Even wearing a flak jacket, you can immediately recognize Levy as he tours the Ukrainian forces in the field. That why it is so gutsy that he returns so often. At this point, he is on a first-name basis with Zelensky and has long-term relationships with several senior commanders. He also meets many enlisted men and junior officers, like Oksana Rubaniak, who also happens to be a poet, much like her late boyfriend, another fallen soldier. Touched by their stories and their verse, Levy promises to publish them both in France.
Throughout the documentary, Levy and his crew hear plenty of shells landing nearby and sometimes even whizzing past them. He also documents some of the destruction wrought be Putin’s scorched earth tactics. The images are shocking and appalling, but they can’t equal the visceral horrors of Mstslav Chernov’s 20 Days in Mariupol, but few films can.
Unfortunately, there is an awkward co-star. That would be our current President, whose bizarre Oval Office meeting with Zelensky happened during filming. It leaves a bitter taste that Macron’s administration is seen as a bigger advocate of freedom. Yet, the truth is Biden talked a better game, but he never really walked the walk either.
Yet, that scene directly into Levy’s titular thesis. He repeatedly argues that Ukraine is fighting the war now, so the rest of Europe (and even the U.S.) won’t have to fight it later. It is not just his interpretation. Russian officials like Dmitry Medvedev say the same thing, but more abrasively, on Russian national television.
That comes through loud and clear throughout Levy’s latest film. Highly recommended as a timely reality check regarding the state of Putin’s illegal war, Our War opens today (6/11) at the Quad.
