Attack and Retreat

"They were damned by fate and dogged by a deadly foe!"

1964 2h 28m IT

👍

6.7

SOLID

★6.7TMDB · 43

DramaHistoryWar

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Chronicle of the unheralded and unsuccessful invasion of the Soviet Union by the Italian army during World War II.

“They were damned by fate and dogged by a deadly foe!”

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Cast

Arthur Kennedy
Ferro Maria Ferri
Zhanna Prokhorenko
Katya
Raffaele Pisu
Gabrielli
Tatyana Samoylova
Sonya
Andrea Checchi
Sermonti
Riccardo Cucciolla
Sanna
Valeri Somov
Giuliani
Peter Falk
Medic Captain

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Giuseppe De Santis
Writers: Ennio De Concini, Gian Domenico Giagni, Augusto Frassinetti
Languages: Italian, Russian, Spanish, German
Countries: Italy, Soviet Union

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

62 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 4 languages: Italian, Russian, Spanish, German.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Italy, Soviet Union.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Giuseppe De Santis, shot by Antonio Secchi. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Armando Trovajoli. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Klavdiya Moskvina shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Arthur Kennedy and Zhanna Prokhorenko and Raffaele Pisu carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "They were damned by fate and dogged by a deadly foe!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Giuseppe De Santis directs. Antonio Secchi behind the camera. Armando Trovajoli scores. Klavdiya Moskvina cuts. Produced in Italy, Soviet Union. Dialogue in Italian, Russian, Spanish, German.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

162 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Dialogue crosses 4 languages: Italian, Russian, Spanish, German.
3International production across 2 countries: Italy, Soviet Union.
4Directed by Giuseppe De Santis, shot by Antonio Secchi. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Armando Trovajoli. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Klavdiya Moskvina shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Arthur Kennedy and Zhanna Prokhorenko and Raffaele Pisu carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "They were damned by fate and dogged by a deadly foe!".
9IMDB entry: tt0059323 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 43 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
11Released under 12 different titles around the world.