The Forty First (1956 film)

Plot

In 1919, during the Russian Civil War, a small force of Red Army soldiers that survived a crushing defeat by the Whites is forced to flee into the Karakum Desert. Among them is female sniper Maria, who has already claimed thirty-eight enemies dead. When the unit ambushes a camel caravan transporting White soldiers, she kills two of them and tries to shoot their officer, who will be her forty-first, but misses. The man, a lieutenant named Govorukha-Otrok, is carrying a letter from Admiral Aleksandr Kolchak to General Anton Denikin that states he has secret information to be conveyed orally to General Dratsekno. Maria is entrusted with guarding him. Tensions arise between both: the officer is a well-educated aristocrat who is both amused and impressed by the crude attempts of Maria, a fisherman's orphan daughter, to compose Agitprop poetry. When their camels are stolen, their commander decides to send his captive on a boat to their headquarters in Kazalinsk via the Aral Sea. The vessel capsizes in a sudden storm, and only Maria and Otrok remain alive, stranded on an isolated island. The Red soldier treats the White officer when he catches a fever and is slowly charmed by his manners, while he is overcome with gratitude and begins to call her 'Man Friday' with affection. When she demands to know what he means, he tells her the story about Robinson Crusoe. The two fall in love and seem to forget about the war.

When a boat approaches their isle, they first think these are fishermen and run toward them. Otrok recognizes them as White soldiers and intends to join them. Maria shoots him in the back, killing him. As she realizes he is dead, she runs into the sea and embraces his corpse.

Cast

Production

The film was based on the story of the same name by Boris Lavrenyov, which had already been filmed as a silent film by Yakov Protazanov in 1927. The picture was Grigori Chukhrai's directorial debut. The Mosfilm directorate was reluctant to authorize Koltunov's script, as the portrayal of a love story between Red and White soldiers was deemed inappropriate: the script had to be revised six times. However, Chukhrai had the support of the eminent directors Ivan Pyryev and Mikhail Romm. When the screenplay was discussed in the directorate on 19 April 1955 and several of those present raised the issue, Romm said: "very well! Let every girl fall in love with the enemy and then kill him." After that, it was approved for filming.

Principal photography commenced in spring 1956 and ended in the summer. It was conducted in the Turkmen SSR, in the vicinity of Krasnovodsk and on the Caspian Sea's Cheleken Peninsula; the latter served as the location for the island scenes.

Reception

The Forty-First attracted 25.1 million viewers in the Soviet Union, becoming the tenth most successful picture at the 1956 box office. At the Mosfilm Festival of Young Filmmakers held between the 12th and 15th of April that year, the film won in the categories for Best Film, Best Actor and Best Cinematography. At the 1957 Edinburgh International Film Festival it won an Honorary Diploma. At the 1957 Cannes Film Festival, it also won the Special Jury Prize and was nominated for the Palme d'Or.