User reviews

Ah, this movie brings back memories! I used to watch it quite often growing up in Russia, and it's still my mother's all-time favorite. It's a story of two friends and a woman that is loved by both of them. Their friendship is so great that it is not broken up by that love, and when the woman chooses one of them, the other accepts it and remains "a friend of the family."

Now, it is also a story that is told against the background of Soviet history. The friends are army officers, and the turbulent times throw them from the Civil War in the early 20s to the Soviet conflict in Finland, from China to the Urals. It's funny that dependent on the political climate of the time, the Soviet TV used to cut one or another part of the movie - for example, when they were unfriendly with the Chinese, the Chinese plot was simply cut out of the film, but then reappeared later.

Against the background of this historical time line, the main character and his wife have a son, who grows up and falls in love just before the WWII starts. He also goes to the army just like his dad and gets killed, and so does his wife. Both of them die quite heroically, and the main character and his wife end up raising the grandson. The friend of the family keeps reappearing throughout the movie, coming to the rescue in the most difficult situations.

All and all, it's a very sweet movie with quite an interesting historical context. It made me cry many times, especially in the end, when the little grandson announces he wants to be an army officer, too. It's a very touching story.

The storyline is simple, and switches between the lightness of wanting to live a normal life and the hard facts of ongoing war. It depicts the life of Soviet officers, moved from one war to another, over the 20th Century. Having a family life or any other life would have been close to impossible, even if they survived. There is nothing romantic about the portrayal of war, although much of the movie involves private interactions among friends and loved ones. It is the stark contrast between these two things that the movie is really about and what makes it powerful. And the bullet wounds in the protagonist's back are real. A simple but great movie about war and about the survival of the spirit during times of war. The end is very sad and moving.

The movie "Officers" has long been my favorite military-themed movie. I like to review it during the celebration of "May 9th". But in fact, this film catches not by the combat actions shown, but by the scale of the narrative of friendship, namely friendly relations. To show the lives of entire generations so succinctly and so accurately in just an hour and a half is an undeniable professionalism. After all, almost every phrase has become winged, and any frame is easily guessed when you see a movie on the screen. Undoubtedly, "Officers" is a landmark movie about friendship, love, devotion to the Motherland.

The movie covers several decades of narration, telling about the acquaintance and the beginning of friendship between Alexey, Ivan and Lyubov. Over time, all the characters fall into different situations, each of which is remembered for a lifetime, becomes the rule of life or makes them draw bitter conclusions. Only the legendary phrase "There is such a profession - to defend the Motherland" has been associated for several decades with our warrior-defenders, who have been guarding the tranquility of the inhabitants of our country for many years.

The legendary song "Eternal Flame", better known as "From the Heroes of Bygone Times", written on poems by Evgeny Agranovich and composer Raphael Khozak, was specially created for this film. From the very first chords, it simultaneously takes pride in our heroes (no longer even from the film, but who really existed and protected us in all military conflicts and wars) and sadness for the past years and opportunities for those people who fell in battle. This song is a kind of quintessence of all my feelings concerning war, friendship, death in battle, broken families, tens of millions who died in the Great Patriotic War. After all, the film clearly demonstrates how the measured course of life was interrupted due to the bloody war, which broke many destinies.

At the same time, the authors perfectly demonstrate how over the years, first young people, then adults and heroes who have seen life meet and part, rejoice in those rare meetings, learn to be content with what they have. After all, friendship is the warm feeling that each of the main characters keeps in his heart, somewhere deep inside. At the same time, each of the trinity knows that he has those closest people for whom he lives. At least I saw it in the movie.

The world of cinema has been changing for a long time and successfully, the watchability of films is increasing, new technologies are emerging, very interesting plots are being found and invented. But the "Officers", who are already 50 years old, are also perceived with love, despite how long ago the film was released. Here, every scene has its own meaning, every dialogue, every gesture of the hero. All this already, as an admirer of the film, you can almost repeat word for word. Isn't this an indicator of the time-tested and still relevant topics of friendship, love for loved ones and the Motherland, selfless struggle against various invaders who have overcome our heroes in different years? For me, yes. The story of Ivan Barabbas and the Trofimov family has become close and dear, showing what friendship can be, despite the decades that have passed since they met. I want people in real life to have the same friends that become a family.

The acting is great. The heroes are real and native, because they are so vividly shown on the screen. Yes, they are getting older, turning into elderly people with their "grumbling" in the style of "Where are my glasses?", but they are always true to themselves and their principles. Life has tempered the heroes, made them strong and at the same time able to love, because the terrible years of war and losses have taught everyone to enjoy life and stand up for their own to the end.

"Officers" is an undoubted masterpiece, which even after 50 years should be watched for the first time and reviewed by those who have seen the film repeatedly. This is a reminder to all of us how terrible war can be, what true friendship should be, how to be a person and a defender of your relatives.

10 out of 10.

for a viewer from East can be a challenge. because it reminds many memories from a not very comfortable past. in same measure, it is a beautiful movie. and an useful short history of Soviet history. the heart of story is the friendship. the levels of life for three people in middle of the XX century events . this fact saves it. because , out of politics, wars and propaganda, it is a touching story about links between characters. a story about small things in fresh manner, almost courageous. it is not a surprise. maybe, only a classic. result of powerful cinema school, it reflects a long period in simple, at first sigh, manner. and that fact , the humor, the possibility to empathize with characters does it, after 42 years ago, in a new universe of ideals and politics order, useful. and a beautiful film.

the destiny of three people across a century. nothing original. only useful. because it is that kind of movie who reminds the art of Soviet cinema. using simple story. and political command as support for a drama with universal value. a war film. like many others. a film about family, duty, sacrifices and love for motherland. nothing new. but a film with an inspired cast, good script and wise mixture of slices of comedy and drama who saves the political clothes. and that fact does it a beautiful film. and one of the good occasions to discover again the past's events, the Soviet cinema's technical solutions, the emotion who transforms the film in experience. a beautiful film. and, maybe, an useful history lesson.