Original subtitles

MOSFILM

To those who, in any field of human endeavor -

be it the settlement of wild and desolate lands

or the daring rush into space -

follow in the difficult path of the pioneers,

and to the Soviet people,

this film is dedicated.

THE LETTER NEVER SENT

Written by: G. Koltunov, V. Osipov, V. Rozov

Based on the story by V. Osipov

Directed by: Mikhail Kalatozov

Vera, my love...

in all the rush, I forgot to send you my letter.

Blame it on the wild spring flooding of these Siberian rivers.

We almost landed in the water.

In all the confusion, I dawdled.

And then the plane was gone.

I began this letter while still on the plane.

I was remembering how I departed from you.

And I remembered how we sat down in the hallway...

and I saw the love in your eyes...

and the anxiousness.

Parting with you always makes me sad...

but some irresistible force drives me on again and again.

And now I'm glad that I didn't send the letter.

Now, every opportunity I get, every time I stop to rest,

I'll write you and tell you everything -

all the things that fill our days in the taiga.

Sergei is our guide again.

And the geologists are very young this time -

both him and her.

You can see they're in love with one another,

although they take pains to hide it.

But I can see it so clearly.

Some day, I will talk you into going with us.

Because if you were near me,

my happiness would be complete.

Here, in the area between two rivers, we'll begin our work.

The first step is the hardest.

Sit here.

I prefer the saying, "All's well that ends well."

Let's drink to making a start.

- Yes. - Thank you.

Well, to making a start.

Kostya.

Shall we finish it off?

Guys, we'll finish the cognac when we find the diamonds.

Got it?

To celebrate.

Or to cheer us up if we don't find them.

To me, any reason for drinking is a good reason.

Andrei, get the base.

Get Moscow for a minute.

Moscow.

Turn the music off.

Base will be calling in a moment.

Kostya! Base.

Octahedron here.

Please, let me -

This is Sabinin.

We have reached the search area.

We're optimistic and full of hope.

We're starting the search. Starting the search. Over.

Look at this interesting sample.

Andrei?

Do you ever have the feeling that dreams can come true?

Meaning what?

When we were studying at the institute, we used to dream about diamonds,

pyropes, ilmenites.

This is my 10th expedition after diamonds.

They don't exist. It's a mirage.

But scientists maintain that the Mid-Siberian plateau...

is geologically very similar to the South African plateau.

And that's where the richest diamond deposits are.

Give your scientists some mosquito nets and send them into the swamps.

That would put an end to their theories.

What is it, Sergei?

Why the silence?

A mirage, Tatiana Nikolayevna.

You think it's all that easy?

No. Of course not.

Nature guards her secrets rather jealously,

and only those who persevere can wrench them from her grasp.

Those who are bold enough, if you will.

But we'll search for them

and search and search...

and search again.

Staying out of the rain?

Any luck?

No luck, but that can change.

Great discoveries demand great patience.

What happens if we find the diamonds?

There will be an industrial revolution.

- This is great. - It's wonderful to be in the taiga.

We'll find them, and we'll be happy for the rest of our lives.

You know, Tanya...

I dislike the hustle and bustle of the big city.

Everybody's running around, in a hurry.

What if one could live here always?

No. I don't want to. I don't want to.

- Why not? - I don't want to.

I don't want to! I don't want to!

I love the madness and exuberance of Moscow -

the company, the hustle and bustle, the dancing.

Dancing! Dancing!

What about me? Do you love me?

I love the Geological Institute, Lenin Hills -

No. Me.

- Mad, exuberant Moscow - - What about me?

Our house! The streets!

Granny and ice-cream! Granny and ice-cream!

"Every time, I promise myself to tell you,

and, every time, I go numb inside from fear."

- Don't, Andrei. - "You're in love with someone else" -

Sergei Stepanovich wrote this.

He's in love. Imagine that!

Andrei, don't.

Guys. Is my map case here?

Right here.

- Take it. - Thanks.

And you lost this too.

No. I didn't lose anything.

Wasn't it you who wrote this?

I didn't write anything.

I thought I knew your handwriting.

You don't know anything yet.

I don't get it. Why are you so upset?

I don't want you to get it.

That was awkward.

Sergei. Sergei.

You need to get married.

You're becoming misanthropic.

Everything I've been through...

war, the wilderness.

Stalking through the taiga, searching for other men's treasures.

You're an odd one.

I know it.

So, it turns out love is rarer than diamonds?

Here's more schlich.

Sergei Stepanovich.

Somebody promised to take me hunting.

Well then.

Splendid, Sergei Stepanovich.

Did you read the note?

I read it.

- You figured it out? - I think so.

What do you think?

- Me? It's your business. - But still.

- You'll get angry again. - No, let's talk.

Like men?

Like men.

Sergei Stepanovich,

you're in love with a girl who's in love with someone else.

And he's in love with her.

From a moral standpoint, it's wrong.

I don't give a damn about your bookish morals.

- I only care about my feelings. - That's an egoist talking.

Then I'm an egoist.

That's for sure.

What are you going to do?

I'm not giving up.

I've waited all my life for this feeling.

I understand.

But that's how man is different from the beasts.

He's able to keep his primal urges under control.

You're a fish!

A cold, large-headed fish.

How can Tatiana be in love with an insect like you?

This is no way to behave.

It was you who insisted on having this conversation.

You asked me.

Maybe I talked too much.

I don't know the girl you wrote to.

But if you love her, don't show her this side of you.

Wait!

Did you read the note?

I've already told you. Yes.

And don't treat me like a fool.

Tanya! Catch our trophy.

My heart was racing like I was afraid of something.

Yes? No reason for that.

We had a great hunt, talked a lot.

What did you talk about?

Men's talk.

You know, Tanya, Sergei Stepanovich...

is a very... complex man.

Would you take this?

Where's Sabinin?

- He went off, looking gloomy. - Why?

All this searching, searching.

Anything?

Nothing even promising.

I's odd. It's very odd.

Summer's over, and we've gotten nowhere.

Odd.

Maybe there are no diamonds in Siberia.

- You get samples from the floodplain? - Yes.

And here?

Here? I did.

What about at the source of the stream?

- There's nothing there. - Nothing.

- Odd. - What's odd about it?

No expedition's ever found anything. I's not just us.

Next year, we'll go somewhere else.

Konstantin Fedorovich.

Don't you think we should look for the diamond pipe elsewhere?

You know the geophysicists found an interesting anomaly here.

- Yes, we know. - So...

But they could be wrong.

True, but that's no consolation.

Maybe the results from the previous searches were pure chance.

Well, if scientific conclusions, rational calculation and scientific instinct

are nothing but chance and error,

then what are we doing here?

The pipe is somewhere near.

Somewhere near. Right. How many times have I heard that?

You're a man possessed, Kostya.

How else can one get anything done in this short life?

Wait.

So, what, we're calling for the plane?

We're going back?

Why don't you answer?

Vera...

my love.

Autumn has come.

We're using all our strength

to rip out the secrets hidden in the depths of the earth.

We are on the offensive.

We are most resolutely on the offensive.

That's it.

They won't send me here a fourth time.

They won't send anyone...

not ever again.

Now it will be silent here for a long time.

Five years.

Ten.

A hundred.

A thousand.

I'm just unlucky.

And the others are worn out.

Or maybe Sergei is right...

and there's nothing here.

But there is.

It's been proven in theory.

And I feel it.

My intuition doesn't lie.

Why doesn't it?

It does, so often.

Or maybe it never lies.

What is intuition?

It means feeling without knowing.

But I both know it and feel it

Sergei Stepanovich.

You're tired.

Tanya, darling, what is it?

Andrei, look.

- What's happened? - Look.

Look.

Well?

Wait.

Andrei!

We found them!

The great and courageous discoverers of the Siberian diamonds.

Before a monument made of gems from the Urals is erected in our honor -

In Moscow, in Starokonyushenny Lane.

On Kalinin Street!

No, on Moscow Prospect in Leningrad.

In Sverdlovsk, by the Ural Restaurant.

And it will say in gold letters,

"To those who delivered the fatherland from dependence on foreign diamonds."

"Without them, modern industry would have been impossible,

and space flights would have been postponed to the next century."

My dear friends, I want to drink up our precious cognac.

It's nice to hear some sober words.

To our return.

To our return.

Andrei, get Moscow.

Everything's ready for our departure!

The markers are in place. The pipe map is done, I think.

A city will be here - Diamond City.

Here.

Yes.

Splendid.

Konstantin Fedorovich.

You're sitting by the fire and, for the first time, not writing to your wife.

Amazing.

Now I'll hand her a letter almost a thousand pages long.

Luck has been on our side.

Does it mean that you, Sergei, Andrei and I haven't lived in vain?

Certainly.

Good for us!

Certainly.

Good, good, good for us.

I'm grateful to you.

For what?

The feelings - even if they weren't returned.

Tomorrow at dawn to the boats.

Then the plane.

Farewell.

Vera, Vera.

What a disaster.

What a terrible disaster.

Nature herself has turned against us.

Get your things. Quickly!

- Get this in the boat. - Mind the radio!

The instruments!

- To the boats! Quick! - We have supplies there.

And the samples. I'll catch up.

Damn!

The supply boat drifted away. Come on!

My foot!

We can't get in there!

We'll starve if we lose the provisions.

- Turn back! - Sergei!

Sergei Stepanovich, turn back!

I've got the damn boat! I've got it!

Grab the supplies!

Get away from the flames!

Grab the supplies!

Tanya, this is for you!

Sergei!

We have to get away from the fire.

Sergei Stepanovich. How stupid - a falling tree.

- Stop it. - I can't believe it.

Stop it.

Let's go.

Where are we? I'm confused.

Stay calm.

We have to report Sergei's death.

Andrei. Get base.

One moment.

- The base. - I'm getting it.

Fatherland! Fatherland!

Octahedron here. Octahedron here.

Why aren't you answering? Why aren't you answering?

Come in. Come in.

What's the matter with them?

Are they deaf?

- Get Petrov's camp. - I'll try.

Come on.

Yenisei.

Yenisei, this is Octahedron. This is Octahedron.

Calling Petrov camp. Petrov camp, come in.

They're not answering either.

Andrei, what is that - Moscow?

Irkutsk.

Turn it off.

In an hour, they should be calling us.

Let's go. Tanya.

Fatherland. Octahedron calling. This is Octahedron.

Come in. Hello, hello.

It's base! Konstantin Fedorovich, it's base!

Your news of the diamond discovery was forwarded to Moscow.

Thank God, they've woken up.

This is Octahedron. This is Octahedron.

Receiving you loud and clear.

Are you receiving me?

Are you receiving me clearly? Come in.

We congratulate you with all our hearts, dear friends.

You have raised yet higher the glorious banner of Soviet geologists.

They can hear us.

This is Octahedron. This is Octahedron.

Receiving you loud and clear.

Listen to me carefully! Listen to me carefully!

We're making a forced detour around the fire.

We're making a forced detour around the fire.

Come in.

- Together with you, we rejoice - - They're not receiving.

At this discovery, one that is extremely important for our country.

We realize what pride and joy fills your hearts -

- What's with the radio? - It seems to be working.

- Why aren't they receiving? - I can't figure it out.

We await your return with impatience.

Each of us wants to embrace the lucky team -

Damn it!

The geologists are now getting ready to welcome you back.

Fatherland.

Fatherland, this is Octahedron.

This is Octahedron.

While he was saving the mineral samples from the forest fire,

Sergei Voronov died a hero's death.

Come in.

Dear friends, Konstantin, Sergei, Tanya, Andre.

A congratulatory telegram has just been received from Moscow.

They're not receiving us.

I tell you it's the radio.

Cancel that and try to reach them from this end.

This is Octahedron. This is Octahedron.

We have the diamond pipe map.

We're taking it out of the fire. Come in.

Octahedron. Octahedron. Why aren't you responding?

Nothing. The radio's busted.

- A telegram has been received - - Get back!

From your wife, Vera.

We have to get to the main river.

And then we can raft downstream.

All right. To the main river.

It's all right. We've been in tough scrapes before.

I think the diamond field we discovered...

isn't the only one on the Siberian plateau.

Why don't we return next year...

and search towards the north, and maybe east.

This is Fatherland. This is Fatherland.

Calling Octahedron. Calling Octahedron.

We haven't been able to reach you for several days.

We assume your radio is broken.

Listen carefully.

Search parties are looking for you.

Search parties are looking for you.

We will call you every six hours.

I repeat.

We'll fight you yet, Mother Nature.

Search parties are looking for you.

- Right? - We'll fight.

We will call you every six hours.

To all search parties. To all search parties.

The Sabinin party is in distress. The Sabinin party is in distress.

We haven't been able to make radio contact for several days.

As soon as they are spotted, report to Sakhany base immediately.

Octahedron. Octahedron.

Special planes and helicopters have been dispatched to look for you.

Try to reach landing base number three.

Sergei Stepanovich.

You know the spot. Lead the group to it.

We will call you every three hours.

We will call you every three hours.

- Tanya. - What?

When we're back in Moscow and tell people about this,

no one will believe us.

Right.

Quiet!

It's a plane!

It's a plane!

- We're saved! They found us! - They found us!

We're here!

Where are you going? We're over here!

Over here! Over here!

- Come back! - Over here!

- Come back! - Over here!

They'll never find us in this smoke.

Andrei.

Come on, up.

- We're dumping the radio. - Under no circumstances.

It doesn't transmit.

We'll carry only essentials.

Well, let's go.

I'll manage.

Comrade Sabinin. Comrade Sabinin.

Northwest of the river in the Khatenakh Forest,

fires are raging.

The fire front is close to 1,000 kilometers.

We assume that you have strayed off course.

The search area has been considerably widened.

Planes have been sent from Yakulsk, Kirinsk, Novosibirsk and Irkutsk.

The ground search parties have been reinforced.

All radio stations are trying to reach you hourly.

I repeat.

All radio stations are trying to reach you hourly.

We are positive that you will soon be spotted.

Courage, dear comrades.

We will call you every two hours.

We will call you every two hours.

We will call you every two hours.

We will call you every two hours.

Comrades.

Comrades.

Lean on me.

Vera...

my love.

We keep walking and walking.

I can no longer write to you.

Andrei is getting weaker day by day.

What can he be thinking about?

I don't know.

It probably torments him that we have to carry him.

I know this is harder for him than us.

Is it too heavy, Tanya?

I just... stumbled.

Tanya.

Konstantin Fedorovich.

It's a matter of simple arithmetic.

Please. Leave me behind.

Leave me behind. Please, I beg you.

Cut it out. What kind of talk is this?

Andrei, please don't speak that way.

You're talking nonsense.

Lie down. Go on, lie down.

Konstantin Fedorovich?

What is it, Andrei?

Can you see there - that flower?

Pick it for me, please.

Pick it.

Tanya.

Today is your birthday.

Congratulations.

Congratulations.

Konstantin Fedorovich...

you know, I love Tanya very much.

We met at the Institute.

She was wearing a light-blue dress...

with short sleeves.

Remember?

From the moment I saw her, I was in love with her.

And I'll love her the rest of my life.

For the rest of my life.

Tanya lights up my entire life.

And she...

and she is my joy.

How grateful I am to you... my love.

My love.

He's tired.

He's asleep.

I beg you, save him!

Save him, Konstantin Fedorovich.

Somehow, you must.

Perform a miracle. Save him.

You must.

Do you blame me, Tanya?

What?

How could I?

You didn't stay here for yourself.

You should sleep too.

"This is something I must do.

It's simple arithmetic. It's better that one dies than three.

Don't look for me. Don't waste your strength.

Andrei.

We found the diamonds."

He's up.

What is it?

Andrei!

Andrei!

Where are you?

Why don't you answer?

Answer me!

You can't do this!

Where are you?

Andrei!

Answer me!

You can't do this!

Why don't you answer?

You're wrong! You're wrong!

I beg you!

Come back!

We'll carry you to the river! It's no burden at all!

You can't do this! You have no right!

I love you!

I love you!

You can't do this!

I love you!

Andrei!

It's a plane!

Quick! A fire!

It's a plane!

What have you done!

That was the last round...

Sleep, Tanya.

Sleep.

Why aren't you sleeping?

I'm thinking.

Don't.

Thoughts tire you out.

A living man... can't help thinking.

Not all thoughts are tiring.

Thoughts have given courage to people in their most difficult hours.

I'm thinking about Andrei.

About Andrei?

Yes.

That he was wrong?

It's not for us to judge him.

Be that as it may, he acted heroically,

and now it's our duty to him to save the map.

We will.

Absolutely, we will.

Tanya.

In the future, you'll often find that you have to live up to your oaths.

My oaths?

Didn't you take the Pioneer's Oath as a child?

It was all so solemn and important.

A Young Pioneer of the Soviet Union...

in front of my comrades...

I did... solemnly swear.

Some men, even over the course of their entire lives,

are never called upon to remember their words.

There's just no need for it.

But sometimes...

Tanya.

We have no food, and we're tired.

We're in desperate straits.

But we must say no to weakness.

No to faintheartedness.

No to despair.

But to our boundless faith... yes.

Yes!

Yes.

There. Now sleep.

And dream of a wide river...

a raft...

and us rushing to someplace where there are people.

Sleep.

Winter.

Never mind.

Siberian rivers are swift.

They don't freeze that quickly.

Yes.

Let's go, Tanya.

Tanya.

Tanya?

Why don't you answer?

The river.

Vera.

My beloved Vera.

My life isn't my own.

I must get this map out.

I cannot die.

I must not.

I have to live.

Too much has been lost.

Too much has been found.

Hey!

Hey, people!

Comrades, look over here!

Take the map!

Stop me!

Stop me, or I'll float to the ocean!

Why... why can't they hear me?

Your shout is a whisper.

You don't have the strength to shout, Kostya.

I must give them the map.

Hey, people!

Stay calm.

Stay calm.

Stop me!

It's only you who sees them.

They're not here.

They'll come when they find your map.

They'll build Diamond City.

Everything will be just the way all of you imagined it...

Andrei, Tanya, Sergei.

THE END