The White Sun of the Desert (1970)
"Beloe solntse pustyni" (original title)

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 ... See full summary »

Director:

Vladimir Motyl

Writers:

Valentin Ezhov, Rustam Ibragimbekov,

Stars:

Anatoliy Kuznetsov, Spartak Mishulin, Kakhi Kavsadze

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Anatoliy Kuznetsov	...	Fyodor Sukhov
Spartak Mishulin	...	Sayid
Kakhi Kavsadze	...	Abdulla
Pavel Luspekayev	...	Vereschagin
Raisa Kurkina	...	Nastasya
Tamara Fedotova	...	Gyulchatai
Nikolai Godovikov	...	Petrukha
Musa Dudayev
Nikolai Badyev
Vladimir Kadochnikov	...	(as V. Kadochnikov)
I. Abdulragimov
Tatyana Tkach	...	Head Wife
D. Gerami
Yu. Darumov
V. Deglav

Storyline

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...

---

Plot Keywords:

red army | harem | desert | soldier | fight | 

---

Genres:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Drama | Romance | War

---

Details

Country:

Soviet Union

Language:

Russian

Release Date:

June 1973 (USA)

Also Known As:

The White Sun of the Desert

Filming Locations:

Bairam-Ali, Turkmenistan

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lenfilm Studio, Mosfilm

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Sovcolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Actor Pavel Luspekayev played the whole movie on prosthetics for both legs.

---

Quotes

A bandit: [while Sukhov took a swim in the sea, two bandits stole his weapons and now they are trying to take him prisoner] Well, do you want to be finished outright, or would you like to be tortured?
Sukhov: [unperturbed] I'd rather be tortured.

---

Connections

Referenced in Law of Corruption (2005)

---

Soundtracks

"Vashe blagorodiye, gospozha Razluka"
Written by Isaak Shvarts and Bulat Okudzhava
Performed by Pavel Luspekayev

User Reviews

White Sun of the Desert

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.