Sluzhili dva tovarishcha (1968) - full transcript

Set during the last days of the civil war that followed the Russian Revolution. The Crimea Peninsula is the last stronghold of the White Guard, and the Red Army is planning the final assault. The first story line of the movie follows two Red Army soldiers: unlikely friends Nekrasov and Karyakin. The second story line is about a White Guard officer Brusentsov who is devoted to Russia and his cause but sees it being destroyed day by day.

MOSFILM

Artistic Association
"Tovarishch"

TWO COMRADES WERE SERVING

Written by
Yuli DUNSKY, Valery FRID

Directed by
Yevgeny KARELOV

Photography by M. ARDABYEVSKY
V. BELOKOPYTOV

Production Designers
L. SEMYONOV, B. TSARYOV

Music by
Ye. PTICHKIN

English Subtitles by
T. Kameneva

Cast:

Andrei Nekrasov - Oleg YANKOVSKY
Ivan Karyakin - Rolan BYKOV



Brusentsov - V. VYSOTSKY
Sasha - I. SAVVINA

Regiment Commander - A. PAPANOV
Platoon Commander - N.KRYUCHKOV

Chief of Staff- P. KRYLOV

Lukashevich - N. BURLYAYEV
Brigade Commander - B. SILANTYEV

Commissar - A. DEMIDOVA
Vassilchikov - R. YANKOVSKY

Officer - R. TKACHUK

Follow me! Forward!

Onward to Crimea!

Onward against Wrangel!

Onward to Crimea!

Don't spare your boots, infantry!

As you were!

As you were!

Do you have a soldier named Nekrasov?



No. What's the gossip in headquarters
about the offensive?

We don't gossip at headquarters.

There was a soldier once,
Named Kondrat he was by chance.

Being ignorant and rough,
Never heard he of the bath.

So he's gotten parasites,
Those lice that visit sites:

Beds and cradles, and make inroads
Into soldiers' shirts and coats.

There're different kinds of typhus...

- Who's the man? An actor?
- Our doctor. He makes verses himself.

- Is soldier Nekrasov here?
- Get out of here.

No enemy's so vicious,
So dangerous when smites,

As those typhus parasites.

The letter "A", the former "Az".

So we get "ma..."

Ma.. mama... mama!

- Got it?
- Got it.

Hey, fellows,
is there soldier Nekrasov here?

No Nekrasov, we've got only Pushkin.

Just look how smart you are.
A real professor.

Why do they teach you
ABC then?

Hey, staff man, tell them at HQ
that it's time to take an assault.

You're out of tune. Once again.

Concentrate.

- Good morning, Comrade Prikhodko.
- Good morning to you.

Do you know soldier Nekrasov?

Yes, he's in our company.

There he is,
sitting by Motria's well.

- Where?
- Over there.

- Nekrasov!
- What?

Nekrasov!

What is it?

Go to Headquarters this minute.

No, I won't let him go. He must first
catch up my pail that he dropped.

You can go ordering about your borsht
and porridge, but not here.

Why to Headquarters?

They'll explain to you why.

Well, let it be to Headquarters.

Regiment Headquarters.
November 1 , 1920

Dear comrades.

What is Crimea
in terms of all Russia?

Almost nothing. A pimple.

I can cover it with my hand,
and you won't see it.

But that's the way only a completely
stupid fool may reason.

We're going to reason
from a clever point of view.

So you, political officers,
must understand it yourselves

and explain it to every soldier.

Crimea is the stronghold
of the White vermin now.

We've driven them there from all over
Russia, lots of officers there.

They stand epaulet to epaulet,
whole regiments of officers.

And they're going
to give us a brutal fight,

for they have armored cars, airplanes

and all kinds of artillery.

The entire Soviet Russia

is behind us, asking us
to crush that snake pit,

to tear the poisonous sting out.

Now you will ask me
how we can crush it

with Crimea as inaccessibly fortified
as it is?

There are the Turkish rampart,
the Sivash swamps, ditches,

barbed wire fortifications and guns.

I don't know.

I don't know.
But Crimea will be ours!

Comrade Commander, soldier Nekrasov's
here, on urgent summons.

Let him wait.

Any questions?

Two comrades were serving, yeah.

Two comrades were serving
In the same regiment.

Two comrades were serving
In the same regiment.

A bullet went a-whistling by, yeah...

Hey, buddy, why so little
written on your breeches?

With so wide an ass, you could
stamp everybody in there:

the Father, the Son and the Holy
Ghost.

Answer
when you're spoken to,

or we'll strip you of your painted
pants and bare your shining behind.

Nekrasov!
To the commander, quick!

Made so much smoke, devils. Their
tobacco's deadlier than mustard gas.

I despise tobacco.
I've got a silicosis.

But that's only an introduction.
Now let's get to the point.

You were a photographer before
the war, weren't you, Nekrasov?

Actually, I was a student.

But when they expelled me, I worked
as a photographer for two years.

It's good, it's just great!

Now we'll attach you
to your own familiar occupation.

Trofimov!
Bring that stupid thing in here.

Bring it here.

There! A war trophy!

A "Debrie" camera, and two thousand
feet of film to boot.

But it is for shooting films.

Right.

So we'll have now
our own film shooting.

And I'm appointing you
our chief film shooter.

No, I can't, Comrade Commander.

You need a specialist, I'm not
familiar with this equipment.

How dare you talk like that?

You think I've commanded a regiment
all my life? It's them I commanded.

A miner's hack was all my equipment.

What do you mean you can't?
I don't like such people.

I said you'll be a shooter,
so you'll be a shooter.

- About face!
- Yes!

Wait! Where are you going?

You oddball.

Cinema is such a great thing!
Cinema!

Have you seen "Vampire Woman"?
And "The Tales of Fatal Love"?

You just sit there horror-struck.

Or a travel film, for instance:
"Poincare's Arrival in Algeria",

or "The Coronation of King George".

But we are going to shoot
something altogether different.

I've got... an idea.

To film all our
Red heroes.

Their revolutionary
valor and glory.

I'm interested in this enterprise
from a purely military aspect.

You, comrade, are to provide me
air reconnaissance

for the forthcoming offensive.

You will film from an airplane
the Whites' fortifications in Perekop.

I'll try to.

Yes, try to,
otherwise you'll be court-martialed.

The Army of Whites and its black
baron

Again try to place the czar on his
throne.

But from the taiga to the British Seas

No one stronger than the Red Army is.

- Hi!
- Hi.

- Are you the shooter?
- Yes, I am. And who are you?

Ivan Karyakin,
son of my own parents.

I've been sent here to help you,
guard you and keep you company.

Well, just giving you a hand,
can carry heavy things too.

There was such an order.

So let's make friends.

Let's go.

- Is that all our stuff?
- Yeah.

That's great.

I respect this kind of
mechanisms very much.

You know, I...

I'm a man of mechanics, a tinsmith,
a worker born and bred.

- And what are you coming from?
- My origin's not so good...

I'm, so to speak, from the clergy.
I was brought up by my uncle, a priest.

Brought up by a priest?

How did you end up in the Red Army?
Were you mobilized or what?

I volunteered.
Strange things do happen:

a priest's son fights for the Reds,
a peasant fights for Wrangel.

Do you know, by the way, that Comrade
Lenin comes from the gentry?

Don't you dare to smear Comrade Lenin!
For such talk I can give it to you!...

Mind you, Nekrasov,
I was a company commander.

I was reduced to the ranks for
killing a military specialist traitor,

a former colonel,
with my own hands.

I've gotten a sharp eye for enemies
of the revolution, you get it?

I get it.

Cross-eyed Yermolai got a sharp eye.
The only fright, he doesn't see right.

I see alright!

Sevastopol. November 2, 1920

My dear, please,
I beg you...

Yulia, come on. Such a big girl
doesn't know how to behave.

Why a powder keg?

General Wrangel guarantees

that they won't be able to take
Crimea for another twenty years.

That's going too far! Twenty!
A year, maybe two, or three...

A pair of boots - 80 thousand,
the shoulder-belt - 20.

A trashy tunic is 30 thousand.

Where can I get it?
I've got no family diamonds.

Hands up!

- Please.
- Please, go away.

It's enough, I'm tired of it.

And where's my Sasha Brusentsov?

Right. Go to him,
he's in Room 24.

Hands up!

Very nice.

Oh God, what is it?!

- What happened?
- Excuse me, Madam.

Lieutenant Brusentsov,
what's going on here?

Who was shooting?

Naturally, it was me who was shooting.

Someone burst into the room,
crying "Hands up!"

I had a gun, so I fired.

And it was Seryozha Lukashevich,
Mironov's aide-de-camp.

I didn't recognize him in the dark.

The name of the lady, please?

What's your name?

Ksyusha... Oksana Nesterenko.

Do you corroborate the lieutenant's
words?

Yes, everything was as he says.
That man came in with a revolver.

So he fired.

It was not a revolver, but a cigarette
lighter. He wanted to play a joke.

It turned out a bad joke.

Surrender your gun.
You're under house arrest.

How is he?

There's no pulse.
I think he's dead.

Oh, my God! Oh, my God!
Can I go?

Go.

Can you stay here, nurse,
till the doctor comes?

Of course, I can.

Why are you staring at me
like an owl from a hollow?

Got nothing to say? I see. Trying to
kill the bastard with your contempt.

Perhaps you'd better leave.
You've done yourjob.

Where can I go?
I'm under house arrest.

People like you
have discredited the White cause.

They hate us because of your kind.

What do you know?

Yes, I killed my friend like an idiot.

Because it's an idiotic time.

Everyone's gone crazy.
And you're crazy, too.

There's a dead man here, you should
pray, not talk about the White cause.

All right, let's talk about the White
cause.

Do you know that neither you, nor me,

nor anyone of our people
will be here in a month?

Oh, what a nasty
man you are.

And you're willing to believe any
nonsense but the truth.

You're afraid and you want everyone
to be afraid and lose hope.

Hope? All of you have only one hope -
Crimea.

But it will be taken from you, and
where will you go?

Officers will become janitors,
ladies will go on the streets.

Present company excluded,
of course.

Sasha!

Congratulations, you're under
investigation. Get your things.

Such a pity, poor boy.

In the prime of his life...

Village of Zhukovka. November 3.

Stop. Good!

- Are you flying with me?
- Yes.

There was such an order.

Pilot!

Where shall I sit?
In the front or in the rear?

In the front.

This is my assistant.

Assistant.

No way, I can take
only one cameraman.

What do you mean, one? We both are
going.

I can't take both.

Do you know that man? You don't?

He won't make a step without me, to
say nothing of flying to the Whites.

We'll fly together.

All right, let's try. Get in.

From beyond the wooded island

To the river wide and free,

Proudly sail the arrow-breasted

Ships of Cossack yeomanry.

Look, a White!

He dares to threaten us.

It's Perekop.

Lower!

- Lower!
- Lower we go!

Still lower!

The ball is over.

My ball is over, too.
The engine's stalled.

Why?

Then fix it.

I said, fix it!

Can you swim?

And I swim like an axe with no handle.

Perhaps we can make it back?

That's how we made it...

What a bad luck.

No more flying for our aviator.

- Are they without shoulder straps?
- Yeah.

They're ours.

They're ours. Hey!

They're ours, Andrei! Ours!

Wait! What are you scared of?
I said that...

Give me your gun!

Are you crazy, guys?
I told you we're of your own.

Our own are crawling down our back.
Arrest them, boys.

Here, two more.

So who are you, people?
Where did you come from?

They're spies.

Didn't I explain it to you?

We're Red soldiers, were flying
on a reconnaissance mission.

Show your documents.

We didn't take them with us.
We were on a reconnaissance mission.

Very interesting birds you are.

You say you're the Reds,
but you came from the Whites.

Savchuk, let me see
what they got there,

what kind of ammunition?

Don't touch it!

What are you doing? If it explodes,
everyone will be blown to pieces.

Wait, Savchuk, don't touch it.

Lock them up.

What do you mean, lock them up?

I told you, we're Red soldiers.

- And what are you, by the way?
- What are we?

We're the Rebel Army, the defenders
of the oppressed peasantry.

Is it clear now what we are?

The rebel army.
Or simply the Makhnovists.

Look, answer me what right do you
have to keep us here?

We're allies, aren't we?

Maybe we're allies.

Or maybe not.

Now look!
How can it be?

No one can believe the Bolsheviks.
You've sold out the revolution.

What a dolt you are.
You blockhead!

To whom we have sold it?
Tell me, to whom?

How do I know? You've sold it
to whomever needs it.

- I think they'll knock us off.
- They can't knock us off.

Makhno's our ally. We've been read
the order.

Maybe they didn't read it to him.

Guard!

How can they knock us off?

Guard! Damn you...

- What do you want?
- I need to go the john.

- What?
- Nature's call.

Come on.

Go on.

- What did they do?
- Judged by the revolutionary court.

They fled from Wrangel
to the Red Army, just like you.

And we killed them.

Those Wrangel men
had such a fine garb...

- You got it all?
- No such luck.

Come on, comrade, do your thing.
Come on, go to yourjohn.

Semyon! Come here, Semyon.

Look.

- What?
- Look.

Well?

If you've shown me
sausage, bacon

or dumplings with sour cream...

This stuff I've seen plenty.

Gritsko, come here.

What are you doing there so long?
Did you swallow the rope or what?

Come out and go back to the house.

You're back.
I hoped you've run away.

You're a big boy, but got no zest.

Two officers wanted to defect
to the Reds from Wrangel,

but those Makhnovists have shot them
anyway, and they'll shoot us too.

Bastards.

Listen to me. There're three
machine-gun carts outside.

One has a "Maxim" with a cartridge
belt. It will do alright.

But how are we to get out.
The cart's there and we're here.

There must be a cellar here.

Guard! Guard!

Guard!

What's up? You're giving me no peace.

Where're you?

Where're they?

Hey, guys, stop playing tricks!

Guys!

Run to the cart and grab the reins.

I'll go to headquarters and get
the camera.

- Where?
- I'll get the camera.

On the floor, bastards!

That's the end of you, get down!

Hey, have you seen Panasyuk?

Catch them! They'll get away! Halt!

Stop them! Get them, boys!

Faster! Come on! Faster!

Gee up! Gee up, my dears!

Come on, Vanya! Push it up!

Whoa, my darlings!

To tell the truth,
I took no liking to you at first.

But I can say now that you're
a heroic man of proletarian conduct.

So it means that nothing
can part you and me now.

And for my initial rudeness,
so to speak,

I can even ask your forgiveness,
that's what kind of a man I am.

Oh, I'm starving for some grub.
Wouldn't it be nice to have potatoes?

We have such good potatoes in Tula!

They're so white and soft,
you just mash them with a spoon,

pour sunflower oil on them,
and they're so delicious.

What do you think about
when hungry?

About meat.

And I think about different things.

I just have to imagine what
an interesting life lies ahead,

and I feel a lot better.

In ten years there will be no hungry
people.

Believe me. Maybe only those who've
overeaten, will be put on a diet.

And since there will be no hungry
people...

There will be no spite, stealing
or other ugly things.

All those prisons
we will close, of course.

Maybe we'll leave one.

For the world counter-revolutionary
slime.

And all the others will be scrapped.

There will be no one to put in there.

There'll always be someone.

So you doubt it?

Yes.

Sure, we can give people food,
but to fix their brains right,

it will take more than ten years,
perhaps even more than twenty.

What a joyless man you are,
and very harmful too.

You can't live without
spitting in every saucepan.

Gee up, Makhno's breed!

A bullet went a-whistling by, yeah.

A bullet went a-whistling by, yeah.

A bullet went a-whistling by,
And my comrade fell to the ground...

Stop spreading gloom.
Don't you know any good songs?

Kulminsh!

I wonder what unit is stationed here?

Makes no difference. There're ours
all around.

You smell it? They're cooking
porridge. We're just in time.

Comrade Commissar.

We detained two suspicious persons.

Who are you?

We've explained it three times
already.

We're the fighters of the 61st
Division.

On our commander's order, we were
making an air reconnaissance.

And where's your airplane?

Our airplane had crashed.

And the Makhnovists burned it.
And we came on a machine-gun cart.

Don't talk so much.

Debrie. Paris, France.
A French camera.

Your documents?

Well, naturally, we didn't take
the documents with us.

We were flying over the Whites'
territory. Had they caught us...

I'm Karyakin. We were flying
over the Whites' territory...

Wait, don't
talk so much.

You don't look like
a Red Army fighter.

I advise you to tell the truth:
who you are and why you're here.

We're telling you in Russian...

Wait, I've recognized you.

You were torturing me in your counter-
intelligence. You're a White officer.

- You're mistaken.
- Your hands are covered with blood.

Comrade Commissar.

This is what we found in their cart.

It's clear now.

Shoot them.

Shoot us again!
Isn't it one time too many?!

Don't listen to that witch, brothers!

- Take us to a male commander.
- Wait!

Let's talk and sort everything out.

What is there to talk about? You got
caught. Have courage to die like men.

Go down, will you.

Go down... What's the hurry?

And we were rushing here like idiots.
Just had the horses overridden.

We might as well have been killed
by the Makhnovists.

Remember, Ivan, you told me how
you'd shot a military specialist?

Perhaps you were wrong then too,
like this madam here?

Stop it, that was quite a different
situation, nothing like this.

In the name of the Revolution,
death to the White spies!

Commissar Nifontova.

- At the White spies...
- Wait, guys!

What?

Let me have a smoke before dying.

- What's on your mind?
- You hear it? A car.

Come here.

Let me enjoy my last smoke.

Hey, wait! Wait! Wait!

Nekrasov?

Comrade Chief of Staff!

Your order has been carried out...
Carried out.

What are you doing here?

They're shooting us.

Yes, shooting us.

I'm the regiment's chief of staff.
The shooting's being put off!

What?

We got nothing against it.

Neither do we.

Sevastopol. November, 4

Hey, on the boat!

Hi, boatswain. Blow your horn, line
up your crew, the admiral's on board.

That's you?

An incredibly silly question. More
silly may be only the answer to it.

And nevertheless, yes, it's me.

How did you find me?

I kept asking everybody where
the most beautiful nurse lives.

- By the way, what's your name?
- Sasha.

Very nice, so we're namesakes.
My name is Sasha, too.

It's not so great a dwelling you've
got here.

What can we do? It's impossible
to find a room in the city.

Alexandra Yevgenyevna, I've got rice.
Do you think it's enough for porridge?

Yes, rice increases in volume when
boiled.

- Then I'm inviting you for supper.
- Thank you.

Is that my rival?
I won't tolerate it.

The law of the sea is uncompromising:
a brick to the neck and in the water.

Aren't you ashamed of yourself?
He's a charming old man.

A noble and very unhappy man.

Let's forget about him.
As though we're very happy.

I came here right from the guardhouse.
The bedbugs there are real vampires.

You don't look very happy either,
or am I mistaken?

They let you out for good?

Yes, for good.

I was found not guilty. Yes.

I've brought something.
Coffee, sugar... and this.

I've got no bread.

We'll get by.

So you thought you'd come here
and we'd drink vodka, right?

And what if I was not alone, what if
I had a husband or a lover?

Why this silly talk?
You got no husband, nor a lover.

Brusentsov!

I just wanted you to be alone
and happy to see me.

I wanted us to sit here
and talk.

Am I to blame for that?

Sasha!

Brusentsov!

What's the matter?

I thought I'd never find you.

Sasha, something came up.

General Brilling
took your Abrek.

What right did he have to do that?

They say you're not a cavalryman,
nor an aide-de-camp,

so you don't need a horse.

Very nice.
Never mind, I'll teach him a lesson.

You want Abrek? Try and take him!
He's been with me since 1916!

Stand back! Scoundrels! Beasts!

Out of my way, you rear-guard rats!
I won't give him! I'll shoot everyone!

Arrest the son of a bitch!
Send him to the front!

Regiment Headquarters. November 6

I wonder what are we going to be
awarded with?

If with personal guns,
I don't need it.

I would like box-calf boots,
and a pair of breeches for you.

Why are you so gloomy, Andrei?
Lighten up!

- Shall I shut it?
- Yeah.

Shut it up!

Go ahead.

Is that all?

Yes, that's all.

Well, I couldn't do it.

And those people, who were they?

Well...

They have nothing to do with it.

I don't get it, Nekrasov.

Can you explain it to me?

Were you filming or not?

I was. Maybe it's been exposed
or the wrong focus.

Focus?!

I knew about that focus-pocus of his.

Comrade Regiment Commander,
may I speak?

Nekrasov is a non-party man
of alien origin.

He spoke against the revolution and
he intentionally spoiled the film.

How're we going to take the offensive
now? He let down the whole division.

My heart has always been
against you.

Why don't you say something,
a priest's breed? You see?

Cut it out, Ivan.
That's much too much.

Let's not do anything rash.

I say what I think.

We all learn from our mistakes.

All right, you can go, Nekrasov.

We've got a lot to do... without you.

Comrade Commander, do you want me
to draw the Perekop fortifications?

What?

I've got a good visual memory.

I never forget a thing if I see it.

Draw it.

May I have a pencil?

These are the gun pockets.
These are the guns.

And here they have four cannons
without wheels.

The sea guns.

It seems like this.

Seems is just wishful thinking.
We need it exactly.

And here are the barbed-wire barriers.

We got here some information
from the deserters.

A detailed description of 2 sectors.
Let's compare it with your scrawls.

Amazing! Just to a T.

Well, Nekrasov...

You snake!

Now we'll send this information
to the army headquarters.

Really,
a phenomenal memory!

Come here, boys,
help me to the horse.

Why didn't you call me?

It's nothing.

Good. You're pure gold, boy.
Let me give you a kiss.

Here, to remember
my generous heart.

- Andrei, let me see your Mauser.
- Get out of here.

Are you pissed off?
You shouldn't be, really.

I thought you were the enemy of
the revolution. So I got hot.

- Now I see I made a mistake.
- A mistake...

It's not a mistake.
It's called a betrayal.

No, it's not. I said it
right into your face.

Not behind your back. And it will
always be like that, you can be sure.

So let's be friends again.

- What do you say?
- Get lost!

Comrade Regiment Commander, to whom
shall I hand this... equipment over?

You're too fast, boy... hand over... And
who's going to roll the film for me?

Tomorrow's our holiday, there'll be
a parade, so keep rolling that thing.

You'll return that mechanics to me
after the war is over. Is it clear?

Yes, it's clear.

Division HQ. November 7, 1920

- Good morning, Comrade Commanders.
- Good morning.

Sit down.

According to the order
prepared by Comrade Frunze

and approved by the Chief Commander,

we start the offensive today,
no later than 24:00.

Our army is to storm
the Turkish rampart

and break through the Whites'
fortifications.

We'll enter Crimea
on the enemy's shoulders.

The latest intelligence data
confirm

that the Whites' defensive
positions in Perekop

are all but inaccessible.

Therefore, the Command decided

to force the putrid Lake Sivash,

come out onto the Litovsky Peninsula
and attack the Whites in the rear.

Hold it.

- How does it look?
- Tighten it up a bit.

Hail the 3rd anniversary of the
Workers' and Peasants' Revolution!

Hey, photographer,
get my personality on film!

Sivash. November 8,
00 hours 30 minutes

No smoking! No smoking!

Turkish Rampart.
November 8, 03 hours 00 minutes

- May I come in?
- Come in.

Lieutenant Brusentsov.

Pleased to meet you.

Colonel, we're sitting and waiting
here for a frontal attack.

But what if the Reds take a detour?

It's the ABC of warfare, and they
know it.

Yes, you're right, Lieutenant.

We know they're planning a turning
maneuver in the Chingar direction.

No, I don't mean that.
What if they go through Sivash?

Right through the sea?

You're out of your mind.

Perhaps. But what if
they're out of their mind too?

Did you think of that possibility?

- When did you arrive?
- Half an hour ago.

Then go wash up
and take a rest.

What can I do when every
lieutenant thinks he's Bonaparte,

or Prince of Savoy,
but there's nobody to fight?

Baron!

Connect me to Litovsky.

Litovsky? Who's speaking?
Gubarevich? It's me, Vassilchikov.

Are your search lights working?

Direct them onto Sivash,
just in case.

What? I'm telling you,
just in case!

Litovsky Peninsula.
November 8, 03 hours 40 minutes

Pankov! Pankov!

They call and call with clever ideas.
They don't know what they want.

Yes, your Honour.

Switch them over to close observation.
We'll look onto Sivash.

We'll look, we'll look...

- When will we be relieved?
- Soon, soon...

Turn on search lights!

Karyakin, the commander's been killed.

Third company!

Listen to my command!

Follow me!

Follow me!

Follow me!

Company! Company! Company!

Hold on this position!

Hold on this position!

Hold on this position!

Hold on this position!

Nekrasov!
Nekrasov, come here!

Nekrasov, come here!
I need to talk to you.

They'll attack in the morning and
there're so few of us left.

You said
you have a phenomenal memory.

Can you find your way back to ours?

- I don't know.
- You must help us out.

Go and report that the Red
heroes are in a big trouble.

They're wet and miserable, waiting
for their end. We need reinforcement.

I'll give you men and wire to stretch
a telephone line. Will you do it?

- I'll try to.
- Go ahead.

Go, be so kind.

Drop that thing!

Drop it, I said! Drop it,
or it'll drag you down to the bottom!

Paramoshkin, take your unit
and go with Nekrasov.

Hey, you!

Who are you and where from?

I'm Nekrasov from Litovsky.

No, we're alive and kicking still.

Comrades!
Listen to me here!

There'll be no rejoicing for
the White vermin!

We'll die today.

They'll die tomorrow.

Because the revolution will win!

It will win even if we die!

Fire!

Hey! Where's the reinforcement?

Division Headquarters.
November 8, 15 hours 00 minutes

There's a fierce fighting going on
now on the Litovsky Peninsula.

The remaining assault columns
and the cavalry to support them

are fighting their way into
the peninsula's inland.

But if the Whites withdraw part of
their forces from the Turkish rampart

and transfer them to Litovsky,

our men will not hold out.

Therefore, we have to divert
the enemy's forces onto ourselves.

And to do that, we need a frontal
blow on the Turkish rampart.

Turkish Rampart.
November 8, 1 7 hours 00 minutes

Fire!

Fire! Hurry! Hurry!
Bastards! Fire! Fire!

Onward! Rout Wrangel!

We've thrashed them alright.

Too early to rejoice, you fool.

Brusentsov, to the Colonel!

May I come in?

Lieutenant...

Last night the Reds
have forced Sivash.

Who could have ever guessed it?

Stop it.

They're debating now in headquarters

whether we should transfer forces
from here to the Litovsky Peninsula.

It's like robbing Peter to pay Paul.

We'll send them reinforcement, patch
it up there only to bare our ass here.

One more storming, and we'll be
knocked out of here.

On the other hand, to keep all our
forces here is also... stupid.

They'll get to our backdoor
through Litovsky.

Of course, we have to retreat to
Yushun while it's not too late.

- Are they sleeping or what?
- If so, it's a very sound sleep.

They've all fled.

Come on, guys, quick!
Move it, whoever is alive.

Andrei?
You here? Me here, too!

Surrender, you son of a bitch.

How are you, Andrei,
my dear friend?

How were you doing without me?

As you can see, still alive.

So you're a commander now?

A commander over what?...
They've killed all my troop.

I'm with you again from now on.

We'll be inseparable,
like two fingers of one hand.

Well... If you don't mind.

Yushun. November 10

Surrender!
You can't get away!

Dzhankoi. November 1 1

Wait, give me the binoculars.

A bullet went a-whistling by, and yes.

A bullet went a-whistling by,
And my comrade fell to the ground...

Stop that bitchy song.
It'll bring bad luck to me.

Do I hear a politically conscious
soldier talking?

Stop singing it anyway.
I've told you not to time and again.

Ready. It's good.

Now let me shoot you.

A bullet went a-whistling by, and yes...
You see, it's stuck to me.

Andrei, mount it
and take the saber and the binocular.

- It'll do as it is.
- All right.

Smile!

Ready!

They say there're some berries
growing here, called grapes.

- Have you ever eaten them?
- I've tried them.

And I had no such luck.

- Do they make you feel full?
- So-so...

- What is it?
- I'm going to liquidate that bastard.

Are you crazy?

Not crazy. See that one in the front?

See how he's walking?
It's not a peasant's walk.

One hand is swinging and the other's
like nailed to his side.

I can see he's an officer, used to
hold his saber back.

He got away, bastard.

Abrek, Abrek...

Oh, my God! Oh, my God...

- Hurry up, Comrade Krause.
- Stop your silly jokes.

Jokes?
Get used to it, Comrade Baron.

We're on the Red territory,
in the Land of Soviets.

Comrade Baron von der Krause.
What do you need that for?

I've got the last bullet in it,
saving it for myself.

Good for you.
What is the telegraphic sight for?

So that you won't miss?

Oh, Comrade Krause,
Comrade Krause...

Don't worry, the Reds won't grudge
you a bullet.

What's on your mind?

I don't want to that bullet go
to waste.

Alexander Nikitich, don't do it.

Get away, you fool.

Let me kill at least one in the end.

Alexander Nikitich, that'll be
the end of us.

Andrei!

Andrei... Andrei...

Are you alive?
Do you hear me?...

I'm bleeding, it's heavy...

I'll get you to the infirmary.

The blood's heavy, you can't hold it
back...

Why not? What do you mean?

I'll hold it back, I will!
Hold on, Andrei, hold on...

Hey! Hey, guys!

Wait a minute... hold on...
Hey, come on, hurry!

Wait!
Help me, guys, help me.

My dear... hold on, Andrei.
Hold on, my dear, hold on...

Hold on, my dear friend.

Get going!

Help me out, my darlings!

Gee up! Gee up!

- Vanya...
- What is it?

Remember how we got away from
the Makhnovists like that?

Stop talking. Don't waste
your strength on talking.

Sevastopol. November 14

- Sasha, please. What for?
- Wait.

- What do you want?
- We want to be wedded.

- What did you say?
- To be wedded, as quick as possible.

What nonsense. I can't wed you
and I won't.

The last boat is leaving the dock,
I must make it.

I don't even have a deacon.
I'm alone here, everyone's fled.

- Sasha, let's go.
- Wait.

Do as I say, Father, or I'll shoot
you right here, in the church.

The Lord's servant Alexander marries
the Lord's servant Alexandra.

Bless and keep Your servant Alexander...

What do you need it for? You don't
love me.

We both need it.
I love you.

Let everything else go to hell,
but this will remain inviolable.

Sasha, it's impossible.
Let's not go.

Are you teasing me on purpose?

We won't be able to live there
among strangers.

You idiot!
This is a strange country, this one!

Just look at those faces!

You're being hysterical. Come, quick!

Cast off!

Hey, you, on the "Valencia"!

Throw the gangway out,
or I'll open fire!

Turn it around!

Load it!

Hurry! Fire!

Load it!

Cease fire! Sons of a bitch!
Put down the ladder!

Move it!

You're...

Abrek...

Have you gone mad? Leave the horse.
Or I'll blow your brains out.

Get away!

Raise up the ladder!

Sevastopol. November 1 7, 1920

If you're wounded badly,

Go tell your sergeant.

lf you're wounded badIy,

Go tell your sergeant.

Hey, Commander, give me a gun,

Give us a battery, to have more fun!...

Gee up, my dear!

My comrades-in-arms, Red fighters,
commanders, commissars!

Thanks to your heroic efforts,

at the dear cost of the workers and
peasants' blood, we've taken Crimea!

Long live
the valorous Red Army!

Long live the final world victory
of communism. Period.

This order is to be read to all units,
companies, squadrons and batteries.

Urgent.

Greetings, Comrade Karyakin.
Well, what is it?

I want to hand this over.
The camera, the film, and so on.

And where's Nekrasov?

My comrade-in-arms is dead.
He died in the infirmary.

Too bad...

Yes, it's too bad.

He was a selfless, courageous man.

A fighter devoted to the revolution.

Though he had some silly ideas.

He's left to me... this Mauser.

We two were like in that song.

Two comrades were serving...

A bullet... went a-whistling by...
and yes.

Actually, it's me who was supposed
to be killed. By all indications.

Supplement: Footage filmed
by cameraman A. Nekrasov

The End