After watching this painfully long movie, I sat several minutes in disbelief. Such an important topic! Such a wasted opportunity! The movie concentrated on whitewashing Poles and tried to show them as martyrs - there was nonspace for doubt, free thinking, a bit of reflection. The complicated history of Western Ukraine is shown without any respect to its complexity. The movie forgets about centuries of Polish occupation of the land, broken promises, past conflicts. I was ao incredibly dissatisfied! It looked like the director tried to shock the audience with violence to cover up the lacking in political and sociological analysis. Many fragments - like the opening wedding sequence - were given way too much screen time, with others - political movements, for example - were just brushed on. Whole movie seemed quite off balance. And the pseudo- poetic, metaphorical ending was just too much. It is a shame that the writing and directing was so weak. It is also disappointing as this director is very capable- see Roza for example. I fear political influence of the many sponsors. There are few good performances, mostly from secondary characters. The main actress is a bit lifeless, she's only ok in opening sequence, but it might be the director 's vision - her defence mechanism to what's happening around her. Severely disappointed- don't waste your time. Read some smart essays about Volhynia online instead.

This movie is one of the best movies I ever watched. It is very realistic one, so these people who are used to some kind of positive heroes, you will be disappointed, because there are no heroes or just bad guys in this movie. It is not Hollywood crap about bad and good boys. Nearly every character has good and bad sides. Also this movie shows how Ukrainians can adapt their nationalism and hatred to other people by using different political systems. So I do recommend to watch it everybody, who is interested in history and to learn that not just Jews were victims of WWII and that Ukrainians are not such good as they trying to paint their selves in conditions of such called "Russian aggression".

Movie will be probably marked as 1 on IMDb rating by Ukrainian users of IMDb (same like Promise by Turks?). Ukrainian actors whose played in this movie, lost their's jobs after premiere. Those actors had jobs in Ukrainians theaters. Despite the fact that movie is bloody and brutal it shows only small part of cruelties which Ukrainians done during Wolyn genocide to Poles, Jewish, Czechs and other nations. What is important it shows also good Ukrainians. Why important it is estimated that on five Poles killed there were one Ukrainian who were killed becose he didn't want to kill those Poles. This hero Ukrainians there were at least 20 000. Today loots of Ukrainians are proud to carry half black half red flags and they thinks that Bandera and UPA were heroes. Well they weren't. They were just monsters and butchers whose main passion were killing innocent civilians with forks hammers and saws.

Well, where to begin. Films about genocide, especially such touchy subject as Polish-Ukranian relations in 1939-1943 in the region of Wolyn, are not an easy treat. The very theme of mass murder and brotherly hate is never easy, so this epic film about mass atrocities of Poles in Wolyn leaves a very heavy heart. If you are afraid of ferocious scenes, blood, dismembered bodies, mutilated kids or burned villages, then don't. Don't try to watch this film. It is awesome, it is executed with a n utmost precision and the tempo is impeccable, but it is way too difficult to see all those horrible scenes and what is even more horrid is the fact that it's never going to be easier, but only heavier and gloomier and worse for main hero and her suffering family. I will not retell the events of this film, just want to say - be warned and watch this at your discretion, as this is a very very severe and naked fear film. It demands all your patience and certain amount of guts, yes, guts, since the bloody scenes are really frightening. Need I say more? This is a masterpiece, truly so.