Beloe solntse pustyni

White sun of the desert was a very interesting film. It seemed to revolve around the idea of duty. It often presented different characters with a challenge that they had to rise to and overcome in whatever way they knew how. The different ways that this idea manifested itself was the interesting part. Not every hero in the film was equal. Some of them were characters that possessed traits that were far from desirable but this was not always the case. For example, the main character Sukhov was making his journey home when he was given the task of escorting a group of women across the desert. He rejected this task at first but when the women were left with him he rose to the occasion and did whatever was necessary to protect them until they reached their destination. In the beginning of the film Sukhov find and saves Sayid from death. Throughout the film Sayid repeatedly leaves to peruse his own goal of avenging his father's death, but he always seems to return when his services are needed to help protect the group of women. Another unlikely hero in the film is Vereshchagin, a drunkard that clings to his past experiences of grandeur. This character is told by his wife not to get involved in Sukhov's problem but when he is truly needed he also does what is necessary and aids Sukhov in battle.

This was a very fun film to watch. It was very interesting to watch the different types of heroes that all rose to the occasion and did what they needed to do. Sukhov was the only character in the story that was not flawed in very obvious ways, but even the characters with problems were able to give what they had to the cause. This made me think of the soviet state and how it may have wanted to deliver the message that even if one is not perfect the state would not be able to exist and function without them. Everyone had to play a part that was necessary in order to complete the goal.

This so called "eastern" (or "ostern" – western Russian style), the movie about the fight of the Red Army soldier with the bandits ("basmachi") in the Central Asia during the Civil War that followed the Revolution of 1917, became not only a cult, but also one of the most beloved pictures for several generations of the viewers in all countries of the former Soviet Union. It has become a tradition for all Russian cosmonauts to watch it the night before their flight. Its success had formed the genre of domestic "eastern".

The demobilized after many years of military service soldier Fedor Sukhov walks through the desert to his native hamlet where his beloved Caterina Matveevna has been waiting for him. The movie is made as the letters that Fedor writes to Caterina (but never sends them) and tells her (with great humor) about his (often deadly dangerous) adventures. The band of cruel Abdulla rages in the area. Sukhov is charged with the task to accompany the harem of the leader to the safe area because Abdulla intended to murder his women rather than set them free. Accompanied by a young naive Petrukha, Sukhov leads "the group of the comrades" through the desert, knowing well that the face off with Abdulla is inevitable. Smart, fast, and brave Sukhov is the Army of One but at the most dramatic moment, he would need help from the former custom officer Verechagin and not very talkative but reliable Said who never forgot that Suknov had saved him from the horrible death in desert.

I've seen this movie ten or maybe twenty times - first, when it was released many years ago and I was a middle school student in Moscow and recently - after all these years. I know I have changed but the movie has not - it is funny, dynamic, and absolutely captivating. This perfect blend of comedy, action, and touching drama is deservingly one of the best Soviet films. The theme song "Vashe blagorodiye, gospozha Udacha" ("You Honor, Lady Luck") written by one of the best Soviet composers Isaak Schwarz with the lyrics of the legendary bard Bulat Okudzhava had became an instant hit and its fame has only grown as time passed. White sun of desert still shines bright.

I think the "best USSR movie ever" misses the point. This is certainly not the best movie, it wasn't even supposed to do all that well in the theaters when it was first made and released. I don't think anyone ever foresaw its success. However for some reason it just works; audiences identified with it and loved it.

White sun of the desert is a classic western. You don't have to know history of the Soviet Revolution to recognize a western when you see one, for this is exactly the soviet adaptation of the genre. Not only that, but the plot of this movie is just great.

I first saw this film when I was a kid (and numerous times since then), and even though I haven't seen it in a while, even with subtitles, you can't go wrong. I'd rate it 3rd best western along with "The Good, The bad, and the Ugly", "High Noon", and "A bullet for the General."

I have seen the impact that the American Western had on the Italians ("The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly") and now I have seen its influence of the Russians. This "Ostern" tackles the subject matter of civil war, bigamy, and death with a wonderful lack of pretense that is expected from a John Wayne movie; all that has changed are the ideologies. With a little more in common with "Lawrence of Arabia" than just sand the movie focuses on an unextraordinary man forced to rise to the occasion of being a hero. The lead is extremely engaging as a man who never looses his laid-back attitude even as soldiers pour oil around him and the many wives. His fidelity to his farm wife provides for the movie's highlight. He imagines his wife surrounded by the entire harem performing chores around the field. The clashing of East and... well, further East provides for many comical situations. The way the harem acts around the men in the museum is countered by the men lusting after them.

Needless to say, this film carries an enormous cultural significance for the Russians. Today, Russian press even hails it as the first Russian/Soviet action film, although "Piraty XX Veka" is much better suited for that title. Besides, this movie is not the kind of action that people are used to nowadays. There is no point in going over the film's story line because it is very simple and focuses on good vs. bad guys (Soviet style, that is) during the Russian civil war. I imagine that any person who hasn't lived in the former USSR will not find much to worship here. And yet, it is truly a masterpiece that sort of happened to be made without any grand intentions, but was able to strike a chord with the entire nation. It's all very simple and naive, but the film's characters, the things they say, the theme song, it all clicks together perfectly. And the best thing about it is that neither time nor political fluctuations (like the demise of the Soviet empire) doesn't detract its magic. It just became more sarcastic, or nostalgic, depending on your perception. "White Sun of The Desert" is undoubtedly a classic of the Soviet cinema.