Sniper: The White Raven Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		2.5

Sniper: The White Raven Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman September 12, 2022

It's probably not that often that a Blu-ray label with an arguably niche audience finds itself at the center of a global conflict but twice now Well Go USA has found itself kind of embroiled in the war between Russia and Ukraine. Several months ago the label actually sent out a rather rare press request that we not cover The Pilot: A Battle for Survival, which they had already sent copies of to reviewers, since its story of an ostensibly heroic Soviet pilot might not resonate that well with a global audience which seemed to tend more toward anti-Russian sentiment after Ukraine was invaded. Well Go USA now potentially adds a bit of fuel to that already simmering fire by offering people a film it does want covered, a film which while not specifically about the current fracas between Russia and Ukraine does in fact get into the fractious history between the two nations and gives a decidedly Ukrainian spin to things. The story is supposedly "ripped from the headlines", but it has a certain rote aspect which might suggest it's been rather aggressively "fictionalized", but that is not to say that Sniper: The White Raven doesn't provide some significant emotional content as it documents the transformation of a meek teacher type into the titular hitman, who of course is a Ukrainian tasked with taking out as many Russians as possible, and, by the time things are winding down, one Russian in particular (of course).

As well intentioned as Sniper: The White Raven unabashedly is, the film undercuts its own emotional momentum by telegraphing virtually each and every plot point. What do you think is going to happen when a young couple is shown out in an isolated environment, obviously deeply in love and enjoying their time together, while cutaways show an impending invasion, and then to complicate matters, the guy leaves the woman alone for a little while? If you can't assemble those pieces, then Sniper: The White Raven may in fact provide some surprises, but all others should approach this offering with open eyes, so to speak. The couple in this case is comprised of Mykola (Pavlo Aldoshyn), a kind of quiet science teacher, and his wife Nastya (Maryna Koshkina), who survive more or less "off the grid" in a rural enclave that would seem to be their version of Paradise, albeit without many creature comforts.

Without giving away too much for those who in fact can't assemble those pieces, suffice it to say Mykola soon forsakes his pacifist ways to join the Ukrainian army after Russia invades and the film then documents his training and ultimately his time on the battlefield. The story here is almost deliberately rote, but it also perhaps strains credulity in elements like the uncharacteristic facility Mykola shows almost from the get go in terms of becoming a solider, and, more saliently, a sniper. The revenge scenario seems willfully broad in the film's opening training conceit, but admittedly becomes more focused later on, after some intense interchanges that leave Mykola dealing with Russian carnage toward Ukraine.

Sniper: The White Raven almost desperately wants to inject an emotional personal story into a conflict that has raged on for at least decades, but kind of strangely in that regard, Mykola's quest for vengeance morphs in the film, only to re-morph (if I may be permitted to coin a term) back into its original version as the story comes to a close. One way or the other, perhaps ironically given how dour the Russian temperament is often described as being, this is a melancholy, even depressive, affair despite bursts of combat action and some nicely staged sniper material. The real problem here may be the very distance for western viewers that may have kept them from ever really paying attention to this particular neck of the woods very carefully. While a somewhat cartoonish portrayal of the villainous Russians probably helps things in terms of broad outlines, that may additionally tend to at least somewhat undercut the film's supposed emotional pull.

Sniper: The White Raven Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Sniper: The White Raven is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Well Go USA with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. I haven't been able to track down any authoritative information on the shoot, and the closing credits are kind of unhelpfully (for me, anyway) in Cyrillic, but this was digitally captured and I'm assuming finished with a 2K DI. The results are often quite striking and surprisingly scenic, even given a certain barren quality to many of the landscapes in view. While there's some typical "thriller blue" grading, there are also some rather interesting cooler blue tones that mix with yellows and even then to greens (understandably, I guess) in many of the outdoor scenes, which give things an appropriately wintry appearance a lot of the time. Detail levels are often excellent, especially fine detail on any of the many intricately woven fabrics that the sharpshooters use to drape over themselves to provide some camouflage. There are some passing deficits in shadow detail in some of the darkest material, which may be due in part at least to some of that aforementioned tendency to grade things toward blue.

Sniper: The White Raven Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Sniper: The White Raven features Well Go USA's frequent gambit of original language tracks (in this case Ukrainian) and English dubs, both of which are available in either DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 or Dolby Digital 2.0 formats. I toggled between the two surround tracks and really couldn't discern any noticeable difference between them in terms of amplitude or mixes, but purists will of course want to stick with the Ukrainian track. The glut of outdoor material, both in the quasi-pastoral first act and then the increasingly violent follow ups, offer substantial opportunities for nice immersive placement of ambient environmental effects. Relatively brief bursts of LFE populate some of the action scenes intermittently. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

Sniper: The White Raven Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer (HD; 2:13)

Note: As tends to be the case with Well Go USA Blu-ray releases, the disc has been authored to automatically move on to trailers for other Well Go USA releases after the trailer for this film plays. Those trailers for other Well Go USA releases also play automatically at disc boot up.

Sniper: The White Raven Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I'd frankly like to know what exactly in this tale was "ripped from the headlines", since that "based on a true story" epigram that so often accompanies films of this ilk can have pretty tenuous tethers to "the facts, and just the facts". The long simmering (and now actually fully erupted) conflict between Russian and Ukraine certainly deserves notice, and this film has an unabashedly Ukrainian point of view, which I'm absolutely sure will resonate strongly with many viewers. The story is still kind of almost remarkably reminiscent of any number of other revenge scenarios, but the setting here at least gives things a somewhat distinctive flavor. Technical merits are solid for anyone who may be considering making a purchase.