ALEXANDER DOVZHENKO
Film Studio
Starring
L. BYKOV as Titarenko
S. PODGORNY as Darkie
S. IVANOV as Grasshopper
R. SAGDULLAYEV as Romeo
Ye. SIMONOVA as Masha
O. MATESHKO as Zoya
V. TALASHKO as Skvortsov
Regiment Commander -
V. MIROSHNICHENKO
A. SMIRNOV as Makarych
A. FEDORINSKY as Alyabyev
V. YANTBELIDZE as Vano
A. NEMCHENKO as Ivan Fyodorovich
V. PASHCHENKO as Vorobyov
That was a hell of a battle!
I thought it was the end.
- How's the machine?
- Great.
I got to his tail,
and he from his back... like hell!
He just waved his tail,
and that was the last I saw of him.
Why did you stay so far behind?
You see,
I thought my guns got jammed.
All right, time to fill up.
And he's dragging on a left turn...
The dumplings are getting cold.
- With cherries?
- With cheese.
Comrade Commander,
the mission's been completed.
Seat. What did you see?
I saw one, that was all in smoke,
but I didn't see him fall.
- That's not it.
- May I?
What did you see?
From the first 9, we shot down 2,
the rest ran away.
That's not it.
Vano, what did you see?
Four Fokkers were forcing us down,
but we slipped away and came to you.
I shot it down! I did!
I shot it down, Comrade Commander.
Oh-oh-oh, what have you done?
Now we have to call your
parents to the principal.
- Tomorrow.
- Right.
- I swear I did.
- I guess, out of fright.
Congratulations on your first victory!
But remember,
Ivan Fyodorovich,
shooting down enemy planes
is not an act of heroism,
it's the duty of fighters,
it's our daily routine.
But what did you see?
- In battle?
- Yes.
Don't help him.
Greetings, Second.
Gimme some milk.
You alive?
Broke your paw?
Ten holes, the tank torn out,
as for me - not a scratch.
How do you say it, Maestro?
We'll live on. Thanks.
You're welcome.
So, what did you see?
Haven't you noticed?
Today we were fighting
over my Ukraine!
How can one notice?
The same fields, roads, villages.
No.
The air is different.
The sky is bluer, the earth is greener.
Commander, as for
greenery, in our Siberia...
Why Siberia, my dear?
Come to Bakuriani,
you'll see the real greenery.
- Have you ever seen the Yenisey?
- No, I haven't.
And have you seen the Tsenitskhali?
There they go...
Quiet.
A lark.
Based upon
the reminiscences
of Soviet pilots fighting
in the Great Patriotic War,
newsreels
and wartime songs.
Chief Consultant -
Hero of the Soviet Union,
General-Lieutenant of the Air Force
S.I. KHARLAMOV
Music by V. SHEVCHENKO
Production Designer
Georgy PROKOPETS
Director of Photography
Vladimir VOITENKO
Screenplay by
Leonid BYKOV
Yevgeny ONOPRIYENKO
Alexander SATSKY
Directed by
Leonid BYKOV
ONLY "OLD MEN"
ARE GOING TO BATTLE
Give me First.
Give me first squadron!
Comrades pilots,
please don't go away.
Captain Dementyev, come to me.
Give me first squadron!
- Comrade...
- Later.
Comrade Commander, we've got
reinforcement. What do we do?
- Get the third up.
- Yes!
I'm First.
Ninth, answer me.
Ninth, answer me.
I'm First.
The wireless is too weak, it won't do.
- Weak... Get me a stronger one!
- That's only in the division.
So get it in the division! You're
a communications man, not a balalaika.
Maestro, answer me.
Maestro, I'm First.
Maestro, answer me. I'm First.
Commander, there are
no miracles that happen.
He's been out of fuel
for 30 minutes now.
Shall we deal with the reinforcement?
They should be assigned
to squadrons.
It's never late to assign
the living to the living.
Comrade Guards Major,
I got a new comedy in the division,
"George from Dinki-Jazz".
They gave it to us, but Regiment 125
intercepted it. It's robbery.
- What did they intercept?
- "From Dinki-Jazz".
What jazz?
From Dinki.
Off you go!
Why is everybody here?
Everyone go to supper.
Do you need
a special invitation?
Oh, it's you, Sergey.
He ordered me to lead everybody away,
but I'm No. 2.
I wasn't supposed
to leave him alone.
Stop torturing yourself.
You had to carry out the order.
- I know.
- Go and have supper.
It'll be windy tomorrow.
Looks like it.
Forty-seven minutes.
I need a pipe changed
in the engine.
And the stock-keeper won't give it.
Please, order him to.
You'll never stop. You'll leave the
whole regiment without spare parts.
All right, tell him I allowed.
They brought "George from Dinki-Jazz. "
A comedy, they say.
Yeah...
Come on, enough of that.
- Free here?
- Occupied.
- May I?
- I said it's occupied.
Let's go over there.
The Messers!
Makarych, accept the machine.
Here, I swapped it without bargaining.
You can hold it by it's tale,
the dragon doesn't bite anymore.
And I...
got connecting pipes
for our Niner.
The Niner is kaput.
- Everybody got back?
- Right!
- Why are you so gloomy then?
- Mourning the Niner.
Comrade Commander, I was shot
down while on a fighting mission.
Couldn't make it over the front line.
The infantry helped me out,
attacking just in time.
Guys at the airfield
gave me a new Messer.
Hi, pop.
Hi, you lucky devil!
The parachute's kaput, too.
That's it. The second to rehearsal.
Come on.
Everyone, who can tell the 'do' note
from the 'fa' note, follow me!
That amateur talent business again!
The pilots ought to rest.
Who said songs at war
should be dropped as such?
After a fight one yearns
for music twice as much.
Start'er up!
Today we have a respite,
Tomorrow we'll fly again...
Those evening bells,
Those evening bells!
So many thoughts
Their sound spells.
Of days of youth
In my home nest,
Where I was in love,
Where my parents rest...
You see, our Chairman was like that...
Attention! At ease!
It's kindergarten, not reinforcement.
Follow me!
Curly maple,
leaves so intricately cut,
By love smitten, I'm standing...
You'll get a punch.
- What are we doing?
- Washing, Comrade Commander.
You want a punch? Oh!
- Sorry, Comrade Captain.
- Guards Captain.
Yes, sir,
Guards Comrade Captain.
Greetings,
Comrade Commander!
- Training?
- Yes.
It develops the vestibular apparatus.
Go on, work out.
Attention!
At ease, Cossacks.
What's new on the musical front?
- "On a Sunny Glade".
- We heard it.
- "Blue Kerchief".
- I see.
- "Dugout".
- Good song.
May I join the line?
You may.
What tune were you singing?
Darkie.
Sing it. You know the words?
Don't chicken, Darkie.
You're a fighter pilot.
Well, it goes like this.
In the summer, in the morning,
At a garden I dropped once.
There was a girl, a Moldavian darkie,
She was gathering some grapes.
I'm blushing, I'm paling,
I'm about to tell her that...
Comrade Commander, please enlist me
into your second squadron.
- Me too.
- Me too.
And us, too.
- What school?
- Orenburg. Accelerated training.
I see. Takeoff-landing.
What do you play?
- Meaning?
- Musically.
Nothing.
You don't have to be a pilot,
we'll teach you flying anyway,
But a musician you have to be.
- I think he's weird.
- What?
School?
Dutar... I mean, Orenburg.
A dutar, I brought it with me.
A harp.
But I've hated music since I was a kid.
We're at war, anyway.
Wars come and go,
and music remains.
My dad said so too. He's a prominent
professor, a paleobotanist.
So you're a child prodigy?
I'm here not to enroll at
a philharmony, but to fight.
- Junior Lieutenant Antonov.
- Here!
- First squadron.
- Yes!
- Junior Lieutenant Zairov.
- Here!
- Second squadron.
- Yes!
- Junior Lieutenant Sabdullayev.
- Here!
Second squadron.
Yes!
- Junior Lieutenant Shchedronov.
- Here!
Second squadron.
Yes!
Tomorrow, at most the day after
tomorrow, the war will be over.
As soon as they know
about our reinforcement,
the Luftwaffe will run for their lives.
- Eagles.
- Wolves.
Cadet... Lieutenant Alexandrov.
Why are you standing there?
Second squadron.
Yes!
Right dress! Attention!
- As you were.
- As you were.
Here're your horses, here're your
mechanic nannies. Get acquainted.
Eagles!
- Who's Alexandrov here?
- I'm Lieutenant Alexandrov.
- I'm your mechanic.
- Are you? Great!
Are there enough planes?
Fear not, you won't
be left without a horse.
Lieutenant, no smoking
around the plane.
But I'm not inhaling.
No matter, step aside, please.
What? You don't like me?
- Why are you staring at me?
- You're my fifth one.
Well, get ready to form
a winged line...
we'll see how you sing in the air.
Who's the bravest?
Everybody is brave, but the most
experienced... Allow takeoff?
Comrade Commander, a flare.
On the bridgehead across the Dnieper
the Germans are attacking our troops.
The reinforcements
are being sent there.
The enemy airplanes
are rushing to the crossing.
About 50 Junkerses are approaching.
Not one bomb
should fall on the crossing.
We're going by shelves.
Solomatin will cover.
As usual.
- Titarenko among the attackers.
- Yes.
Kolosov, I'm going with you.
No talking on the approach, not a word.
Didn't I tell you?
It goes for you, too.
No jokes.
- Got you.
- It's his nerves.
We fly in 12 minutes.
No rookies today.
Only old men are going to battle.
- What about us?
- Take us too.
- We won't let you down.
- What's your hurry?
You'll have your share of battle.
Missed. And I'm going to hit...
Thanks, do your job.
You got it.
Do you have nothing else to do?
Fighters!
Study the map of the battle area,
as those men do.
B-5.
You've sunk it.
Attention! At ease.
You've got it coming!..
- How's the machine?
- What's wrong with the gun?
It was in order.
- Comrade Commander...
- Later!
Why did you leave the battle?
Got jammed again?
Yes, jammed again.
Send me to the tribunal, Commander.
Alyosha, the gun's all right.
You just shot it empty.
All right.
All right, Makarych.
What? Did you get it hot?
Worse.
Haven't you had your supper?
Why did you go wild? The harder
you train, the better you'll fight.
Some maestro, my ass.
Calm down. From the start, and...
He's such a great dog!
When Germans came to the village,
they shot all dogs.
But Lyuba hid this one so well!
He doesn't know how to bark.
Good evening to your hearth.
Got enough potatoes?
Sit down.
What's the name of that wolfhound?
Just like yours.
Alyoshka?
Oh, you!
Put out the fire!
- You've been relieved, soldier?
- Yes.
Take the kids to the mess.
They should be fed.
Yes! Come on, guys.
Shall we uncork it?
we'll do without warming up.
I see. We're in
for a serious talk.
What's the matter with you, Seryoga?
You're a fighter pilot.
I know everything you're going to say.
There's no more fighter pilot, Lyosha.
That's it.
- I'm a coward, Commander.
- Seryoga.
Shut up, Lyosha. Shut up.
I'm broken.
Remember Poneri?
Blabbers, used to say,
that the German is a coward,
that he's afraid of frontal attack,
that he's sure to swerve.
But mine hadn't swerved.
So that my planes ripped off, one wing
to the left, the other to the right.
I snape out of it on the ground.
My Yak was burning down.
And I saw cherries
bloom in my eyes.
- We fight to death, Seryoga.
- I know, Lyosha.
But believe me, I swear by mother,
I didn't mean to leave the battle.
I controlled the machine,
with my hands in place.
I'm burning to fight, but as...
It flares up...
When I came to my senses,
the fight going the hell knows where,
and I dropped out.
I guess I want to live.
You can't escape the war.
You can't escape yourself.
That's what's most horrible.
Send me to the tribunal, Commander.
Here, an application
for my decommissioning.
Where to?
To the infantry.
To hell, damn it!
To the penal battalion.
To hell?
And who's going to shoot down Fritzes?
Me and those rookies?
This is all
I can do for you.
As for helping you...
There're moments in life
when nobody can help you.
You come into this world on your own
and you die on your own.
Well, the host won't offer us any tea.
Let's get to business. Give me the map.
Sit down. Will you ever get yourself
a map-case, or shall I give you one?
- It's safer in one's boot in battle.
- In battle, yes.
According to the partisans,
the enemy's transferring
a large grouping of tanks
to our bridgehead.
This information hasn't been
confirmed yet, so off you fly,
hover above the roofs, peek into the
barrels of guns, but find the tanks.
Let me fly the trophy.
The Messer?
You may be shot down by our own.
But over there
I can fly like at home.
That's not a bad idea.
We'll warn off our people.
Feel out this forest. You'll come
in there from the enemy side.
And come out at Nekrasovka.
Only no tricks.
I know you.
No engagements,
you're not to be spotted.
May I go and carry out the mission?
- Come back alive.
- Yes.
Good luck.
Well, Ivan, let's check out
the reinforcement.
Perhaps... some tea first?
You think while we sit drinking tea,
they'll take the downed
plane off the runway?
You softy!
Turn it the hell down!
About face, damn it!
Get out of my sight!
I'm off on a mission. You're
in charge of those. Drill them.
- Me?
- Yes, you!
"I don't know, Comrade Commander. "
Catching grasshoppers.
No flights.
No vodka ration.
A permanent duty
as an airfield attendant.
Grasshopper!
- Where are you flying?
- Straight ahead, to the west.
In such weather...
Makarych, there's a persistent rumor
at Hitler's headquarters
that some Soviet aces
are given a cross before a flight by
politically-backward mechanics.
They're all weirdoes
at Hitler's headquarters.
- Start'er up!
- Yes, start'er up!
Flying in such weather!
What Jupiter allowed...
Shall we fly more today?
Enough screwing for today.
Learn the theory.
Give me your paw
for luck, my friend.
Cheer up, Grasshopper. Do your duty,
and the commander may cool off.
Be thankful for that. It could be worse.
As Shakespeare said...
- And who's that?
- Must be some big wig.
Soldier's wisdom:
Stay away from big wigs,
but closer to the kitchen. Come on.
Guys.
- Excuse me, is that the mail?
- Or maybe an army shop?
- Got lost, girls?
- Oh, look, a dog.
- Why don't you say hello, boys?
- Hello.
Let's go.
A good point. A reprimand to
everybody, comrade flyers.
- Got it.
- Follow me.
Lift it!
Come on.
Pardon me, this is men's job.
- Ivan, work.
- Yes!
Lift it!
- Where do you run the thread here?
- What thread?
This is a flying sewing
machine, isn't it?
Push it. You should've seen how
the Messers grilled us today.
Oh, you fly too?
- I'm sorry.
- It's nothing.
Our dear U-2!
A hard-working horse.
Never mind, one day
we'll put a monument to you.
Thank you.
Not at all.
- Are you from Moscow?
- Yes.
Oh, our neighbors!
First squadron, come here!
The night-timers came from
the neighboring regiment.
How was your flight?
I'm Petya, by the way.
Nice to meet you.
Good!
Greetings to you, girls-in-arms!
- What's wrong?
- A hole in the petrol pipe.
Our mechanics will fix your biplane
in a jiffy... I'm Petya, by the way.
Stay cool.
don't you believe me?
Incidentally, these are
the guests of the second squadron.
The best mechanics are here.
As is our
traditional hospitality.
So you can lay off, Vasya.
A Messer!
Calm down, it's our guy.
It's Maestro.
After hard
and exhausting battles,
when you go into a frontal attack,
when a German ace's scowling
face is in front of you,
when you can see...
rivets on the enemy planes,
we, fighters, need
an emotional let-out.
And here we're helped by music. For
everything passes, but music remains.
And as Shakespeare said
in his 18th sonnet...
Hi, boys.
Hi, girls.
What did Shakespeare say?
Well...
And not in the 18th, but...
In the 19th?
In the 19th sonnet Shakespeare said...
Lay off, Vasya.
Let's go.
Hey, orators!
Some discipline!
Why are you leaving your own home
without your superior's permission?
Where's your traditional
hospitality, fighters?
Yes, Comrade First, it's been
confirmed, we found them.
Where we supposed they were.
Yes, he sure flew over there.
- How many times?
- Four times over their heads.
I flew 4 times.
An arrogant general
sitting on a white horse there.
- You even saw his shoulder-straps?
- I was flying pretty low.
Vassily Vassilyevich, First's waiting.
- Don't see me off.
- Thank you.
Punch a hole for a decoration, Maestro.
Valya, give me Pop's "Kazbek"
cigarette.
I got Prokhorovka
on an aerial photograph.
I'll go to the lab and check it.
- How did the hosts receive you?
- All right.
But what the cheek!
Did you report everything,
my dear friend?
- Everything. Good tobacco.
- Yeah, good. And what then?
You won't believe it.
Like in an operetta.
The tanks, and that one on a white
horse waves to me like this...
And you?...
I waved to him once, too.
I had to punish him,
it's not 1941 now.
You were ordered
not to reveal yourself.
Ah, what the heck. Sitting like that
on a white horse, bastard...
I'll remind you of
that white horse yet.
- May I go?
- You mean you'll go like that?
- I don't understand.
- What's happened to people?
You're not going to invite
your comrade-in-arms and commander?
Invite where?
The whole regiment is rushing
to the second squadron now.
May I?
May I?
May I?
I meant to ask you.
If...
Got you.
- Granny, let's dance.
- Not me!
we'll show them how to dance!
But they don't dance.
Why don't we dance?
We had our dance,
I guess, back in Spain.
Oh, no.
May I?
May I, Comrade Commander?
Did you see that?
They can't fly.
They can't shoot yet, either.
But they're real eagles!
Everybody come here.
All this is fine, but it's
just a consumers, cooperative.
Dear guests of the second squadron,
please come to our philharmonic hall.
Curtain!
Our singing second has another profile.
We believe that a song is like
geography.
Here's Zoya from Siberia, a stern and
mighty land. So are its songs.
A storm was raging, thundering...
Vano. Georgia. Mountains.
A Caucasian rhythm.
And I'm from Tauria, Southern Ukraine.
The prairies, as even as a table.
(speaks in Ukrainian)
It's Milky Way in Russian.
Our songs are as
endless as the prairie itself.
You understand it's not singing,
it's just a sketch of singing.
And now you'll hear
the best soloist
of the first Ukrainian,
the former Voronezh,
and the future soloist
of the Bolshoi Theatre...
- Very big.
- Very big theatre.
Senior Lieutenant Skvortsov!
(speaks in Ukrainian)
Commander.
Cancelled for technical reasons.
Maestro.
Don't you let me down.
The season's first.
Don't have an harp - Take a tambourine.
Start'er up!
In the summer, in the morning,
At a garden I dropped once.
There's a girl, a Moldavian darkie,
She was gathering the grapes.
I'm blushing, I'm paling,
I'm about to suggest:
"Let's go to the river
To watch summer dawn at its best. "
Curly maple,
leaves so intricately cut,
By love smitten, I'm standing
all distraught.
Curly maple, so bushy a maple,
Its leaves so beautifully cut!
And the girl, the Moldavian darkie,
Told the boy all at once:
"We're forming in Moldavia
A detachment of partisans.
Our men have left their homes
Early on, before the dawn.
So go to the partisans,
To the woods you go on. "
Curly maple,
leaves so intricately cut,
Here, by the maple, you and I
will have to part.
Curly maple, so bushy a maple,
Its leaves so beautifully cut!
Comrade Guards Major, may I
address Comrade Captain?
You may.
Good evening.
Comrade Captain, while some
were doing la-la-la here,
the 1st squadron have got everything
for the repair of your cruiser.
Got out hands on
all the needed part.
- Thank you.
- You're welcome.
Good boys, our first squadron.
When it comes to downing the Messers,
it's the second squadron job to do,
but as to getting things, it's the 1st
squadron.
Curly maple,
leaves so intricately cut.
Hello, darling,
now we'll never have to part!
Curly maple, so bushy a maple,
Its leaves so beautifully cut!
Comrade Regiment Commander,
the U-2 is ready.
Thank you.
- Start'er up.
- Yes!
That's all.
Well, he's got your left hand.
Our Romeo from Tashkent is sulking.
His Juliet left in a biplane.
Lieutenant,
stop being cheap.
I got your message, I'll keep mum,
or I'll be beaten by you neat
and never shall perform my feat.
Look, I don't know what kind
of a feat we're going to perform,
but the fact that this
girl fights in the war, it's...
Not enough paint.
What about you?
You may use it.
Leave the paint!
- There're no tanks there.
- I believe Titarenko like myself.
I do, too. Yet the low-flying planes
and our neighbors were there as nothing!
- They found no tanks.
- That's why they're not Guards.
All right, Guards pilot,
don't get riled up.
How can one hide them?
When is he going to land?
Second squadron. As soon...
Stop munching!
As Titarenko lands, let him report
at once.
That Uzbek boy of yours has guts.
Wait and you'll see him a soloist.
we'll wait and see.
What are they doing?!
Have they gone crazy, or what?
Turn!
Titarenko, turn!
Is he nuts, that soloist of yours?!
Ninth, go to a landing.
Oh, it's not cold at all.
The soloist is coming.
In a frontal attack a hypothetical
enemy's been hypothetically shot down.
May I have your remarks?
All right, we'll get along.
But you have to work on your turns.
Rookies, come here.
- Darkie!
- Here.
Well, kids, tomorrow we go to battle.
In your first battle, most important
is not to fall back from the leader.
You may not shoot down enemy planes,
you may not even shoot.
But if you hold on to the leader's
tail, you can fly.
But once you gape, they'll eat you
alive, and you can blame only yourself.
For now remember
the three "no's".
In battle you can't be blind.
Turn your head 360.
Second...
- Grasshopper.
- Here.
Go to the commander.
He's in great spirits!
Third, never leave your
comrade when he's in trouble.
Better die yourself,
but help your friend out.
And fourth, never keep a fighter
on a permanent duty.
Please let me fly.
And fifth, you can't
interrupt your seniors in rank.
- You may go.
- Yes!
You too.
Grasshopper was the best at school.
Comrade Commander,
he's not 18 yet.
To get enrolled at school,
he added himself a year.
- He's a great guy!
- For how long has he to be on duty?
Until he comes of age.
You're called to the command post.
I was watching.
Good work! But you have
to make way for your elders.
In a streetcar - no problems,
but not in battle.
We'll get along.
You mean I flew to my mother-in-law's
and gave you some baloney?
But they couldn't
vanish into thin air,
those damned tanks,
and they couldn't draw
them off so quickly.
I'll inform you within an hour.
May I fly again?
Come on, wait...
- Where are they, then?
- Allow me to fly.
And order to put a photo camera
onboard, if my word is not enough.
You're stubborn, aren't you?
- Here, take this.
- What for?
Too bad we don't have enough hay.
It eats a lot of it. What about yours?
Leave the hay!
Maestro, what was that roundabout
you had up there?
A training battle,
for the reinforcement.
- And how was it?
- All right.
Who was it that pressed you so?
I told them about frontal attack.
And he went head-on and didn't turn.
I couldn't turn either, after all
I'm a Hero of the Soviet Union.
And girls stare at you at the mess.
It's not my character to turn,
but he went on and on.
- So you had to swerve?
- Not to mess things up.
- They're good boys, we'll get along.
- Hurry up, men.
The Germans are transferring our old
acquaintances to the Kiev area.
I mean Goring's best carrion crows.
Thanks for good news.
Why should they come here before
the start?
Enough of your superstitions.
It's not good. Well...
It doesn't count.
Don't swap it for a tank!
Starlet, I'm Maestro!
The irons are in place, camouflaged
as haycocks. Quadrant 19.
- Roger, Maestro!
- Quadrant 19, copy.
- Roger.
- Say hello to the neighbors.
How are you?
- How are you, Maestro?
- All right, I'm falling.
Guys, I'm one of you, a Soviet.
You say Soviet? There you go!
Check out my uniform.
He's even donned our uniform!
- Oh, holy shit!
- He even swears in our tongue!
Go to hell, the queen of fields!
He seems to be ours.
And let my regiment know
that I'm alive and well.
Very warm hospitality.
- I'll get there.
- We'll provide you with transportation.
We'll fix you up,
and you'll be great.
This is the pure stuff.
We keep it for our guests.
Fomin, drop your accordion.
Water for our guest.
Yes!
Let's have one for the road and to
friendship between our corps.
- Some friendship.
- Don't be pissed off.
One Messer has been bombing
our first-aid post for a week.
Chose the red cross
as his target, bastard.
The boys took you for him
and got a bit overexcited.
You're lucky you're alive.
Well, aviation...
To our victory.
We'll live on, infantry.
You're a hell of a drinker!
A fighter drinker!
All right!
TO KIEV!
Halt! Who's coming?
Not coming, but riding. Dnieper.
Volga. Go on.
Greetings, Comrade Commander.
Hi!
Makarych, accept the machine.
I swapped it without bargaining.
Sorry, they didn't offer me a tank.
Who?
Darkie.
How did it happen?
They worked on flying in pairs.
Suddenly 4 Fokkers out of the blue.
I've never seen them like that.
All painted up with diamond aces.
Pop on the wireless: "Go away. "
But where to? They were in the clutches.
Suddenly there comes Darkie:
Cover me. I'll attack. Well...
He was just a kid. Got carried away.
He should have gone on a turn,
but he persisted, and...
A daring devil.
What a guy!
When we got up, no more Fokkers.
And he was burning down in the weeds.
Those are his things.
Yesenin's poems.
His tunic... over there.
And Aunt Dusya.
His mother.
How are they going to tell Aunt Dusya
that he's... gone.
Missing in action is better.
Already our instalment.
You know, Vitya and I
lived in the same house.
When they were seeing us off at the
station, all the boys played the fool.
And Vitya turned around...
and said:
"Look how old our
mothers turned in a moment.
Just in a moment... "
Stop crying.
How do you say "sky"
in your language?
And "earth"?
And "cherry tree"?
Only it's not cherry, but an apple tree.
Makes no difference.
It smells of home.
A poplar is my home country's tree.
Only ours are tall,
Lombardy poplars.
And how do you say "home"?
Such a long word?
In Uzbek, it means
"I love you, Masha. "
Girls, Romeo and Masha are coming.
Masha.
- I got to go.
- Romeo!
Yes.
I'll be in trouble if...
- Sure.
- Romeo!
Only you go first.
I can't look back.
All right.
- Don't look back either.
- Right.
- Well, I'm going.
- Goodbye.
Goodbye.
- Good luck.
- Goodbye.
We never look back!
Novokov.
- Congratulations!
- I won't let down.
Kozhanov.
Kozhanov!
No more flying for Kozhanov.
Titarenko.
Congratulations!
Want to say something?
No, I'm not good at talking.
I'll say my word in battle.
Good point.
Our party is
- 6 men.
- 8 men, Komsomol leader.
Eight.
Congratulations, communists.
And you, Titarenko, will get
a mission from the Party right away.
Sit down, comrades.
Sit down.
You've already met
those Goring's diamond aces.
They can burn very well.
Come on, you shouldn't
underestimate the enemy.
The German man is a serious man.
But they do burn very well, and you
should explain it to the young boys.
All this hype with
painted aces, dragons
and other voodoo stuff
is aimed at them.
This is a psychological attack.
You scare the enemy before battle,
you get an advantage.
They won't scare him!
- Your regiment has too many rookies.
- That's true.
So your task of the first
order, Captain,
is to explain all that to them
intelligently, setting your own example.
I understand, Major.
I have my own account
to settle with the diamonds.
Just write like this? "This'll be
the day for you and us, so kiss my...
Shall I put an ellipsis?
- A diplomatic note.
- Cossacks writing to the sultan.
Ready!
- Grasshopper, translate it to German.
- Yes!
Do it quickly, but make it
sound like belle-lettres.
Ready.
- Is that all?
- The rest is untranslatable.
Don't drag it out, or you'll get it
coming.
Come out to fight one on one, we
won't shoot you on a takeoff. Maestro.
And it took us a whole day to write.
A stylist. Not funny, but to the point.
You'll be an editor after the war.
And a flyer during the war.
Commander, allow me to fly.
We'll talk later.
The letter goes in there.
They'll translate this themselves.
- Will all the squadron fly?
- No.
Will you fly yourself?
My number 2 will be
senior lieutenant Skvortsov.
Yes!
Yes!
Seryoga, they took the challenge.
don't fall back, come in from the sun.
Yes!
- Seryoga, my gun's jammed!
- What do we do?
Imitate an attack.
Cover me, I'll attack!
Got you, Lyosha!
What chivalry!
Get the second squadron up.
Lyosha, a Messer at your tail.
Hold on, Lyosha!
You're on fire, diamond!
Ninth, pull back,
your boys are in the air.
Roger, Pop.
Go away, Lyosha!
Let's sing a duet now, Seryoga!
- But your gun!..
- It's all right, I just kidded you.
I'll show you pedagogy!
Commander, are you all right?
Go get the paint.
- What paint?
- To paint stars.
I'll get it in a jiffy!
You'll get... Always same story.
You ought to have your own paint!
How many stars? Two?
I'm running!
Two... It's exausting enough
downing just one.
I stuck to him,
but he tosses like a fish.
Suddenly, from behind...
- I hardly managed to get out of it.
- Life is a hustle.
Yeah, we taught those diamonds
a good lesson.
Well, this suit suits me alright.
What do you say, Romeo?
- Me?
- Yes, you.
I saw the fight. I saw everything.
Sure, all to the last bullet.
But missed it all.
Missed.
What is Juliet going to say?
Commander, the women's
regiment will be based here.
The second squadron has been
invited to a party tonight.
Stop being gross.
Go, go. She's been looking for you.
Comrade Commander,
may I go for a minute?
And right away the enamored mate
revved up his plane
and rushed on to a date.
- Commander.
- Quiet.
The cranes.
It's too early for them.
They survived.
- Listen, Lyosha...
- Seryoga.
No need for words, please.
Yes, Commander.
- The Messers!
- The Junkerses!
The enemy approaching!
Where're you going, kid? Follow me!
To the forest!
Where are you going?
Get down, Grasshopper!
They'll kill you, kid!
Come back!
- Start'er up!
- Yes, start'er up!
He's crazy.
He took off! Grasshopper took off!
- Who took off?
- Titarenko!
- Start'er up!
- Yes, start'er up!
It's something, guys!
Grasshopper's shot down a Messer.
What a devil!
Let's lift him up, guys!
My dear boy!
No ovations, please.
Guys, Grasshopper's coming.
Right face!
Attention! Center dress!
By the way, where's my vodka
ration for the downed plane?
Why just a ration, my dear? You
deserve a barrel of Georgian chacha!
Cool it.
I don't drink,
but it's a matter of principle.
Way to go! Thanks, you've saved
the regiment!
And how he hit him!
Why are you laughing? Learn from him!
What a style!
Against all laws of physics!
Listen, it wasn't me.
Shut up.
Prepare a report for a decoration.
Not for me. For Lieutenant Grasshopper...
It's Alexandrov who shot him down.
- Grasshopper?
- Exactly.
- You're kidding me.
- No. He did.
- You shot him down?
- Yes.
I could've shoot down more,
but you, Comrade Commander...
scared off all Germans
with your underwear.
Oh, those kids! What an expert.
May we come in?
I got on his tail...
The getters are already here.
Good evening.
- Gifts of the forest.
- For our girls-in-arms.
- You got settled all right?
- All right.
For this they
could go to the can.
They stole the birch-tree twigs
the sergeant had provided for the bath.
Don't pay attention to them.
They're an okay boys, but somewhat
underdeveloped aesthetically...
Zoya, who are these boys? I think
they're not from our neighborhood.
- They're not even from our street.
- That's right.
Quiet, comrades!
Please, be quiet.
Our lecturer, Grasshopper,
asks for two more minutes.
If he goes beyond the time-limit, we'll
turn him out of the tent. Go on.
I'll speak about love.
Seriously, I'm not kidding.
You see... people...
Humankind should
come to understand
that hatred is destructive.
Only love is creative.
Only love.
Yes, love...
Seryoga and I have gone all the way
from Brest to Stalingrad, with love.
And from Stalingrad to the Dnieper
here, also with love.
Even a hundred years later, I'll be
able to fly this route without a map.
Because all along there are graves
of the boys from our singing squadron.
And not just a squadron, a whole
division have fallen there.
And how many more...
Some day in Berlin,
on the tallest
surviving wall,
I shall write lovingly:
"Satisfied with
the Reichstag ruins. "
And then I can go home, even if
I'll have to spray the gardens.
Commander, while leaving
your autographs in Berlin,
i'm kindly asking you:
please, pay attention to our
signatures, those of the first squadron.
What difference does it make,
friend, yours or ours.
Actually, the first to sign there
will be infantry private Vanya.
And it's only right.
That's how it is.
Commander.
Everything passes, only music remains.
We'll live on.
Start'er up!
Listen, shall we ever hear
the best soloist
of the First Ukrainian?
The future soloist of the Bolshoi
Theatre?
No problem!
Seryoga, jump!
Jump, Seryoga!
We'll live on, guys!
The regiment is to be lined up in
Vano, they're just kids,
but you're an old man. How come?
- Sorry.
- What's the score, anyway?
- The second squadron was winning.
- Good.
May I address you
on a personal matter?
Okay, Romeo, but shortly.
What is it?
- I want to get married. Asking for permission?
- Yes.
Yes...
A great idea.
And just the right time.
I know what you're going to say.
It's war, they may shoot you down.
- And they may.
- But they may shoot her down, too.
- They may.
- Therefore, asking for permission.
But remember, Romeo...
It should be
for life,
a short or a long one, but...
Will you ever get yourself a map case,
or shall I give you one?
- In battle, a boot is more reliable.
- That's in battle...
Don't forget to invite me to your
wedding.
- What?
- "Thanks" in Uzbek.
- (speaks in Ukrainian)
- Pardon?
"You're welcome" in Ukrainian.
Wait!
Stand there.
You softy.
We've waited for this moment for
a long time.
We've waited for a thousand days
and nights.
Comrades-in-arms! Pilots of the Guard!
Our ground forces are coming out
onto the borders of the Union of
Soviet Socialist Republics!
Our regiment has got
a mission to carry out...
Your boy is a real eagle. As if he's
commanded a regiment all his life.
From now on, the whole
regiment will be singing.
And if he gets a division,
where shall we get so many balalaikas?
No talking while in line!
The enemy won't
give up the sky to us.
Our goal is to throw them
out of there!
There'll be a horrible fight.
Only "old men" go
to battle today.
Onto your horses, boys!
- What about us?
- No talking.
Don't be in a hurry, boys.
You'll get your share of fighting.
Those kids... You know
what's the most difficult in our work?
Rummaging in the engine at -30.
The most difficult part
is waiting.
That's some way to land.
Some "old men", my ass.
- Romeo, hold on the machine.
- I can't see anything.
Hold on the machine!
All right, we're landing.
Reduce speed. Reduce speed.
I can't see anything, Commander.
Stay cool, Romeo. we'll land.
Pull the handle.
Get ready, we're landing. Switch off
the ignition. Good work, boy!
Break the door!
Doctor!
Step back, everybody!
What?
I've landed, Commander.
Makarych.
Please, do it yourself.
You go and tell Masha.
Yeah...
The girls, regiment is gone.
Perhaps, it's better
this way?
Romeo's still alive for her.
Commander!
Commander.
When the war is over,
we'll come back here,
walk over these places...
those who survive.
And we'll have the best
symphony orchestra, all in tails.
The conductor will come out.
I'll approach him and say...
Let them play for us...
Well, you know... I'll do it.
I'll say: "Excuse me, Maestro.
Let me do it. "
And we'll sing "The Darkie"!
From the very beginning to the end.
And the grass of the steppe smells of
bitterness,
The young winds so green evermore.
We wake up in the night
to the thunderbolts
Either of a storm or the echo of
our past war...
We wake up in the night
to the thunderbolts
Either of a storm or the echo of
our past war...
I'll get up before the dawn and go
walking
Over a wide field as the day gathers.
So strange my memory is working:
I remember what has happened to
others.
Drops of rain beating the cheeks
weathered;
Twenty years for the world is little,
rather.
I have never known the boy who
promised:
"Wait for me, I shall return, Mother... "
And the grass of the steppe smells of
bitterness,
The young winds so green evermore...
Dedicated to all who did not return
from operational flight.