They Fought for Their Motherland

1975 2h 31m RU

👍

6.9

SOLID

★6.9TMDB · 69

WarHistoryDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In July 1942, in the Second World War, the rearguard of the Russian army protects the bridgehead of the Don River against the German army while the retreating Russian troops cross the bridge. While they move back to the Russian territory through the countryside, the soldiers show their companionship, sentiments, fears and heroism to defend their motherland.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Vasiliy Shukshin
Pyotr Lopakhin
Vyacheslav Tikhonov
pvt. Nikolay Strel'tsov
Sergei Bondarchuk
pvt. Ivan Zvyagintsev
Georgi Burkov
pvt. Alexander Kopytovsky
Yuriy Nikulin
pvt. Nekrasov
Ivan Lapikov
sergeant Poprischenko
Nikolai Gubenko
lieutenant Goloschyokov
Andrei Rostotsky
corporal Kochetygov

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Sergei Bondarchuk
Writers: Sergei Bondarchuk
Languages: Russian
Countries: 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

RUNTIME

Did you know

Clocks in at 151 minutes — on the longer side of feature-length cinema.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

51 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Sergei Bondarchuk, shot by Vadim Yusov. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Vasiliy Shukshin and Vyacheslav Tikhonov and Sergei Bondarchuk carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0073488 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 69 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Sergei Bondarchuk directs. Vadim Yusov behind the camera. Vyacheslav Ovchinnikov scores. Yelena Mikhaylova cuts. Produced in Soviet Union. Dialogue in Russian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Clocks in at 151 minutes — on the longer side of feature-length cinema.
251 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Sergei Bondarchuk, shot by Vadim Yusov. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Vyacheslav Ovchinnikov. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Yelena Mikhaylova shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Vasiliy Shukshin and Vyacheslav Tikhonov and Sergei Bondarchuk carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0073488 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 69 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.