The Dawns Here Are Quiet

The Dawns Here Are Quiet
(А зори здесь тихие)
Directed by Stanislav Rostotsky
Written by Stanislav Rostotsky, Boris Vasilyev
Starring Andrey Martynov
Yelena Drapeko
Yekaterina Markova
Olga Ostroumova
Irina Shevchuk
Irina Dolganova
Lyudmila Zajtseva
Production
company
Release dates
  • 1972 (1972)
Running time
 188 minutes
Country Soviet Union
Language Russian

The Dawns Here Are Quiet (Russian: А зори здесь тихие, translit. A zori zdes tikhie) is a 1972 Soviet war drama directed by Stanislav Rostotsky based on Boris Vasilyev's novel of the same name. The film, arguably one of the most compelling and touching antiwar films ever made, has as its main theme the way in which war destroys the dreams and lives of people from all walks of life. It was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Foreign Language Film category.

Plot

The film is set in Karelia (near Finland) in 1942 during World War II and was filmed near Ruskeala. Senior Sergeant Vaskov is stationed with a group of young female anti-aircraft gunners in a railway station far from the front line. Vaskov is not used to these gunners' active, playful personalities and therefore clashes with them over daily issues. But Vaskov, being the only man in the village, has to accommodate them in many cases.

One day, two German paratroopers appear in the forest nearby. Thinking that they may sabotage military facilities, Vaskov and five of the women embark on a reconnaissance mission to attempt to stop them. Vaskov and the five female soldiers have in common that their lives and dreams have been torn mercilessly by the ongoing war, and in their journey to intercept the Germans, the six of them bond together strongly. Vaskov becomes a father figure for the young female troopers and all of them do their best to soothe the pain that the others carry and that has brought them to war. When they finally reach the location that Vaskov knows that the German paratroopers will have to cross through, they pick a perfect defense position to intercept them, only to find that there are sixteen paratroopers instead of two. Though outgunned and outnumbered, Vaskov decides to hold out against the Germans for as long as possible. He sends one of his female soldiers, Lisa Britschkina, out for reinforcements, but Lisa drowns in a muddy quicksand-like swamp while on her journey. Vaskov and the remaining four troopers fight the Germans. All four women are killed in action. Vaskov is also seriously wounded and finds the drowned soldier's clothes near the swamp. The desperate Vaskov, armed only with knife, one-rounded Nagant and deactivated hand-grenade, attacks the cabin where the Germans are resting. The Germans are totally surprised and are either killed or captured. Meanwhile, reinforcements find Vaskov before he passes out.

Twenty years after the war ends, Vaskov visits the place again with the adopted son of one of the women.

Cast

Awards

The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1972.[1]

DVD release

The 2004 Ruscico release includes a documentary, "Women's War". Interviewed are actresses Irina Shevchuk, Yelena Drapeko, and Yekaterina Markova.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "The 45th Academy Awards (1973) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Retrieved 2011-11-30.
  2. ↑ "சுட்ட படம்" [Stolen film]. Ananda Vikatan (in Tamil). 23 November 2015. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
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