Original subtitles

MOSFILM CINE CONCERN

ARK-FILM Studios

Supported by Cinematography Service, Ministry of Culture, Russia

Present

a NIKOLAI LEBEDEV film

THE STAR

based upon novelette of the same name by Emmanuil Kazakevich

Igor PETRENKO as Lieutenant Travkin

Artem SEMAKIN as Private Vorobyov

Alexei PANIN as Sergeant Mamochkin

Alexei KRAVCHENKO as Sergeant Anikanov

Anatoly GUSCHIN as Private Bykov

Amadu MAMADAKOV as Private TEMDEKOV

Yury LAGUTA as Sergeant Brazhnikov

Sound by Alexander POGOSYAN

Music by Alexei RYBNIKOV

Production Designer Lyudmila KUSAKOVA

Director of Photography Yury NEVSKY

Written by Yevgeny GRIGORIEV, Nikolai LEBEDEV

in co-work with Alexander BORODYANSKY

Produced by Alexander LITVINOV

Created and produced by Karen SHAKHNAZAROV

Directed by Nikolai LEBEDEV

In summer 1944 the Red Army troops had fought their way

towards the western frontier of the USSR...

Marchenko will make it, I'm sure.

Lieutenant, HQ is on the line.

Has Marchenko gotten through?

- Not yet. - Is everything all right?

Everything is quiet.

In case of a red signal - you cover up the retreating group?

- Yes. - Germans stay calm?

Who are you?

Private Simakova.

- And for your mom and dad? - Katya.

- How long at the front? - First day.

You're beautiful, Katya.

Your hand...

My name is Andrei.

Captain Barashkin, from the Corpse HQ.

See you, Katya.

Victor...

Granny, I'm here!

Mom, I've found the doll!

Come, come...

- Tourniquet. - There's none.

Give me the belt.

I was having a nature's call and - bang!..

Private Erykalov, follow me.

Wait here.

- You'll return the horses. - Yes.

'...and inform the personnel:

'according to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief,

'those enlisted men who'll reach the frontier first,

'will be made Heroes of the Soviet Union.'

It's a high-importance operation controlled by GHQ

and you know nothing about the enemy's plans as yet.

We do know something.

And we do everything we can.

'Something' is next to nothing!

You should immediately send scouts into the enemy's rear.

It's the second unit that we've sent.

Colonel...

No word from the scouts as yet.

I hope they have gotten through!

I'm here to organize the raid of yet another...

- ...scout's group. - I've no scouts left.

We've got 2 scouts left out of 18...

Maybe for you a loss of 16 men is no big deal,

but not for me.

I'll bring you some reinforcement.

I would appreciate that Captain.

Hi, ladies. Any news from Marchenko?

While I'm alive, Hitler is trembling in his shoes.

A new operator?

Transferred or just sent from heavens?

May I introduce myself. Sergeant Mamochkin. Kostya.

- Katya. - Great.

Katya, you're lucky to have met me!

You know who's the nicest friends in the Army?

Scouts! Scouts are the most gallant lot too.

Who is the bravest? Scouts.

That guy riding a horse he was a scout too?

Lieutenant Travkin? He is the coolest scout.

He is second to none in the Army.

Leaning over maps, scouting in the midst of things,

not a moment of rest - that is his style.

Treat yourself to home-made eatables. Lieutenant.

We've a guest: a nice girl,

an operator from the line company. A greenhorn.

- And the food? - A present from happy locals,

for liberating them from fascist occupants.

Fall to.

One day at the OP: let the locals have

a break from you.

Why strangers here?

She's a nice girl, Lieutenant.

Knock it off!

What did they tell you at the HQ?

- We should reconnoiter. - What?

You kidding? We've no men left. Except you and me.

They will bring reinforcement.

- Thank you, bro. - Here they are.

They're only good enough to drag with a transport train,

to urge them horses.

A team of 3 scouts reports for duty!

The fore of the team - Sergeant Brazhnikov.

Scouts' unit commander, Lieutenant Travkin.

- And you're from...? - The 1st Ukrainian Front.

Salute! Private Temdekov, an infantry soldier!

- Why a scout? - I can shoot.

Go ahead, shoot.

I'm a hunter.

- You a hunter too? - No, I'm Private Bykov.

I know these parts.

My home is 30 km away from here.

It's not a go-and-visit- your-mom business for you.

- Private Bykov! - I'm sorry.

He'll do.

Private Vorobyov!

- May I ask you? - Yes?

Do you need professional sportsmen?

- What kind of sports? - Chess.

- Dismissed. - Also I can speak German.

Earth to Dawn.

Do you copy?

Bykov, pour here.

I heard you were in Moscow?

- Two times. - A beautiful city?

Very beautiful.

What did you want to be before the war?

I wish I were in Moscow now.

Right now.

My sister is a student at the conservatory.

A singer?

She plays the violin.

- What do you want to be? - I haven't decided yet.

- I'm fresh from school. - You volunteered?

Yes, of course.

The enemy's tanks we'll designate as number 49.

Their infantry - as number 21.

Say, you must send a word the tanks are there.

You say: 49 bull 4.

- If it's infantry... - 21 bull 4.

Smart you are. The scout team's call sign is 'Star',

and we will be 'Earth'.

Maybe you'll take a radio specialist?

Private Simakova submitted a report.

She wants to go with you.

No, we don't need anyone

It's not a pleasure trip, you know.

Very well then.

Star to Earth, do you read me?

Star, I read you.

Star to Earth, do you copy?

Star to Earth...

I'm the Star...

Anikanych.

Yes, it's me.

- How is your leg? - I can dance again.

Are you just passing?

Transferred to another unit, didn't catch my train.

So, I decided to look in on you guys.

I was told you're still here.

- We are. - Eat.

You don't miss their hospital meal.

So, you're going to the Germans' rear.

- Yep. - Good for you.

Where is Marchenko?..

To his eternal memory.

Will you go with us?

I guess I will.

We'll have to write a letter to my new unit,

that sergeant Anikanov is not a deserter,

and all that kind of stuff.

We'll write a mighty big letter.

It's to my Mom. Will you post it for me?

You'll post it when you come back.

Let's hop...

All right. Now - a Godspeed sit-down.

Our camouflage is noiseless all right.

Katya, the scouts are leaving today.

Tonight...

Captain, the scouts' team

ready to cross the frontline.

Let's check our times.

- 0:15. - It's too fast.

Put it one minute back.

By 1 a.m. you should reach the German trench.

'cause at 1 a.m. sharp we'll start the shelling.

No deviation, or else my shells will reach you.

If you don't make it by that time -

you should come back immediately.

You send a red signal - we hit targets 7, 9, 11.

- We will cover you. - Roger that.

- Are sappers ready? - Yes.

Here is our Operation Order.

Deep behind their defense

the enemy is regrouping their forces.

We should reconnoiter in their rear,

detect the fact and character of regrouping.

Then we should radio about this.

We must find where they unload their troops,

where they concentrate their tanks and infantry:

we need to know the enemy's tactics in target area.

I must remind you:

you don't engage or take prisoners -

lest you reveal yourselves.

Let's go.

Make it towards the forest.

Captain, HQ on the line.

How you doing?

- They made it. - Great.

Keep us posted every hour.

The Supreme Commander-in-Chief has ordered

GHQ take special control of your district.

- That way! - It's a quagmire!

It's an order!

Come on... Go!

- What about the krauts? - They went home to dry out.

Our entire ration got dumped...

Star to Earth...

Earth, do you copy me...

Star to Earth... Do you read me?

- I copy you. - It's 21 owl 2.

21 owl 2. Over. Roger that?

I give you a Roger on that. 21 owl 2.

I repeat:

there is lots of '21 owl 2'.

I Roger that, Star. Lots of '21 owl 2'.

Gee, guys. Life is worth living.

I'm dying for a cigarette.

They're SS men.

It doesn't look like defense maneuvers.

There is a cart in the forest, full of grub,

and there's only 2 krauts. May I deal them quietly?

The guys are hungry.

We must let the cart go.

But Lieutenant...

No.

I wish we could bury them.

I'll go and have a look.

No. The day is breaking.

It hurts.

My foot has just fallen asleep.

We must take that German.

He is right after the hospital.

They won't look for him.

- Am I going with you? - You'll stick by the radio.

- But, Lieutenant... - No 'buts'.

Don't shout.

Isn't he heavy.

From what unit are you?

131st Infantry Division, engineer company.

Have you seen SS men around here?

He says - lots of them.

They are everywhere.

What units exactly?

'Viking' tank division.

The Himmler 'crack' units.

What else?

He doesn't know.

He says he's just a worker,

he's not a Nazi.

He's from Leipzig.

He is not from the SS.

He says - don't kill him.

Brazhnikov.

Let's go.

And take Vorobei. He needs practice.

Vorobei, check around.

It's all right, it's all right.

Things happen.

Night shift again.

May I come in?

- Hello. - Hello.

I must go.

Is he alive?

- Who? - Travkin.

Of course he is.

What's wrong with you?

Come, come.

I just imagined he is in trouble.

Come...

The war will end soon.

It's not a long way left now to Berlin.

We must live. Like others do.

No.

No.

There's a drunken German lying on the road.

Supreme race, my foot.

Great, eh?

I was given no choice!

He was going at me! He could kill me!

For Chrissake! You blew it up!

But he was going at me!

We'll discuss it later. Come on, take him.

He's a real SS officer, he must knew things.

Everyone taking prisoners, except me.

Never mind. The place is alive with this stuff.

You'll have your trophy.

Wow...

- Pretty defense. - What is this?

The station.

'On the 10th of this month

'there disappeared an SS Viking division officer

'Haupsturmfuhrer Benike. His body was found

'8 km away from the HQ.

'It looks like an accident,

'but maybe he was killed by the Green Ghosts

'which were seen near the frontline.

'All commanders of units of the SS,

'Wehrmacht and security troops in this location

'must take all measures to detect and liquidate

'this group...'

This is where they unload their equipment and personnel.

We proceed in that direction.

Earth to Star... We give you a hug...

Do you read me?

Please come back.

Chock-a-block.

try another truck.

It looks they will go to the station.

Anikanov...

Bykov.

Take Vorobei, he'll listen what's going on.

Check the situation near the station.

Don't stick out. We get together here,

on the edge of the village.

Any questions?

So, let's start.

Here...

We'll find...

Look in there...

In some of the cars...

Here is your flask.

Don't tremble, Vorobei.

My home is 10 km from here. We'll make it.

What?

- The radio... - You all right?

- They hit it... - Hush.

Come on...

- But the radio... - Easy, easy...

It's our planes.

Let's go.

Wait... Look.

The tanks...

They were fake.

Get off, you bitch!

Bykov, are you wounded?

It's okay...

I can walk...

Don't die.

My house is so close...

I'll make it.

'During the air attack of the railway junction

'officer Dillhe was killed with a Russian army knife.

'The whole area should be combed

'and the saboteurs liquidated.

'In this connection I command...'

They're not here! I looked everywhere.

Let me try, Lieutenant. They must have lost their way.

Negative to this. We'll wait here.

Lieutenant,

- it was the wrong station. - What?

That station is a red herring maneuver!

They unload tanks in the open pit, at night.

It's written here.

Maybe we should go and check?

Yes. We must do it.

Let's go, Kostya.

Let's get that officer.

The lieutenant said: no prisoners.

He will forgive us.

We do this in a wink of an eye and go home.

All right, Vanya.

Let's do it.

Why not? We can do it.

A nice kraut.

- A handy one. - An HQ one.

So...

Give him some moonshine.

And cherish him - he's our big prize.

What's the date of the counteroffensive?

Ask him.

He says he will not tell us.

Here...

'Wide-range offensive...

'The Fuhrer thinks it to be

'of the highest importance...

'Redeployment of two tank divisions of the SS...

'The assembly of forces will be over...

'...in two days...'

And we can't radio this information.

We must do it.

'Operating in the midst of the German troops

'which are being regrouped for the ultimate attack,

'is a highly professional team of Russian wreckers:

'they've taken possession of top-secret information.

'I command thereby that all units of the SS,

'Wehrmacht and security troops in this location

'reinforce with their personnel, until 6 p.m.,

'Operation Trap. All measures should be taken

'to detect and liquidate the Russian scouts.

'10 thousand men of the aforesaid units

'will be involved in the operation...'

Earth to Star, Earth to Star...

Do you copy me. Over.

Earth to Star...

As you were.

Earth to Star... Earth to Star...

Do you copy me. Over.

You should go and get some sleep.

Let me try.

Star, do you read me? This is Earth.

Star, come in.

A radio.

- We must get it. - And awake the whole army?

We can do it very, very quiet.

We need the radio, if that is the last thing we do.

We've no choice...

Let's go.

I can see no switch here.

Let me try.

Star, this is Earth...

While I'm alive, Hitler shakes in his shoes.

Come on, let's go.

You, bastard!

Hey, Vorobei, breathe...

Breathe.

Hold on, Vorobei, hold on.

It's a shame, to spoil the stuff...

- Go, go! - I'll cover you.

I'm it. Take it easy...

Seven...

Eight...

Vorobei...

How are you?

Please, breathe...

Breathe...

Breathe...

What?..

The left one... The left handle.

Lieutenant, the left handle!

Star to Earth. Do you read me? Over.

Breathe...

Earth, this is Star...

Do you read me? Over.

Earth, this is Star...

Earth, do you read me...

Star to Earth...

Earth, come in...

Earth... This is Star...

Star...

Earth...

I'm the Star...

I'm the Star...

The radio, Lieutenant!

Go on calling them...

Star to Earth...

Earth, come in...

Earth, do you read me, over.

Vanya...

- What? - A sniper, behind the tree.

Earth, come in...

This is Star!

- Do you read me? - I read you, Star.

Star, this is Earth. Over.

Earth, do you copy?

They concentrate in this location -

the 5th tank division Viking, including:

9th motorized regiment Westland;

10th motorized regiment Germany;

5th tank regiment; 5th artillery regiment;

self-propelled artillery battalion.

The enemy's secret redeployment under way now.

Do you read me? Over.

- Cartridges! - Give me cartridges.

Anikanych.

...40 thousand men, 2 thousand tanks and armored vehicles.

The enemy's task is to split up our...

The troops and equipment arrive to the platform

near the industrial pit.

H-hour for the Operation is 16th...

4 a.m.

- Hold on. - The cartridges...

We've cartridges...

Get up!

Death is a bitch, Lieutenant, eh?

- Pull up here. - Don't forget the coils.

Salute, Captain.

Star, come in...

Star, this is Earth...

Do you read me?..

Star...

The offensive is tomorrow. We'll cut off the radio.

Earth to Star...

Do you read me, over.

Star, come in...

Star...

Travkin's communication had the effect of a bomb.

The intelligence was dispatched to the HQ of the Front,

and then - to the HQ of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.

The Germans' counteroffensive was broken up.

Then there followed the liberation of Poland

where there had died over half a million

of soldiers and officers of the Red Army.

I, Captain Barashkin, had died behind the Visla,

near Sandomir.

Katya Simakova had lived to see the V-Day.

She had returned to her hometown.

She taught history in a local school.

She never got married.

The teams of Marchenko and Travkin

had been considered as missing...

Their families received one and the same answer:

"nothing known about their fate..."

Only as late as 1964 all these scouts

were awarded Orders of the Great Patriotic War,

post mortem...

But every spring, every May,

the souls of Russians killed in Poland, Czechia, Germany,

fly to their homeplaces all in blossom now:

they want to see their Russia they had died for...