Original subtitles

From the Russian Gosfilm fond collection

Dedicated to the memory of the Komsomol members...

...fallen while guarding the frontiers of the socialist homeland.

My homeland

A sound film in 8 parts produced at the Leningrad film factory "Rusfilm"

for the 15th anniversary of the "Red Army of the Workers and Peasants"

The work of the 1st komso-brigade "kino-ram"

directed by: Alexander Zarkhi, Iosif Heifitz

script by: M. Bleiman, A. Zarkhi, I. Heifitz intertitles: E. Ryss, V. Voievodin

main cast: Al. Melnikov - Vaska, Yanina Zheimo - Olia, Gen. Michurin - company commander

K. Nazarenko - "the little one", Oleg Zhakov - captain Aliabiev Barry Haidarov - Van-Bosyak*, Yui Fa Shou - Manchurian officer [bosyak = poor peasant, has no boots; Van = Chinese name]

other cast: Liudmila Semenova, Nikolai Zinin, Piotr Konson, Nikolai Vildtgruber

Cinematography: Mikhail Kaplan Sound producer: A. Shargorodsky

Art Director: Nikolai Suvorov Music: Gavriil Popov

Assistants: Dorian, Kozlov, Sheinin Administration: V. Besprozvany Assistant to the director: Golyshev

Engineer: Valter Photography: Kaidak, Montage: Bazhenova

Graphics: Piotr Sokolov Consultant: Nikolai Zhankolia

Brigade Chief: Nikolai Dirin

Leningrad State Philarmonic Orchestra, conductors: N. Rabinovich, E. Grikurov

Sound effects: A. Shabelsky Pyrotechnics: M. Gytelson

Printed at the film-copying factory of the 1st of May.

part 1 "A carefree life for Bosyak"

Night over Manchuria. Van-Bosyak is returning for the night's rest.

# ??? [classcial aria]

??? [Chinese]

??? [Chinese]

??? [Chinese]

???

???

They want to recruit him as a soldier.

A strapping fellow.

That's for sure.

[??? Chinese]

???

He's an orphan and he doesn't care about the army.

Cossacks cut off his father's head when he was young.

Cut off...

Really?

???

???

He's a masterful recruiter.

He says he will be given new boots,

a uniform made of English cloth,

and good food - rice and a pound of lard.

That's for sure.

???

A carefree life for bosyak: eat, drink...

- and he's obstinate. - obstinate ...

What would he sleep on now anyway?

Almost got yourself bruised sleeping on your "double-bed".

A milksop cavalier.

[Chinese?]

He wants to.

He wants to for sure.

part 2 "Beating the slant-eyed"

The unit stood at the Manchurian border.

The Read Army is a friend of the poor. Give it a try.

[trying to speak Chinese]

What a language!

It's a good thing there're no women here, you see...

There's nothing funny...

What the hell do I need it for?

What if you meet a Chinese,

and he thinks you're an enemy?

He will see a red star on your cap,

and shoot you in the forehead.

You can be sure, they have been trained to this.

But what if that Chinese is poor, like our kind?

Tap him on the shoulder:

"you say... I say... Understand me?"

What do you "understand"?

Don't you know?

[Chinese]

When you speak, speak slightly through your nose.

Like if you had a cold.

Let's try it on Vasia. Come on.

[Chinese]

- Good? - You'll do.

Van was employed to serve on the border.

Aren't you going to write a letter?

He doesn't need that. His girl lives near by.

Get a quick run, kiss her, and here's... your letter.

That's why he's wearing clean puttees today.

He wrote a letter once.

About cabbage soup and kasha (mashed food).

# the valiant partisan squadrons...

# of Priamurye were marching.

# the valiant partisan squadrons...

# of Priamurye were marching.

They're singing about the homeland.

And in our Tverskaya, the girls sing "Luchinushka".

# that's not the wind which bends the branches,

# not the leafy forest makes this noise

Eh, you!

The year 1916 comes to my mind.

I was a private then.

We were going to die for that so-called homeland.

# the valiant partisan squadrons...

# ...of Priamurye were on a march.

# the valiant partisan squadrons...

# ...of Priamurye were on a march.

??? ??

You think the homeland is trees...

the sky... a river...

Homeland, my fellows, is people.

A manufacturer has his own homeland,

Melnikov has his own.

Who's next?

Comrade commander,

they gave us again heavy machine gun fire.

Here's one more (killed).

Who's next?

How come that, you see... Who are we, you see...

Again the Chinese killed our comrade, you see.

Who are we, you see,

sheep on a slaughter bank, to be killed one by one?

They must be beaten, you see!

Exterminate them, you see, that Chinese "slant-eyed" breed!

"As you were!" [cancellation command in the army]

You forgot the gloves.

Let me see...

Are you going to fire with this rifle?

It's dirty.

Report to your unit commander for two extra duties.

And remember that sometimes

heroism means that you don't shoot when you want to.

Kupaev, explain it to him.

What do you think his eyes look like!

It's not a matter of eyes, brother.

part 4 "The fellow-countrymen arrived" [part 3 is missing]

Back home again!..

Careful! Don't break her. She might be frozen.

- A teacher? - A Jew.

Take them off.

She taught arithmetics...

In the evening Vaska talked to his countryman.

What unit are you from?

I'm asking you again, what unit?

Infantry.

I can tell by your badge.

Keeping silent, you hero, are you?

"You smashed my face with your heel, and I'm not afraid."

"And your hands, Captain, are shaking."

Lackey! Comrade...

You will talk, my dear.

I have long wanted to talk to you.

How we can meet?

How we can talk after all these 12 years...

Maybe we're even from the same town.

Yaroslavl? Yes?

By your face I can see that I'm right.

Remember Krivushee?

Krivushee butter was famous all over Russia.

Remember a two-storied house, of white stone?

A piano.

Set in on fire! Strike a match!

Shred a library to cigarette paper.

Shred a tablecloth to puttees.

Putees... Show me your puttees.

Show me your puttees.

Show me your puttees.

I'll shoot you, you scoundrel.

Those red bitches!

Remember a piano?

Remember a piano?

You bastard.

I'll shoot you.

I'll shoot.

Potapych! Potapych!

Advance... as far as Moscow.

part 5 "The Manchurian Hills"

The unit encounters the first enemy attack.

Hello!

Hello! Hello!

Who's speaking?

Who's speaking, I ask?

I may ask... or I may not ask.

Answer me, who's speaking?

Tambov?

Listen, Tambov, it's Moskow.

Moskow speaking!

Listen now.

From the sandhill to the right, from the bushes heavy firing is starting.

Heavy artillery and machine-gun fire.

You're deaf, Tambov.

Deaf, I'm telling you!

Hold the bridge, until the battalion's arrival?

Hold. Yes!

Got it.

We will.

We must hold the bridge to the last ditch.

The enemy must not cross the river.

The last man standing must blow up the bridge.

But there's one more chance:

destroy the Chinese machine-gun nest.

Creep up to it by the hollow...

go round it in the rear...

...and use grenades. Get it?

Who?

Katz.

Comrade Commander, let me go too.

Alright.

You must be back by 11 o'clock.

No later, get it?

Yessir.

At the enemy machine-gun nest... fire!

- Sioma... Sioma... - Huh?

- Are you scared? - No.

Me neither.

- Sioma... Sioma... - Huh?

- Listen to that bitch whistling! - Try to whistle with it.

I wish I could ...

- Sioma... Sioma... - What, Nikolai Gavrilovich?

- Will you recommend me? - It depends.

[Jiddish curse ???]

Kupaev... Kolia...

Take my grenades... [in German: Let them forget they ever lived!]

What?

Part 6 "The Bridge"

They ruined the last pot.

the devils ...

Careful, don't swallow the bullet with the cabbage soup.

We're going to counter-attack.

The enemy retreated along the whole front line.

Headquarters?

Hello? hello?

Bitch!

Drop dead! You slant-eyed brat!

Vaska was making his way to friendly troops.

I've... seen you somewhere, you see.

All those faces of yours... look alike.

Juicy louse! You're wounded! Wait...

Don't move, you might die.

Why are you looking so afraid?

[Chinese]

[Chinese] Understand? Not?

Don't understand?

Wait...

What the hell!

Who knocked out your teeth?

Your commanding officer probably?

You see, no girl will fall in love with you now.

You'll be alone.

But why were you silent?

You should have shot him in the forehead...

... like you tried to shoot me.

But you probably... haven't got the guts.

some warrior... you are.

part 7 "Van-Bosyak searching for a homeland"

...it was a big day for Van...

Long live the Chinese revolution

Hot.

Who's first? Come up.

Why are you standing back?

Come on, don't be afraid.

Let's eat cabbage soup.

come on ... eat ... yummy yummy

You've been frightened ...

Here, here, don't be afraid.

What's your name?

Name, name?

[Chinese]

[Chinese: I'm Van.]

Van... means Ivan.

So Vania, come on, you'll give out the helpings.

What? Why are you weary?

[in Chinese: The Read Army is a friend of poor.] Got it?

Are you sick?

Eat some soup, you'll be fit as a fiddle.

Captain! Captain!

"I'll shoot you!" Remember?

Comrade commander, can I talk to my countryman?

Your Excellency ...

we met in the homeland.

puttees...

"Show me your puttees!", remember?

It's you?

Me.

Vaska, you're alive!

I'm alive.

I had some business to see to.

I met a countryman, from my village.

For five hours I've been chasing after this scum.

I wish he'd drop dead.

I took him alive, you see.

Vaska, you're alive!

Alive... Let's go.

It's nice to hear a word about the homeland.

[in Chinese] ???

???

???

???

???

???

???

???

???

???

???

???

???

???

???

That night the soldier and the officer escaped.

They were lost... Is that the USSR or China?

Where to? Where are you going?

By your dead great grandmother...

...Russians!...

Don't you dare stumble, you hack!

Stop! Where to? By your dead great grandmother...

Your Excellency. It's a shame!

??? ???

...Russians!...

??? [Chinese]

???

???

???

???

???

???

Why did you escape?

Why you escape? [in broken Russian]

Why did get away?

Why did you...

huh?

Are you on the Red's side?

Your captain should be...

boom boom

Before new fights

Thank you for the cabbage soup!

We are going to China, to deal the final blow to our "countrymen". [the last whites]

It won't be long, so prepare a fresh one.

Right...

Everybody got the spoons?

...turn!

Comrade commander, let me fall out!

Fall out!

Platoon, about turn!

Platoon, about turn!

You see...

part 8 "Van-Bosiak shall find his homeland"

Night over Manchuria. Van-Bosiak is saying farewell to his new friends.

Young fellow... Young fellow...

Be so kind, pay attention,

he wants to ask you for something.

He asks you to give him a gun for a keepsake.

Such a trifle, as a souvenir, young fellow.

A gun?

A gun is used to shoot hares in our village.

But if he asks for a rifle,

it's public property,

and I still need it myself.

What a desperate man he is...

He says he killed a captain, so now he's afraid.

He also says all captains must be...

... all of them. Then there'll be nothing more to fear.

Will you treat me to a Russian cigarette, young fellow?

I'm tired of speaking, my tongue "is sweating".

He's asking, why you fought and fought, and why you're returning home now.

Aren't you interested in some relaxing?

Indulge yourself, let yourself go a bit.

He says, let our town be turned red.

You too have a head on your shoulders.

And don't be sad. Chin up!

[trying to remember that Chinese phrase again]

well, no freaking way... [meaning he can't remember it]

We'll meet again sometimes.

A gun...

Here, take this spoon. It's a good one.

As a souvenir. Might come in handy.

About the rifle, you see...

If the guy's understood the thing about the captains...

... then you all stick together.

There's not much of your kind here. [revolutionary kind]

And keep the spoon, you see. It's a good one.

In the morning we left for home.

Well... and what will you be eating tomorrow with this spoon?

Let's go, Bosiak.

The End. subtitles: IDBoris & serdar202