Country: Russia
Review: Based
on Ilya Boyashov’s fictional novel “Tankman”, “White Tiger” is an eerie tale
that mixes war and supernatural to portray the improbable story of one of the
best Russian tank drivers of WWII. During an operation against the Germans,
this tank driver got burned in 90% of his body when he was hit by a mysterious
tank known as White Tiger. Practically given up for dead, he has a miraculous
recovery in a few weeks, revealing a strange sixth sense that will help him to
accomplish his mission of destroying White Tiger and avenge his own fate.
Having lost his memory, he was renamed Naydenov and promptly reattached to
military service. As a ghost, only him could see White Tiger, which according
to his words was an indestructible tank commanded by dead. After these spooky
revelations, the hunt begins, painted in beautiful colors and alluring visuals
of destruction and claustrophobia. The film showed nerve in the way that made
the absurdity of the story seem naturally serious. The performance by Aleksey
Vertkov was convincing, while the music of Richard Wagner enhanced the tense
moments. Even using a minimal story and a few details in the plot that
were hard to swallow, “White Tiger” spread some freshness with its exquisite
taste, hypnotic war scenes, and final mention of an abominable philosophy described
by the Reich himself. An absurdly original piece of cinema.
