Break Loose (also known as Breaking Loose; , literally "The Eight", a nickname for the Lada Samara model VAZ-2108) is a 2013 Russian crime drama film directed by Alexei Uchitel. It is based on the novella The Eight by Russian writer Zakhar Prilepin, who also appears in a cameo role in the film.
The film premiered in the Contemporary World Cinema section at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival. Its Russian premiere took place at the 2nd National Debut Film Festival "Dvizhenie" in Omsk in April 2014, where it opened the festival.
The film's tagline was "Love without brakes".
In July 2014, in the context of the War in Donbas, the state film agency of Ukraine banned Break Loose along with a number of other Russian films deemed to be "glorifying the Russian army and security forces".
Set in the final days of 1999 on the eve of the New Year, the film follows four young OMON officersâÂÂGera, Shorokh, Lykov and GrekhâÂÂin a provincial Russian city. After a violent confrontation with striking factory workers, the group becomes entangled in a conflict with a powerful local crime boss, Buts. Gera unexpectedly falls in love with the crime boss's girlfriend, escalating a cycle of retaliation and violence.
Unbeknownst to the characters, President Boris Yeltsin is preparing his resignation speech, and Russia is about to enter a new era.
Director Alexei Uchitel read Zakhar PrilepinâÂÂs novella The Eight before its publication and decided to adapt it. Although Prilepin declined to write the screenplay himself, he participated in casting discussions and contributed to details of the adaptation.
Filming took place in Kronstadt and at the Kirov Plant in Saint Petersburg. The plantâÂÂs industrial grounds provided a large, atmospheric location suitable for night shoots.
The production involved fifty real OMON officers as extras. A large crowd scene, in which OMON holds back protesters, was filmed semi-documentary style with 700 extras instructed to break through the police cordon.
Primary cinematography was done by acclaimed Russian cinematographer Yuri Klimenko, with Alexander Demyanenko operating the second camera.
Critic Anton Dolin praised the film's energy, cinematography and casting, calling it one of UchitelâÂÂs strongest works and âÂÂpure adrenalineâÂÂ.
Other critics were more mixed, noting tension between PrilepinâÂÂs violent source material and UchitelâÂÂs attempt to elevate the film beyond typical crime-genre tropes.
Some critics highlighted what they saw as a militaristic or macho tone in the depiction of OMON officers.