Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- grave
- melancholic
- haunting
- historical cinema viewing
- serious film night
What critics said
The film's troubled reception was marked by severe audience dissatisfaction and controversy surrounding its status as Russia's Oscar submission.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Kotov returns from near-execution and a prison camp to fight for his name and honor.
The World War II setting is filtered through Kotov's damaged identity, family ties, and lost love.
The plot explicitly presents Kotov's story as the final part of Mikhalkov's trilogy.
Kotov's return from execution, imprisonment, and renewed fighting places battlefield and mass-conflict imagery at the center.
Films like Burnt by the Sun 2: Citadel, and why
The Cranes Are Flying
epic world war ii drama centered on military trauma, betrayal, and personal honor
Come and See
somber russian war drama combining intimate relationships with national catastrophe
The Ascent
historical war drama about survival, moral injury, and contested loyalty
Movie Details
- Director
- Nikita Mikhalkov
- Release Date
- 2011-05-05
- Runtime
- 158 min
- Rating
- 4.2 / 10 (48)
Cast
- Nikita Mikhalkov
- Oleg Menshikov
- Nadezhda Mikhalkova
- Viktoriya Tolstoganova
- Sergey Makovetskiy
- Maksim Sukhanov
- Vladimir Ilin
- Inna Churikova
- Dmitriy Dyuzhev
- Andrey Merzlikin
Common questions
- What is Burnt by the Sun 2: Citadel about?
- A disgraced Soviet commander returns from imprisonment to reclaim his honor, defend his identity, and confront the emotional wreckage of World War II.
- What is Burnt by the Sun 2: Citadel like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Burnt by the Sun 2: Citadel as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Burnt by the Sun 2: Citadel violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Burnt by the Sun 2: Citadel as brutal.
- What did critics think of Burnt by the Sun 2: Citadel?
- The film's troubled reception was marked by severe audience dissatisfaction and controversy surrounding its status as Russia's Oscar submission.
- Which films are like Burnt by the Sun 2: Citadel?
- Films with a similar feel include The Cranes Are Flying, Come and See, and The Ascent.
- How long is Burnt by the Sun 2: Citadel?
- Burnt by the Sun 2: Citadel runs 158 minutes.
