Chernobyl

Human memory is set up in such a way that the major events around us are similar for most people; we remember exactly what we were doing that day. I have that with 11 September, 2001, and with Chernobyl. The day it went up, we had beautiful, cloudless, sunny weather and half the town was catching rays by the dam, myself included. A light rain fell in the evening, although according to the forecast it was not supposed to rain. And I believe that it’s not just my imagination, because it’s said by more witnesses, but the next weeks the milk tasted differently, probably the comrades put iodine in it or something. The comrades covered up and covered up, and then when it blew up, what I found terribly funny was that the first mention of the catastrophe was only on the third or fourth page of the newspaper, a little footnote. And about the series: excellent stuff, no-nonsense, heading straight for the chamber, without carrying any unnecessary plot ballast. That’s how it should be. (30/12/2019)

"Every lie we tell incurs a debt to the truth. Sooner or later that debt is paid." One of those historical events that you think you know about, but you actually don't, even if you have read Alexijevic and watched Zero Hour. Much (if not everything) could be written and praised about Chernobyl: from the procedural focus to the horror styling, the cinematography, the actors' unforced, unintentionally ridiculous "as if Eastern" diction, to the impact on knowledge and emotion. The way the creators combine genres, with education, warnings, subtexts and tributes, is unparalleled in cinema or quality TV. The way… Well, I already mentioned that much could be written and praised, but there is no reason, because the result is an experience that gets under your skin and you just can't get it out of your head. It’s not 5/5, it’s 15,000/3.6. (12/06/2019)

Undeniably quality TV, which is almost impossible to follow with both an emotional and a rational perspective. As the number of episodes increases, the frustration factor is fanned from an enflamed injustice to almost a burning anger over all the cruel wrongs and resulting suffering. Because of this, I can't give it a fifth star on principle, even though the phenomenal Stellan Skarsgård deserves it with every (un)blinking look. (27/08/2019)

This captivating dramatization of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster and the de facto fall of the USSR is built primarily on precise acting performances, stark realism and on the logic of its appealing delivery. With any luck, the infallible Jared Harris is on his way to winning an award. The final summary of the events leading up to the explosion is flawless in its delivery. Excellent editing, a compelling visual style and superb work with the sound of dosimeters in important scenes build up maximum suspense. Even though Putin has his complaints, the series Chernobyl tries not to cut too deep into the Soviets and, on a political level, the focus is rather on deflection and half-truths in general. The creators were fair in this respect. The KGB easily could have been the CIA if of the meltdown had been in the US; it's highly probable that everyone would have acted the same way. People are people regardless of any affiliation with a political party and almost everyone wants a promotion. In both the state and corporate machinery, the results are the most important thing and security is just a word to people who are unable to comprehend it, and yet they try to climb to the top of the food chain. So the exceptional heroism doesn’t represent a fight against ideology, but against incompetent people with dangerous powers. Of course, it also answers the question of why it all happened, and the answer isn’t surprising at all. They cost less. (08/06/2019)

The Chernobyl series is considered by many TV series fans and journalists to be the event of the year, and they spare no praise for the work of Craig Mazin as a screenwriter and Johan Renck as a director. I am not going to ride on freely exalted enthusiasm, we have plenty of others for that. I'm not afraid to say that it is an impressive work and above-average spectacle, but that can be expected from HBO and its immense potential, where the dominant role is played by the catastrophe itself, with a great probability. Nevertheless, some aspects of the project seem somewhat schematic, exaggeratedly dramatized, played for effect, and do not correspond to the situation (the fact that I am a professional in the field also plays a role, and details that a layman easily overlooks disturb me). I have a definite opinion about some of the characters. I perceive them differently than how they are served to us by the series creators - see the character of Dyatlov - that guy was indeed an arrogant bastard, but also a fighter, and his defense and arguments were completely different. Although admiration is expressed for how perfectly the series imitates the Soviet reality, in my opinion, it is limited to visually depicting the environment, and I think that poverty and dilapidation are emphasized too much. Nuclear workers were among the privileged elite and Pripyat was a new and glamorous city of the regime. The spirit of the time, the position of the players in the story in the Soviet present, and their awareness of their own possibilities were different. Sometimes, unbelievably naive dialogues can be heard, instructive for today's, let's be openly honest, Western viewers of the series.  "Heartbreaking" sentimental scenes of the "execution" of cute puppies are also filmed for them, which also sounds quite funny to those who know. Do you have any idea how the selection of boars during the threat of swine fever, the reduction of pigeons in cities, or ducks in reservations, or the mass slaughter of herds when suspected of salivation, take place? Some elements are exaggeratedly emphasized, while others, which are much more interesting, are not explored. Generally, I have a feeling that five episodes were too few, and most of the characters with tremendous potential just passed by in the series and the viewer has no chance to develop a proper relationship with them. For me, my overall impression is still 80%, taking into account that I found my own thing in it, and a lot of what bothers me, I attribute to the effort to tailor the project to the taste of the target audience. (03/06/2019)