«Zoya» - Movie Review by Kinoafisha

A war melodrama about the first woman awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union during the Great Patriotic War, Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya, is released in Russian cinemas. In the era of post-feminism, the idea of making a feature film about such a strong and determined personality is inherently interesting, but the creators of "Zoya" failed to deliver a compelling film or a coherent story for a historical biopic.

Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya led the life of an ordinary Soviet schoolgirl. She believed in family, love, and communism. However, this idyll was abruptly interrupted when the Great Patriotic War began in 1941. In the first few months, all the events passed by the girl, but she could not simply watch and stay on the sidelines. In the autumn of the same year, Zoya voluntarily went to a sabotage school and joined the ranks of a partisan detachment. Unfortunately, she and her comrades quickly fell into a German ambush, but no torture or interrogation could make Zoya even utter her own name.

In the eastern part of Moscow, near the "Partizanskaya" metro station, a medium-sized monument to Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya was erected in Izmailovsky Park. It stands alone near the main pedestrian road, but there are always fresh red flowers laid there. The appearance of these flowers is thanks to local schoolchildren from neighboring districts who are often taken on excursions by history teachers, telling them about the life of the partisan detachment. The academic words of the instructor contain more life and real details about Zoya's image than those in Maxim Brius's "Zoya". Perhaps this monument no longer exists, but at the metro station itself, one can still look into the face of Kosmodemyanskaya and her colleagues, and even these blocks of stone speak to us more about the heroine than the film itself.

In the mass Russian cinema, which does not even attempt to enter the realm of art mainstream, there are three main themes for numerous plots. The first, in terms of significance and quantity, belongs to the genre of comedy with a dash of romantic pathos. Usually, the most famous actors star in such films, advertising new MTS tariffs in their free time. The second theme, often used in domestic films, is a sports retro drama, compulsorily about the victories of Soviet athletes. And finally, there is modern military cinema, which should ignite patriotism in the average Russian. Among all these themes, there are curious and structurally complete films. It is enough to recall the excitement surrounding "Legend No. 17" and "Going Vertical". Among war dramas, the blockbuster "Stalingrad" stands out from all the others, but "Zoya" falls far short of these films on many criteria. Instead of a classic war film on the silver screen, the creators have produced a made-for-television movie, not even for the "First Channel", but only for "Russia 1".

As a result, we are presented with that very drama, the premiere of which is often scheduled after the news segment. The character of Zoe herself is endowed with the traits of heroines from provincial melodramas, and there are practically no antagonists in the film, only making brief appearances in dialogues. Where is that strong-willed individual who didn't even reveal her name to the Nazis? Feminist ideas and perspectives pass by the creators of "Zoe," and the entire story resembles some farce and haphazardly constructed fantasy with no historical facts. For example, Lin-Manuel Miranda also devised numerous plotlines in order to transform his story about one of America's founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton, into a true Shakespearean tragedy, instead of a mere documentary narrative. However, his imagination never distorted the authentic facts and only served to enhance the perception. "Zoe" lacks such magic, and everything that occurs resembles a boulevard novel.

The target audience of the film is ambiguous. On one hand, the film was deliberately made as a substitute for a history lesson, but on the other hand, it turned out to be a modest melodrama. It would make sense to go to the cinema to see the meticulous work of the costume designer and set designer.