I believe the film best aligns with the story’s basic frameworks. It loosely follows a theme, motivation and dramatic arc. Within the first couple of minutes the viewer can grasp that the theme which is effects of war by showing the Z tank, explosions, fighter jets and presidential messages from President Putin and President Volodymyr. It speaks to the gravity of the national conflict.
The motivation behind the film is to show other nations what is happening in local neighborhoods , how Russia is invading Ukraine, and as one of the doctors put it to show proof of how vile Putin’s actions are to children and women. The dramatic arc includes minimal background of what Ukraine has been facing for years, how Russia plans to invade Ukraine cities by force and violence. There are many rising points such as where the journalist and the doctors are being targeted by Russian tanks that are attempting to take over the last hospital where they are trying to save lives. However, there is no denouncement, turning point or falling action in regards to the war(the bigger picture), for the journalist he finds safe passage back home but the lives of the local residents are still in danger.
It was difficult matching the film to a framework since there is a lot that is still going on as we speak and the film shows only the POV of Ukraine and not Russia.
Watching the film was emotionally and mentally devastating, the most shocking part was in the beginning where an ambulance comes into the hospital giving chest compressions to a toddler. As the doctors were trying to revive him, I was emotionally distraught. I have heard snippets of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in the news but I was not aware that innocent residents were being killed/targeted. It’s difficult going back to live my “normal” life when atrocities are taking place in Ukraine.