The unique combination of a Russian perspective on World War II, fantastic cinematography, and some impressive tank battles all make the film worth seeing. But it is Aleksey Vertkov’s haunted performance as Naydenov that truly captivated me.
After a battle in which he is burned on 90 percent of his body, tank driver Ivan Naydenov (Aleksey Vertkov) makes a miraculous recovery. Stricken with a selective amnesia that robs him of any memory of his previous identity except for his military training and superior tank driving skills, Naydenov becomes obsessed with destroying the tank that he deems responsible for his injuries. That tank — a ghost-like, white German Tiger — appears from the fog of war to demolish Russian armored divisions with pin-point accuracy only to retreat into the shadows before anyone can locate it.
To counter the threat of the White Tiger, the Russian Army creates an experimental T-34 tank with heavier-than-normal armor and a more powerful engine. Naydenov is appointed as the driver. Giving him the best crew available, the Russians expect Naydenov to obliterate the Tiger as soon as possible.
It’s not much of a stretch to compare White Tiger to “Moby Dick.” The elusive white target repeatedly slipping through the grasp of its nearly possessed hunter is a fairly obvious similarity. But White Tiger also includes elements that set it apart from a typical war movie. The unique combination of a Russian perspective on World War II, fantastic cinematography, and some impressive tank battles all make the film worth seeing. But it is Aleksey Vertkov’s haunted performance as Naydenov that truly captivated me.
Naydenov is an enigma literally born out of the horror of war. He isn’t interested in re-learning anything about his forgotten past. He has one purpose: to destroy the White Tiger. He even claims to speak to tanks; who compel him to complete his mission and aid him in doing so. Being that the delivery of the dialogue was hampered somewhat by the film being subtitled, it is primarily Vertkov’s mannerisms that allow the obsessed nature of his unusual character to ring true.
Although White Tiger features a number of scenes that pit the White Tiger against the Russian forces, this isn’t really an action movie. As if to emphatically make that point, the final 30 minutes of the film abruptly shifts gears for a somewhat surreal conclusion. And it’s this unexpected turn of events that make the film more thought-provoking than pulse-pounding and more memorable as a result.
4.0 out of 5.0 stars
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