The Final Sacrifice (2022) Film Review
Works of passion should always be celebrated. That’s a given.
Indie films are the result of an effort that isn’t acknowledged very often. And even when indie cinema isn’t apt to be compared to huge studio films, sometimes the line is crossed.
But you should always be careful.
Ari Taub makes The Final Sacrifice with enough desire to make himself be recognized in the circle he purposefully stays in. This is a war film executed under the rules of small budgets, and historical accuracy. How much is true in it is unknown, as The Final Sacrifice functions as a window to an event that’s seldom talked about. And what he ultimately accomplishes with his film is a mystery. The Final Sacrifice isn’t the collective experience most war films are, but he makes us look. It’s compelling enough to position us in the middle of Hell on Earth. Some lines shouldn’t be crossed and Taub does so with extreme care. It’s risky, but it pays off. Sort of.
The Final Sacrifice is an account of the events that took place on a frontline in Italy in World War II. Americans, Italians, Germans, and civilians are part of Taub’s odyssey of portraying the human side of war from every perspective possible. Yes, even the guys we commonly call “villains”. With this focus, war is a losing game for everyone who enters its territory, and it’s the best thing about Taub’s work. There aren’t any winners. There are only casualties. And he doesn’t glorify any side.
By staying true to his will and intention, Taub makes The Final Sacrifice an objective document of a thousand stories that were never told. The third act isn’t as climactic as it’s supposed to be because this isn’t a film with a common structure. This is a collection of statements and letters adapted to the screen by a director who isn’t aiming for the usual tone. He prefers to dwell in the silence that comes after the battle and sometimes before it. A sense of camaraderie could be present but Taub refuses to do so by not attaching the script to any particular subplot. They are all important and they all matter the same. Of course, acting is better on some sides and viewers will feel more connected to specific characters.
Production value isn’t poor. Taub does the impossible to make his film authentic considering the setting he must portray. Even if you don’t like the film, you have to recognize the effort of a production design like The Final Sacrifice’s.
The movie has a weird aesthetic that made it hard for me to enter its world. Perhaps it’s the remastering but color and tone balance feels fake, and this makes the director’s cut of The Final Sacrifice a strange choice. Nevertheless, this isn’t enough of an issue. The Final Sacrifice is simple as a war story but complex in its depiction of the human condition under severe circumstances. It’s good enough to enjoy 90 minutes of a rare exploration of this genre in indie cinema.
