This is one of my favorite movies, and definitely my favorite of Shepitko's movies, though I'll freely admit I've only watched two and a half of them. I love it dearly. My loser letterboxd review is as follows:
Beautiful, personal, relatable portrait of a well-understood and realized character. Maya Bulgakova was extraordinary. It made no compromises, did not try to meet us in the middle or offer easy or satisfying solutions to things Nadya is still building the tools to recover from or understand. It is often quiet, sober, and feels at once intimate and distant. I especially adore the conversation with her daughter, and in the bar. The movie doesn't try to use Nadya as a carrier of virtue or weakness or some singular message that reduces her personhood to make a tool or example out of her -- every piece serves to create through context a full picture of a person's inner world. This picture is supported by a patient score and excellent photography. This is also one of the few movies in which I enjoy short flashbacks. To my mind it does exactly enough with its hour and twenty-three minutes. It's human in a way that we don't get enough of in 2025, let alone in 1966.
To give my letterboxd self some credit, I do think Bulgakova was outstanding, I do think it is beautiful and personal, and I do think it has an excellent score and photography. I still love every talk in this movie.
The Ascent really hasn't connected with me. I know this is the things I love area, so allow me to explain — while I love Shepitko's movies, I just have a disconnect for this one. Maybe a fourth rewatch will cure me. It remains to be seen.
HUB