| At War as at War | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Viktor Tregubovich |
| Written by | Viktor Kurochkin |
| Produced by | Vladimir Besprozvanny |
| Starring | Mikhail Kononov Oleg Borisov |
| Cinematography | Yevgeny Mezentsev |
| Music by | Georgy Portnov |
| Production company | Lenfilm |
| Release date |
|
| Running time | 90 min |
| Country | Soviet Union |
| Language | Russian |
At War as at War (Russian: На войне как на войне, romanized: Na voyne, kak na voyne) is a 1969 Soviet World War II film directed by Viktor Tregubovich. The film had 20 million theatre admissions.
Plot
The dedication in the opening credits reads:
To the fallen and living soldiers of the 3rd Guards Tank Army under Marshal Pavel Semenovich Rybalko.
The film depicts the combat routine of a crew operating a self-propelled gun during the Liberation of Right-Bank Ukraine in 1944.
The protagonist, Junior Lieutenant Maleshkin, is a recently graduated officer assigned to command a SU-100 self-propelled gun (referred to as an SU-85 in the original book). His crew consists of older, more battle-hardened soldiers whose experience often overshadows his authority. This dynamic creates tension, as Maleshkin struggles to assert himself while facing frequent challenges to his leadership. His relationship with the crew alternates between conflict and reconciliation, and his battery commander remains critical of his perceived ineptitude, threatening to relieve him of command.
Maleshkin’s crew frequently encounters misfortunes, ranging from minor incidents, such as the driver appearing disheveled, to serious issues like discovering a live grenade with its pin removed inside the vehicle or mechanical failures during critical moments.
Despite these setbacks, the crew rises to the occasion during their first battle. Joined by paratrooper Gromyhalo, they unexpectedly find themselves leading an assault and later isolated behind enemy lines. The self-propelled gun crew, tasked with following the tanks per regulations, instead engages superior enemy forces heroically, ensuring victory in the battle. However, the skirmish comes at a cost, as the gunner, Mikhail Domeshek, is killed in action.
Cast
- Mikhail Kononov as Alexander Alexandrovich Maleshkin
- Oleg Borisov as Mikhail Domeshek
- Victor Pavlov as Grigory Shcherbak
- Fyodor Odinokov as Osip Byankin
- Boris Tabarovsky as Bezzubtsev
- Mikhail Gluzsky as Col. Day
- Pyotr Lyubeshkin as Timofei Vasilievich Ovsyannikov
- Valentin Zubkov as Col. Basov
- Boris Arakelov as Chegnichka
- German Kolushkin as Pavel Telenkov
- Pyotr Gorin as Sergachyov
- Boris Sichkin as Selivanov
- Yuriy Dubrovin as soldier Gromykhalo
See also
References
- Trivonova, Elena (2015-05-05). "Боевое братство – cамое крепкое". Восточно-Сибирская правда (in Russian). Retrieved 2018-01-10.
- Федор Раззаков (5 September 2017). Гибель советского кино. Тайна закулисной войны. 1973-1991 (in Russian). Эксмо. p. 1971. ISBN 978-5-457-02172-3.
- "Top 10 Russian WWII movies as voted by Russians themselves". 11 May 2020. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
External links
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