Katyn (2007)

This is the first movie I got from Netflix. I was really interested in watching it since there are so many movies about what the Germans did during the war, but not many on what the Soviets did. I have to say that it is one of the best movies I have ever seen. It is in Polish with English subtitles. The story is very good and so is the acting. It shows what happened from several viewpoints (ie the Polish officers and their wives) and includes real Nazi and Soviet propaganda films where each side blames the other for the massacre.

The movie is based on the true story of how the Soviets murdered around 20,000 Polish officers in 1940 in the Soviet town of Katyn. Then in 1943 the Nazis found the mass murder pits and had the International Red Cross come and examine everything. It is really strange that the Germans would really care what the world thought of murdered Poles especially when you think of all the evil things (ie the Holocaust) they did.

After the war, the Soviets took over Poland and said the Germans murdered the Poles and anyone who said otherwise was taken away by the secret police and never heard from again. It wasn't until 1989 that the Soviet Union (good old Gorby) admitted that the Polish officers were murdered by Soviet troops in 1940. On 13 April 1990, the 47th anniversary of the discovery of the mass graves, the USSR formally expressed "profound regret" and admitted Soviet secret police responsibility. That day is also an International Day of Katyn Victims Memorial (Światowy Dzień Pamięci Ofiar Katynia - in Polish).

It is almost 18 hears since the collapse of the Soviet Union and more great movies like this one need to be made to show people (especially those in the former USSR) what really happened. Most Soviets were brainwashed to learn only the "truth according to Communism" and even today most Russians refuse to believe what the rest of the world already knows and understands as truth.

This movie is so good that I want to get my own copy. Everyone should see it.