It has the virtue of questioning nationalisms and loyalties in the context of the WWI, building a story that does not pretend to be pacifist, but that reflects on the meaning of war. And it certainly achieves a good visual result on a low budget, hiding the enemy in mists and shadows. However, it lacks a good balance between the battlefield and the intimate story. Everything is as correct as it is unexciting.

Trench warfare is never the most engaging type of combat to watch, but Dvēseļu putenis does its best to work with the hand that historical accuracy tends to deal with this kind of story. Through clever cinematography, the focus is taken entirely off of tactics and warfare and instead given to the uncomfortableness of war. The cold, wet, fear, hunger, and isolation of individual moments are brought to the forefront, creating a bleak portrayal that, in some cases, is as breathtaking as it is harrowingly accurate, all the while accompanied by a gorgeous sweeping soundtrack. However, where the film struggles to find its feet and stay genuine is its more intimate moments, where some amateurish acting and clumsy direction choices fall short of the rest of the production. Additionally, as an important film regarding Latvian history, I was pretty disappointed to see the latter stages of the film almost entirely gloss over the actual revolution, instead rushing through the initial stages before cutting to the outcome with a time skip. There was too much focus on Artur's personal & familial motivations and not his nationalistic ones. Regardless, the one intimate moment the film manages to nail is the most important one - the climax. It's a powerful & poignant ending, and one that I feel will genuinely leave me with a lasting impression.