Nail in the Boot (1931) - full transcript

NAIL IN THE BOOT
Goskinprom of Georgia 1932

To the military newspaper of
the Transcaucasian Komsomol,

"Young Worker",
we dedicate our work.

A Film by the Revolutionary Shock
Worker's Brigade of Georgia No. 1

Screenplay - A. Perel'man
Director - M. Kalatozov

Cameraman - S. Apakidze
Art Director - S. Vasadze

Cast: Worker - A. Dialiaévili
Red Army Soldier - S. Palavandiévili

Armoured train commander - A. Chintibidze
Prosecutor - A. Chorava

The armoured train,
"Guardian of the Revolution",

returns from the front lines...

...with a battalion of
shoemakers on board.



Victorious

Homeward bound

Guardian of the Revolution

Guardian of the Revolution

Order 71.

I congratulate all the Bolsheviks
and comrade shoemakers.

The orders of the military command
were brilliantly executed.

Head of Division Orlik,
Commissar Duduéeva

Well done, shoemakers.
You did not let us down!

Not only can you
make boots...

...but you also fight well in battle...

A railroad hand car went ahead
to check if the way was safe...

...and hid the armoured train from
the enemy with its smoke

We WON the battle



The enemy never sleeps

Headquarters!
This is the commanding officer!

But the line was dead

Get out!

...and the railway tracks are
hopelessly destroyed...

...for two kilometres behind
and ahead of us!

Every hour is precious to us,
every minute means salvation...

So, comrade commander,
only WE can save the armoured train

Aim at the Reds‘ armoured train:
firing angle 48, 43 degrees

At the attacking enemy...
90 degrees...

FIRE!

To get help

The enemy drew ever closer
to the motionless fortress.

The Red Army soldier continued,
though limping badly,

The Red Army soldier continued,
though limping badly,

but a barbed wire fence stopped
his barefooted progress.

Without his boot,
he cannot pass!

Barbed wire...

BARBED WIRE...

...sharp, jagged edges...

A fence without end

From the North,
the infantry

The artillery
from the West

Cut off by the tanks

The enemy approaches

The armoured train
cools down

Nothing left to fight the enemy

The guns are silent

Will they come in time?

Damn this fence!

The soldier was tired

The black, oily puddle
tempted him

...but it proved fatal

And when there were no shells

...and when there was nothing
to fight the enemy...

The soldiers found new shells

They loaded their guns
with Red slogans

In the name of the revolution...

FIRE!

The Red slogan becomes a weapon

WORKERS OF THE WORLD!

Capitalists are making you fight
the world's first workers' country.

Fight the capitalists.
All power to the Soviets

But it was too late

The armoured train
had choked on gas

The Proletarian Court
tried him for his crime

Council for the Prosecution

Does the accused know
it's just the same on manoeuvres...

...as in war?

Yes, on manoeuvres!

Does he understand the importance
of delivering the message?

Does he understand
the revolutionary soldier's oath?

You are captured.

The enemy orders you to shoot
at your own troops!...

You did shoot!
An undelivered report...

...is the same as a bullet!

Knowing of the proletariat's duty
and honour...

...he pitied his own feet and
destroyed the armoured train.

TRAITOR

Let the dead speak!

We died in
the armoured train!

We...

There are moments
when the passionate heart...

...is full of anger...

and one word is longer
than the longest speeches

KILL

THIS

BASTARD!

We don't want...
such fathers

We will never be cowards!

Defence

Soviet country

You, citizen, should not carry
a gun in your hands but...

...such fathers

The accused takes the stand

Punish the pests of the defence

I alone am not to blame!

If bricks are badly burned...

and the steel is not
hardened enough!

REJ ECTS

A NAIL!

A nail in the boot!

You died in the armoured train!

REJ ECTS

You made shoddy boots!

You betrayed our defenders!

So, am | the only guilty one?

Do you plead guilty?

Who allowed rejects
to be produced?

Verdict:
The accused is found guilty...

...of disobeying an order.
There are no extenuating circumstances.

Responsible are useless soldiers
at the workers’ front and war front

Responsible are useless soldiers
at the workers’ front and war front

REJECTS ARE OUR ENEMY

The reckless shoemakers
are to be considered...

...enemies of the proletariat.

We don't want...

...such fathers

They will no longer be
called proletarians

Comrade soldiers of the
armoured train

For the future war

No nails!

Viewers! Who among you...

Viewers! Who among you...

are like these shoemakers?

are like these shoemakers?

The End
Subtitles: O. Hanley, A. Heftberger