a5c7b9f00b A soldier of the Red Army named Sukhov has been fighting in the Russian Civil War in Russian Asia for many years. Just as he is about to return home to his wife, Sukhov is chosen to guard and protect the harem of a guerilla leader (Abdulla). Abdulla is wanted by the Red Army and left his harem behind because the women hindered him. Sukhov's task proves to be more difficult than he imagined… A Russian twist on the American Western, this "Eastern" opens up with a beautiful woman dressed in red walking across an open green field, carrying two pails of water on her shoulders. This woman ends up being almost the heart of the film, even though she has no real part in the movie. Then reality sets in, and the desert by the Caspain sea is seen. The leading man, Red Army soldier Fyodor Sukhov, is about to return home to his lovely wife (our lady in red) after being away at war when he gets in the middle of a fight, and finds himself in charge of the 9 wives of Abdullah. Throughout the rest of the movie he has to help protect the wives, while they believe themselves to be his. However, his wife seems to be the thing that keeps him going through life as he writes to her every day. He has to help keep the wives safe through the rest of the movie, and keep himself safe to return to his wife, to finally get out of the desert. It's immediately clear why White Sun of the Desert has earned a place in history as one of the best Russian films of all time. It is an excellent blend of comedy, drama, and action.<br/><br/>The film opens up with a contrasting set of scenes between the main character's homeland and the desert he is currently in. In a matter of seconds, we understand why Sukhov is frustrated at his situation, and sympathize with him when he screams how badly he wants to leave. Excellent camera-work helps convey this. Indeed, when we are in the desert with Sukhov, time seems to pass more slowly. When he finds Sayid, we pause with Sukhov before giving him water, and even more until digging him up. Meanwhile, as soon as Sukhov is dreaming, music picks up and we feel his happiness. Along with music, there is excellent lighting, which really comes out as Sukhov is talking to the museum curator. The camera does a fine job capturing scenes under the sun, and views actors from perfect angles.<br/><br/>What I loved was that the film never took itself too seriously. When Vereschagin. refuses to eat his caviar, he looks more like a child than the famous Vereschagin. He's much more real afterwords, having shown us both noble and amusingly silly parts of his character. At the same time, this does not mean he cannot be admired; his final fight is one of strongest moments in the adventure, and we cannot help but cheer for him.<br/><br/>Perhaps my favorite part of this movie is its ending. There is the sadness of Vereschagin's death, true, and we aren't sure if Sukhov makes it back home, but the overall feeling is still happy, and hopeful. The audience is encouraged to believe that whatever happens to Sukhov, he has already won. I preferred this much more than the blatantly sad ending of Ivan's Childhood, or the uncertain finale of Commissasar. It is the film's strongest suit; Sukhov might very well die before getting to see Katerina again, but it would only be a death in the literal sense. In the more noble figurative sense, he is already triumphant, and will live on forever in the minds of the people he saved. The movie is a must-see because it achieves this level of nobility in its main character, while maintaining an action-plot and comical side-characters. The 1970 Soviet film entitled "White Sun of the Desert," directed by Vladimir Moty is a classic "Ostern" blend of action and comedy. This Soviet Western film is set during the Soviet civil war in one of the Soviet Asiatic states, and centers around a lonely Red Russian soldier Fedor Sukhov who keeps finding himself in bizarre situations along his journey to get home. The biggest of situation he finds himself in is fighting a gang of local bandits who are trying to restore feudal order to Soviet Asia. This film introduces us to comedy in an untraditional manner. Take for instance the event where Fedor is told without his approval to escort the khan's harem, named Adullah, to a safe place across the desert. Also the moment when the veiled women proclaim him their new husband, in which Sukhov insist that a man should only have one woman. Vladimir utilizes action and dynamic fight sequences add humor this is prominent near the end of the film. For example when a man is seen flying out the window of a house or when several men are thrown out the boat with a kick. One theme that the film draws upon is exile this is seen with our hero who has constantly tried to get home but is somewhat forced to live a life in the desert. The hero also brings a hint of romanticism from the location where these heroic acts are taking place. Vladimir uses dream sequences to show Sukhovs longing to reunite with his bride and to also show he sees his bride through the khan's harem.
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