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Brana is the most outspoken mouthpiece for the movie and its staid understanding of a soldier’s role. She knows, before they open the box, that the body they’re transporting is Hitler because she’s been told that his identity was proven by his dental records. Brana also knows enough to identify with Justyna, who complains that the Russians and the Germans are both alike in their mutual post-war cruelty and macho arrogance. Brana sees enough of Ilyasov and his men’s actions to know that sexual violence is just as real of a threat as the Nazis who hope to murder them and also disrupt their high-stakes mission. When Brana considers her responsibility—to deliver Hitler’s body, despite her personal disgust with the man and his actions—she still knows what she must do: deliver the body, despite everything.
Unfortunately, the threat posed by Wolfram and his men never escalates to the point where they seem credibly imposing as humanoid representatives of the horrors of war. Ilyasov and his guys are also uncomplicated, as far as war movie antiheroes go. We’re shown how they can pose a certain kind of threat, despite their other qualities, but that threat is never really addressed.
Parker’s script doesn’t have to provide viewers with closure, but a sense of forward momentum or just immediate gratification might have helped put it over the top. A strong ensemble cast does a lot with a little, particularly Vega and Skinner, who are quite good at selling Parker’s flat-footed dialogue. Composer Alex Baranowski’s droning string score also deserves special credit for almost surmounting the movie’s general lack of tension.
“Burial” is about the complicated nature of being a soldier, particularly how much you must rely on your comrades to have your back. But while Parker always clearly broadcasts his movie’s concern with moral relativity and the fog of war, “Burial” never really comes together as a drama. Bald dialogue and a paint-by-numbers plot are one thing, but sluggish, underlit action scenes, and underwhelming scene-to-scene pacing are another entirely.
Now playing in theaters and available on digital platforms.
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