory and publish their findin ...

. The film was described by film critic Robert Roten as one where "strong acting helps overcome a meandering, but unpredictable plot. It is a solid international cast, and a story that, while not compelling, will keep you guessing right up to the end. It has an air of authenticity about it and it works for the most part." By way of contrast, another critic, Don Groves, saw the film as "almost totally devoid of tension, marred by slack pacing, thinly developed characters and banal dialogue."

References

External links

*
Page on Yevgeny Mironov's website
{{DEFAULTSORT:In Transit (film) 2008 films 2000s Russian films 2000s Russian-language films Russian-language war drama films Russian war drama films British war drama films English-language Russian films Films set in the Soviet Union 2000s war drama films World War II prisoner of war films World War II films based on actual events 2008 drama films Russian World War II films British World War II films 2000s English-language films 2000s British films English-language war drama films