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The Forty-First

Original title: Sorok pervyy
  • 1956
  • 1h 28m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
1.8K
YOUR RATING
Izolda Izvitskaya and Boris Zelensky in The Forty-First (1956)
DramaRomanceWar

An unexpected romance occurs for a female Red Army sniper and a White Army officer.An unexpected romance occurs for a female Red Army sniper and a White Army officer.An unexpected romance occurs for a female Red Army sniper and a White Army officer.

  • Director
    • Grigoriy Chukhray
  • Writers
    • Grigoriy Koltunov
    • Boris Lavrenyev
  • Stars
    • Izolda Izvitskaya
    • Oleg Strizhenov
    • Nikolay Kryuchkov
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.5/10
    1.8K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Grigoriy Chukhray
    • Writers
      • Grigoriy Koltunov
      • Boris Lavrenyev
    • Stars
      • Izolda Izvitskaya
      • Oleg Strizhenov
      • Nikolay Kryuchkov
    • 20User reviews
    • 10Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 1 nomination total

    Photos22

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    Top cast20

    Edit
    Izolda Izvitskaya
    Izolda Izvitskaya
    • Soldier Maria Filatovna
    Oleg Strizhenov
    Oleg Strizhenov
    • Lieutenant Vadim Nikolayevich Govorkha, Jr.
    Nikolay Kryuchkov
    Nikolay Kryuchkov
    • Commander Ansenti Yevsyukov
    Nikolai Dupak
    Nikolai Dupak
    • Soldier Andrei Chupilko
    • (as N. Dupak)
    Georgi Shapovalov
    Georgi Shapovalov
    • Soldier Terentyev
    • (as G. Shapovalov)
    Pyotr Lyubeshkin
    Pyotr Lyubeshkin
      Lev Kovylin
      • Soldier Kovylin
      • (as L. Kovylin)
      Yuriy Romanov
      • Soldier Vyakhir
      • (as Yu. Romanov)
      Daniil Netrebin
      Daniil Netrebin
      • Soldier Semyannin
      • (as D. Netrebin)
      Asanbek Umuraliyev
      Asanbek Umuraliyev
      • Soldier Umankul
      • (as A. Umuraliev)
      Anatoli Kokorin
      • Soldier Yegorov
      • (as A. Kokorin)
      Vadim Sinitsyn
      • Wounded soldier
      • (as V. Sinitsyn)
      Kirey Zharkimbayev
      Kirey Zharkimbayev
      • Timerkul
      • (as K. Zharkimbayev)
      T. Sardarbekova
      • Altynai, village girl
      Vadim Zakharchenko
      Vadim Zakharchenko
        Aleksandr Grechanyy
        Aleksandr Grechanyy
          Muratbek Ryskulov
          Muratbek Ryskulov
            Mikhail Semenikhin
              • Director
                • Grigoriy Chukhray
              • Writers
                • Grigoriy Koltunov
                • Boris Lavrenyev
              • All cast & crew
              • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

              User reviews20

              7.51.8K
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              Featured reviews

              6samanthamarciafarmer

              Predictable but still enjoyable

              Grigori Chukhrai's film, The Forty First, sets itself up to be understood as a mythic series of events; the opening scene's churning waves seem to take the viewer away to a different world and the narration sets the story in the post-Revolutionary Civil War. This narration gives the effect of a story being told, and the way the landscape is portrayed creates an unreal landscape. The colors always seem too saturated and the sky hangs close and heavy over the actors, giving the appearance of a fish bowl. Maryutka's inclusion in the plot attests to the Bolshevik ideal of gender equality, making a break with Stalinism's reinstatement of traditional gender roles; her being referred to as an "Amazon" enhances the mythic quality of the film. Chukhrai consciously constructs shots that juxtapose; the scene of Maryutka and the White Army lieutenant walking separate on the beach contrasts the two in space as they both walk in different points of the frame in different directions. The final scenes are obviously ideological: the dialogue is crafted as a metaphor for Tsarist Russia and Communist Russia, with the lieutenant (Tsarism) pleading Maryutka (Communism) to return to how they were before the fighting; the officer's dangling cross necklace is an ever-present symbol of Imperial Russia, designating that even when all visual indicators of partisanship are gone (as he and Maryutka's uniforms have been destroyed by the elements), there is still an irreconcilable difference present. The last scene illustrates the valuation of duty over emotions. Besides the smartly handled ideology, the visual effects are The Forty First's strengths. The color palette and the contrasts it creates are striking, and create a hazy, dreamlike world in which a legend is played out.
              9Fpi

              The ending will haunt you forever

              Much can be said about the range of emotions found in today's movies. They've certainly become better at promoting a cool atmosphere, adrenaline rushes, making plots that are cleverly built up to a climax, and fitting in as many square centimetres of skin as possible into the film. Some emotions are, however, totally, and I mean totally, disregarded. Intense melancholy, an intense sense of longing and sensations of intense pity for the characters are now nowhere to be found. This movie has all of that in spades, making it radically different from today's European and American movies. It is more "theatrical" than today's more "realistic" films, but for God's sake, don't let that put you off. An incessantly beautiful soundtrack sweeps through the entire film, and the pictures are stunningly beautiful, though in a Russian way that can simply be labelled "different". This film was an eye-opener to the fact that I've seen so many movies that ultimately have left me nearly indifferent to the fate of the characters, and to some loose theory that melancholy and pity are closely related. Everyone should hunt this movie down. The ending will haunt you forever. Anything you watch afterwards will seem like ridiculous attempts to give you cheap thrills.
              9Brujita

              A very good movie of love and war

              This is a very nice story, love and war story. This is a war movie without violence. In all the movie you see only three shoots. A great end for a great movie. It shows that war films can be done without blood everywhere.
              Vincentiu

              superb

              wise use of close-up.wonderful images. pure poetry. a special vision about war and love. all of that makes it more than propaganda tool but an impressive expression of profound art. it is a film about values and beauty, choices and ideals. realistic, cruel, full of subtle symbols - the desert, the isle -, mark of a great director and science of nuances from two impressive actors. the story is only basic point for respect the ideological commands. but the skin of this nucleus has the rare virtue to make it more than piece of a period. the final dialog between lovers , the end, the boat in storm and near the isle, each is a precious ingredient for an universal message about duty and choices, far to basic triumphal message of regime.
              8fran-6591northstar

              Wonderful

              An outstanding piece of work, great color and lighting, straight forward story without the usual Hollywood junket attached proving again the skill of Soviet cinema making; very good ending.

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              Related interests

              Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
              Drama
              Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca (1942)
              Romance
              Band of Brothers (2001)
              War

              Storyline

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              Did you know

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              • Connections
                Featured in Fejezetek a film történetéböl: A szovjet film 1953-1970 (1990)

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              FAQ15

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              Details

              Edit
              • Release date
                • October 15, 1956 (Soviet Union)
              • Country of origin
                • Soviet Union
              • Language
                • Russian
              • Also known as
                • Der Einundvierzigste
              • Filming locations
                • Mosfilm Studios, Moscow, Russia(Studio)
              • Production company
                • Mosfilm
              • See more company credits at IMDbPro

              Tech specs

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              • Runtime
                • 1h 28m(88 min)
              • Color
                • Color
              • Sound mix
                • Mono
              • Aspect ratio
                • 1.37 : 1

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