Operation Arsenal - Battle for Warsaw - Blu-ray

Content: Poland in World War II: Many citizens have bowed to Nazi occupation. But there is also resistance. Small and large groups are forming everywhere to fight the enemy occupiers. Rudy (Tomasz Zietek), Zoska (Marcel Sabat) and Alek (Kamil Szeptycki) also no longer want to accept the fear and violence brought to their home by the Nazis. With their small scout group, the Szare Szeregi (Grey Ranks), they plan acts of resistance against the occupiers. But their first major action goes wrong and leads to Rudy being captured by the Germans. They want to find out more about the scout group by any means necessary. But Rudy persistently remains silent, even though the torture methods of his tormentors are getting worse. But will he be able to hold out long enough for his chambermates to free him?

Operation Arsenal - Battle for Warsaw is based on the true story about the Szare Szergi resistance movement. Director Robert Glinski has taken the autobiographical novel by Aleksander Kaminski, who was a central figure in the resistance, as the template for his tense war drama. Stylistically, he has kept his production very modern, both in terms of visual style and music. The driving electric guitar sounds seem a bit out of character with the story, but definitely add an interesting touch to the film's craftsmanship.

Although Glinski isn't exactly economical with the usual war movie clichés, his film has become a really intense piece of suspense cinema, especially in the second half. The desperate attempt to free Rudy from the hands of the Nazis, while he is being tortured in the cruelest of ways, is extremely grippingly realised. The film benefits considerably from the fact that Glinski doesn't go too overboard with the consternation, but also never loses sight of the entertainment value of his story. Of course, the main goal is to set a monument to the resistance fighters and to never let the cruel methods of the Nazi regime be forgotten. But on the other hand, the audience should also be offered exciting entertainment - and this is what the film delivers without a doubt.

Operation Arsenal - Battle for Warsaw is not a perfect film, the script is simply not good enough for that. The production, however, is absolutely successful, as it manages to tell a rather conventional war story in an incredibly rousing and exciting way and, despite a rather clichéd character sketch, turns the protagonists into absolutely sympathetic heroes with whom you, as a viewer, simply have to root for. Moreover, the film arouses the interest to learn more about the resistance in Poland against the Nazi regime, especially about smaller scout groups like the Grey Rows. Anyone who appreciates gripping war dramas should definitely give this one a look. Worth seeing!

Image + Sound: The technical realization is on a good to very good level. The picture pleases with a high image sharpness, which only has some small quality losses in dark scenes. The colors are well mixed and underline the atmosphere of the story. The audio, available as a DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix, features some very good surround effects during gunfights, air strikes and explosions. Otherwise, the dialogue, score, and atmospherically tuned ambient sounds dominate the tonal proceedings. Good!

Extras: As a bonus, the Blu-ray has eight interviews with the actors, the director and the producers (about 28 min), as well as the trailer and other program tips to offer. Absolute minimum standard, but in parts quite interesting.

Conclusion:Operation Arsenal - Battle for Warsaw is a gripping war drama about the high price one must be prepared to pay for resistance against an enemy superior force. Thrillingly staged and, apart from a few clichés, genuinely stirringly realised. The Blu-ray presents the war thriller in atmospheric picture and sound quality. The bonus material is a bit meager, but not entirely uninteresting. Overall, therefore: thoroughly recommended!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp