Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- somber
- harrowing
- tense
- historical film night
- serious weekend viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly viewed the film as an earnest but uneven World War II siege drama, with its historical scale and cinematography undermined by conventional storytelling.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Kate and Nina struggle to remain alive while Leningrad is cut off by Nazi forces and exposed to bombardment and deprivation.
The plot emphasizes Kate, Nina, and the besieged population's efforts to survive rather than focusing solely on battlefield tactics.
Foreign journalist Kate is stranded in Leningrad and depends on Nina, a young Soviet police officer, while the two form a survival partnership.
The bomb alarms, blocked city, military presence, and threatened streets frame Leningrad as both a historical location and a hostile survival environment.
Films like Leningrad, and why
The Pianist
shared World War II setting, siege survival drama, civilian vulnerability, and somber historical realism
Europa Europa
shared wartime occupation, moral endurance, civilian survival, and emotionally harrowing drama
Stalingrad
shared World War II military conflict, ensemble survival stakes, and large-scale historical drama
The Siege of Jadotville
shared besieged-city setting, wartime deprivation, intimate survival focus, and bleak atmosphere
Movie Details
- Director
- Aleksandr Buravskiy
- Release Date
- 2009-01-01
- Runtime
- 120 min
- Rating
- 5.5 / 10 (101)
Cast
- Gabriel Byrne
- Mira Sorvino
- Armin Mueller-Stahl
- Alexander Beyer
- Christian Berkel
- Eckehard Hoffmann
- Olga Sutulova
- Aleksandr Abdulov
- Mikhail Efremov
- Vladimir Ilin
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- YouTube
- Buy
- YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Leningrad about?
- A stranded foreign journalist and an idealistic Soviet police officer form a fragile alliance amid the starvation, bombardment, and military terror of besieged Leningrad.
- What is Leningrad like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Leningrad as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Leningrad violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Leningrad as graphic.
- What did critics think of Leningrad?
- Critics broadly viewed the film as an earnest but uneven World War II siege drama, with its historical scale and cinematography undermined by conventional storytelling.
- Which films are like Leningrad?
- Films with a similar feel include The Pianist, Europa Europa, Stalingrad, and The Siege of Jadotville.
- How long is Leningrad?
- Leningrad runs 120 minutes.
- Where can I watch Leningrad?
- In United States, Leningrad is available to rent or buy from YouTube.
