ENDMOSFILM Studio
THE FORTY-FIRST
Based on a story by B. Lavrenyov
Written by
G. KOLTUNOV
Directed by
G. CHUKHRAI
Director of Photography
S. URUSEVSKY
Music by
N. KRYUKOV
Sound Engineer
L. BULGAKOV
Cast:
Maryutka
Izolda IZVITSKAYA
Lieutenant
Oleg STRIZHENOV
Commissar Yevsyukov
Nikolai KRYUCHKOV
Chupilko - N. DUPAK
Terentyev - G. SHAPOVALOV
Guzhov - P. LYUBESHKIN
Gvozdev - L. KOVYLIN
That time has gone
from us for good...
...yet it will stay with us
forever.
Let's go back to those turbulent,
beautiful years,
the first years
of the Revolution.
A defeated Red Army
detachment was retreating
from the Caspian Sea
into the sands of Kara Kum.
Only twenty three people
and their Commissar, Yevsyukov,
managed to break out
of the deadly encirclement.
They were Red Army men,
just ordinary people.
And among them, there was Maryutka,
their unit's best sniper.
She never missed a shot.
She had thirty eight White Guards
to her credit.
An officer!
The thirty-ninth!
Fish cholera.
The fortieth!
Captain!
They're bout five versts away!
Semyonov and Kharundzha
have been killed.
How many of them?
About twenty.
Let them go.
We're not going
to chase them.
They'll die themselves
in the sands.
Thus, the remnants of
the Guriev special detachment
found themselves 37 versts North-
West from the wells,
without food,
water
and any hope of rescue.
There's only one way for us -
across the sands
to the Aral Sea.
And from there take a detour
to Kazalinsk,
where the front's headquarters are.
And what are we going to eat?
We'll have to tighten our belts.
We're not some princes.
You want to be served
sardines and honey?
We've got some rice.
When we eat it up,
we'll kill camels.
And then each other?
No arguing!
You know your revolutionary duty?
Or up against the wall!
There's no wall here,
only that damned sand.
- Get up, Comrade Commissar!
- What? What is it?
- What's up?
- A caravan's coming!
What caravan?
Stop lying!
Camels,
about a dozen of them!
It's not far,
about three versts from here.
Follow me!
I hope we'll catch them!
As soon as we see them, attack!
Don't spare your feet!
Half of you to the right, the rest
to the left! Forward march!
God has sent them. He had mercy
on us.
The God Almighty!
There's no God, how many times
do I have to tell you?
There's a reason
for everything!
Halt!
Any guns?
Put them on the ground!
Or I'll kill everybody!
Follow me!
Get down!
Don't fire at the camels!
They're good shots!
There's an officer
behind the camel.
I see him.
The forty-first!
I missed!
Fish cholera.
That's it!
- That's it!
- Wait!
- And no arguing!
- Listen!
It's death for a Kazakh
without camels!
Take the money.
Leave me the camels!
How much money do you want?
Leave the camels!
Can't you understand, you blockhead,
I'm not robbing you,
I'm taking them
for revolutionary needs!
My lord!
It will be death without camels!
I'm no lord to you.
- Wait! Wait!
- That's all.
You can walk,
but we're going to die here.
How much money do you want?
The czar's money.
I'm leaving you half of them.
- For these, I'll give you a receipt.
- What do I need it for?
Oh, my lord.
Too bad.
- Oh, it's too bad.
- I said that's it.
Don't do so.
- Take the money.
- You got your receipt. That's all.
Who are you?
Lieutenant Govorukha-Otrok.
And who are you?
Comrade Commissar, there's
a note under the lining.
He got it sewn into the lining.
Here.
To whom it may concern.
Lieutenant Govorukha-Otrok,
Vadim Nikolayevich,
is authorized by the government
of Russia's supreme ruler,
Admiral Kolchak,
to represent him
at the Caspian government
of General Denikin.
The secret information
is to be communicated verbally
to General Dratsenko.
What secret information?
Come on, tell me everything.
You're our prisoner.
And I'm the commander,
Commissar Yevsyukov.
Monsieur Yevsyukov?
Nice to meet you.
Answer my questions!
I'm not