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ActionDramaRomanceComedyAdventureWar

The White Sun of the Desert

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The setting is the east shore of the Caspian Sea (today's Turkmenistan) where the Red Army soldier Fyodor Sukhov has been fighting the Civil War in Russian Asia for a number of years. After being hospitalised and then demobbed, he sets off home to join his wife, only to be caught up in a desert fight between a Red Army cavalry unit and Basmachi guerrillas. The cavalry unit commander, Rahimov, "convinces" Sukhov to help, temporarily, with the protection of abandoned women of the Basmachi guerrilla leader Abdullah's harem. Leaving a young Red Army soldier, Petrukha, to assist Sukhov with the task, Rahimov and his cavalry unit set out to pursue fleeing Abdullah.Sukhov and women from Abdullah's harem return to a nearby shore town. Soon, looking for a seaway across the border, Abdullah and his gang come to the same town...

Release Date : 1969-12-14

Language :Russian

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : LenfilmMosfilm

Production Country : Soviet Union

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Anatoliy Kuznetsov

Character Name : Fyodor Sukhov

Original Name : Анатолий Кузнецов

Gender : Male

Pavel Luspekayev

Character Name : Pavel Vereshchagin

Original Name : Павел Луспекаев

Gender : Male

Spartak Mishulin

Character Name : Said

Original Name : Спартак Мишулин

Gender : Male

Kakhi Kavsadze

Character Name : Abdulla

Original Name : კახი კავსაძე

Gender : Male

Raisa Kurkina

Character Name : Nastasya

Original Name : Раиса Куркина

Gender : Female

Nikolai Godovikov

Character Name : Petrukha

Original Name : Николай Годовиков

Gender : Male

Tatyana Fedotova

Character Name : Gyulchatay

Original Name : Татьяна Федотова

Gender : Female

Musa Dudayev

Character Name : Rakhimov

Original Name : Муса Дудаев

Gender : Male

Nikolai Badyev

Character Name : Lebedev

Original Name : Nikolai Badyev

Gender : Male

Vladimir Kadochnikov

Character Name : Semyon

Original Name : Vladimir Kadochnikov

Gender : Male

I. Abdulragimov

Character Name :

Original Name : I. Abdulragimov

Gender : Male

Yu. Darumov

Character Name :

Original Name : Yu. Darumov

Gender : Male

Galina Dashevskaya

Character Name : Djamilya

Original Name : Galina Dashevskaya

Gender : Female

Velta Deglav

Character Name : Khafiza

Original Name : Velta Deglav

Gender : Male

D. Gerami

Character Name : Ibragim

Original Name : D. Gerami

Gender : Male

Tatyana Krichevskaya

Character Name : Dzhamilya

Original Name : Tatyana Krichevskaya

Gender : Male

Yakov Lents

Character Name : Starik

Original Name : Yakov Lents

Gender : Male

Alla Limenes

Character Name : Zarina

Original Name : Alla Limenes

Gender : Male

Galina Luchai

Character Name : Katerina Matveyevna

Original Name : Galina Luchai

Gender : Male

Aleksandr Massarskiy

Character Name : Bandit

Original Name : Александр Массарский

Gender : Male

Igor Milonov

Character Name : Aristarkh, Bandit

Original Name : Igor Milonov

Gender : Male

Andrey Naymushin

Character Name :

Original Name : Andrey Naymushin

Gender : Male

Irakli Nijaradze

Character Name : Starik

Original Name : Irakli Nijaradze

Gender : Male

K. Omarov

Character Name :

Original Name : K. Omarov

Gender : Male

Zinaida Rachmatova

Character Name : Zulfiya

Original Name : Зинаида Рахматова

Gender : Female

Svetlana Slivinskaya

Character Name : Saida

Original Name : Svetlana Slivinskaya

Gender : Male

Lidiya Smirnova

Character Name : Leila

Original Name : Лидия Смирнова

Gender : Female

Arkadiy Sokolov

Character Name : Bandit

Original Name : Arkadiy Sokolov

Gender : Male

Marina Stavitskaya

Character Name : Gyuzel

Original Name : Marina Stavitskaya

Gender : Male

Tatyana Tkach

Character Name : Zukhra

Original Name : Татьяна Ткач

Gender : Female

Tatyana Kuzmina

Character Name : (uncredited)

Original Name : Tatyana Kuzmina

Gender : Male

Vitaliy Matveyev

Character Name : Bandit (uncredited)

Original Name : Виталий Матвеев

Gender : Male

Andrey Smirnov

Character Name : Bandit (uncredited)

Original Name : Андрей Смирнов

Gender : Male

Galina Umpelyova

Character Name : Dzhamilya (uncredited)

Original Name : Galina Umpelyova

Gender : Female

Reviews

C

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2024-12-21

There's something quietly comedic about the scenario in which returning soldier "Sukhov" (Anatoliy Kuznetsov) finds himself. He's determined just to get home to some peace and quiet with his wife - whom we see in the opening few scenes - and settle down. Sadly for him, fate has other plans as he rescues "Sayid" (Spartak Mishulin) buried up to his neck in the sand and is soon embroiled in that's mans search for revenge as well as a battle between the pursuing Soviet army and a local freedom fighter called "Abdullah" (Kakhi Kavsadze). It's not so much the battle that he needs to fight that preoccupies our hero, but the latter man's harem of nine concubines whom he has abandoned in his flight, and whom "Sukhov" must keep safe - or as safe as he can! Meantime, these ladies assume that he is their new "husband" and so whilst he only has his heart set on returning home, well maybe that's not going to be so simple after all. This is an enjoyably characterful drama with a solid effort from Kuznetsov leading an ensemble cast that combines some combat scenes with a tiny bit of romance and an all important machine gun. It's a bit like a Gunga Din of the East type affair that's quickly paced with plenty of action, mischief and duplicity. These are all flawed folks - there are few saints here, though the permanently sozzled "Vereshchagin" (Pavel Luspekayev) does have something of the genie about his abilities to appear just when necessary, as does the rescued "Sayid". The desert photography sets the scene nicely and the whole film neatly contrasts the honourable and the absurd of humanity. All it really needs is a bit of Ennio Morricone. Worth a watch.