"ALEXANDER DOVZHENKO Film Studio" "Starring" "Titarenko as L. BYKOV" "Darkie as S. PODGORNY" "Grasshopper as S. IVANOV" "Romeo as R. SAGDULLAYEV" "Masha as Ye." "SIMONOVA" "Zoya as O. MATESHKO" "Skvortsov as V. TALASHKO" "Regiment Commander - V. MIROSHNICHENKO" "Makarych as A. SMIRNOV" "Alyabyev as A. FEDORINSKY" "Vano as V. YANTBELIDZE" "Ivan Fyodorovich as A. NEMCHENKO" "Vorobyov as V. PASHCHENKO" "That was a hell of a battle!" "I thought it was the end." " How's the machine?" " Great." "I got to his tail, and he from his back..." "like hell!" "He just waved his tail, and that was the last I saw of him." "Why did you stay so far behind?" "You see, I thought my guns got jammed." "All right, time to fill up." "And he's dragging on a left turn..." "The dumplings are getting cold." " With cherries?" " With cheese." "Comrade Commander, the mission's been completed." "What did you see?" "He was all in smoke, but I didn't see him fall." " That's not it." " May I?" "What did you see?" "From the first 10, we shot down 2, the rest cleared off." "That's not it." "Vano, what did you see?" "Four Fokkers were forcing us down, but we slipped away and came to you." "I shot it down!" "I did!" "I shot it down, Comrade Commander." "Oh-oh-oh, what have you done?" "Your parents should be called to the principal." " Tomorrow." " Right." " I swear I did." " I guess, out off right." "Congratulations on your first victory!" "But remember, Ivan Fyodorovich, shooting down enemy planes is not an exploit, it's the duty of fighters, it's our everyday life." "And what did you see?" " In battle?" " Yes." "Don't prompt him." "Greetings, Second." "Gimme some milk." "You alive?" "Broke your paw?" "Ten holes, the tank torn out, as for me, not a scratch." "How do you say it, Maestro?" "We'll live on." "Thanks." "You're welcome." "So, what did you see?" "Haven't you noticed?" "Today we were fighting over my Ukraine!" "How can one notice?" "The same fields, roads, villages." "No." "The air is different." "The sky is bluer, the earth is greener." "Commander, as for greenery, in our Siberia..." "Why Siberia, my dear?" "Come to Bakuriani, you'll see the real greenery." " Have you ever seen the Yenisey?" " No, I haven't." "And have you seen the Tsenitskhali?" "There they go..." "Quiet." "A lark." "Based upon the reminiscences of Soviet pilots fighting in the Great Patriotic War," "newsreels and wartime songs." "Chief Consultant - Hero of the Soviet Union," "General-Lieutenant of the Air Force S.I. KHARLAMOV" "Music by V. SHEVCHENKO" "English Subtitles by T. Kameneva" "Production Designer Georgy PROKOPETS" "Director of Photography Vladimir VOITENKO" "Screenplay by Leonid BYKOV" "Yevgeny ONOPRIYENKO Alexander SATSKY" "Directed by Leonid BYKOV" "ONLY "OLD MEN" ARE GOING TO BATTLE" "Give me First." "Give me first squadron!" "Comrade flyers, please don't go away." "Captain Dementyev, come to me." "Give me first squadron!" " Comrade..." " Later." "Comrade Commander, we've got reinforcement." "What do we do?" " Get the third up." " Yes!" "I'm First." "Ninth, answer me." "Ninth, answer me." "I'm First." "The wireless is too weak, it won't do." " Get a strong one!" " That's only in the division." "Get it in the division!" "You're a communications man, not a balalaika." "Maestro, answer me." "Maestro, I'm First." "Maestro, answer me." "I'm First." "Commander, miracles do not happen." "He's been out of fuel for 30 minutes now." "Shall we deal with the reinforcement?" "They should be assigned to squadrons." "It's never late to assign the living to the living." "Comrade Guards Major," "I got a new comedy in the division, "George from Dinki-Jazz"." "They gave it to us, but Regiment 125 intercepted it." "It's robbery." " What did they intercept?" " "From Dinki-Jazz"." "What jazz?" "From Dinki." "Off you go!" "Why is everybody here?" "Everyone go to supper." "Do you need a special invitation?" "Oh, it's you, Sergey." "He ordered me to lead everybody away, but I'm No. 2." "I wasn't supposed to leave him alone." "Stop torturing yourself." "You had to carry out the order." " I know." " Go and have supper." "It'll be windy tomorrow." "Looks like it." "Forty-seven minutes." "I need a pipe changed in the engine." "And the storeman won't give it." "Please, order him to." "You never stop begging." "You'll leave the regiment without spare parts." "All right, tell him it's my order." "They brought "George from Dinki-Jazz. "" "A comedy, they say." "Yeah..." "Come on, enough of that." " Free here?" " Occupied." " May I?" " I said it's occupied." "Let's go over there." "The Messers!" "Makarych, accept the machine." "Here, I swapped it without bargaining." "You can get to its tail, the dragon doesn't bite anymore." "And I... got connecting pipes for our Niner." "The Niner is kaput." " Everybody got back?" " Right!" " Why are you so gloomy then?" " Mourning the Niner." "Comrade Commander, I was shot down while on a fighting mission." "Couldn't make it over the front line." "The infantry helped me out, attacking just in time." "Guys at the airfield gave me a new Messer." "Hi, pop." "Hi, you lucky devil!" "The parachute's kaput, too." "That's it." "The second to rehearsal." "Come on." "Everyone, who can tell the 'do' note from the 'fa' note, follow me!" "That amateur talent business again!" "The pilots ought to rest." "Who said songs at war should be dropped as such?" "After a fight one yearns for music twice as much." "Start'er up!" "Today we have a respite," "Tomorrow we'll fly again..." "Those evening bells," "Those evening bells!" "So many thoughts" "Their sound spells." "Of days of youth" "In my home nest," "Where I was in love," "Where my parents rest..." "You see, our Chairman was like that..." "Attention!" "At ease!" "It's kindergarten, not reinforcement." "Follow me!" "Curly maple, leaves so intricately cut," "By love smitten, I'm standing..." "You'll get a punch." " What are we doing?" " Washing, Comrade Commander." "You want a punch?" "Oh!" " Sorry, Comrade Captain." " Guards Captain." "Yes, sir, Guards Comrade Captain." "Greetings, Comrade Commander!" " Training?" " Yes." "It develops the vestibular apparatus." "Go on, work out." "Attention!" "At ease, Cossacks." "What's new on the musical front?" " "On a Sunny Glade"." " We heard it." " "Blue Kerchief"." " I see." " "Dugout"." " Good song." "May I join the line?" "You may." "What tune were you singing?" "Darkie." "Sing it." "You know the words?" "Don't chicken, Darkie." "You're a fighter pilot." "Well, it goes like this." "In the summer, in the morning, At a garden I dropped once." "There was a girl, a Moldavian darkie, She was gathering some grapes." "I'm blushing, I'm paling, I'm about to tell her that..." "Comrade Commander, please enlist me into your second squadron." " Me too." " Me too." "And us, too." " What school?" " Orenburg." "Accelerated training." "I see." "Takeoff-landing." "What do you play?" " Meaning?" " Musically." "Nothing." "You don't have to be a pilot, we'll teach you flying anyway," "But a musician you have to be." " I think he's weird." " What?" "School?" "Dutar..." "I mean, Orenburg." "A dutar, I brought it with me." "A harp." "But I've hated music since I was a kid." "We're at war, anyway." "Wars come and go, and music remains." "My dad said so too. he's a prominent professor, a paleobotanist." "So you're a child prodigy?" "I'm here not to enroll at a philharmony, but to fight." " Junior Lieutenant Antonov." " Here!" " First squadron." " Yes!" " Junior Lieutenant Zairov." " Here!" " Second squadron." " Yes!" " Junior Lieutenant Sabdullayev." " Here!" "Second squadron." "Yes!" " Junior Lieutenant Shchedronov." " Here!" "Second squadron." "Yes!" "Tomorrow, at most the day after tomorrow, the war will be over." "As soon as they know about our reinforcement, the Luftwaffe will run for their lives." " Eagles." " Wolves." "Cadet..." "Lieutenant Alexandrov." "Why are you standing there?" "Second squadron." "Yes!" "Right dress!" "Attention!" " As you were." " As you were." "Here're your horses, here're your mechanic nannies." "Get acquainted." "Eagles!" " Who's Alexandrov here?" " I'm Lieutenant Alexandrov." " I'm your mechanic." " Are you?" "Great!" "Are there enough planes?" "don't fear, you won't be left without a horse." "Lieutenant, no smoking around the plane." "I'm not inhaling." "No matter, step aside, please." "What?" "You don't like me?" " Why are you staring like that?" " You're my fifth." "Well, get ready to form a winged line... we'll see how you sing in the air." "Who's the bravest?" "Everybody is brave, but the most experienced..." "Allow takeoff?" "Comrade Commander, a flare." "On the bridgehead across the Dnieper the Germans are attacking our troops." "The reinforcements are being sent there." "The enemy airplanes are rushing to the crossing." "About 50 Junkerses are approaching." "Not one bomb should fall on the crossing." "We're going by shelves." "Solomatin will cover." "As usual." " Titarenko among the attackers." " Yes." "Kolosov, I'm going with you." "No talking on the approach, not a word." "Didn't I tell you?" "It goes for you, too." "No jokes." " Got you." " It's his nerves." "We fly in 12 minutes." "No rookies today." "Only old men are going to battle." " What about us?" " Take us too." " We won't let you down." " don't be in a hurry." "You'll have your share of battle." "Missed." "And I'm going to hit..." "Thanks, do your job." "You got it." "Do you have nothing else to do?" "Fighters!" "Study the map of the battle area, as all men do." "B-5." "You've sunk it." "Attention!" "At ease." "You've got it coming!" ".." " How's the machine?" " What's wrong with the gun?" "It was in order." " Comrade Commander..." " Later!" "Why did you leave the battle?" "Got jammed again?" "Yes, jammed again." "Send me to the tribunal, Commander." "Alyosha, the gun's all right." "You just shot it empty." "All right." "All right, Makarych." "What?" "Did you get it hot?" "Worse." "Haven't you had your supper?" "Why did you go wild?" "The harder you train, the better you'll fight." "Some maestro, my ass." "Calm down." "From the start, and... he's such a great dog!" "When Germans came to the village, they shot all dogs." "But Lyuba hid this one so well!" "He doesn't know how to bark." "Good evening to your hearth." "Got enough potatoes?" "Sit down." "What's the name of that wolfhound?" "Just like yours." "Alyoshka?" "Oh, you!" "Put out the fire!" " You've been relieved, soldier?" " Yes." "Take the kids to the mess." "They should be fed." "Yes!" "Come on, guys." "Shall we uncork it?" "we'll do without warming up." "I see." "We're in for a serious talk." "What's the matter with you, Seryoga?" "You're a fighter pilot." "I know everything you're going to say." "There's no more fighter pilot, Lyosha." "That's it." " I'm a coward, Commander." " Seryoga." "Shut up, Lyosha." "Shut up." "I'm broken." "Remember Poneri?" "We're liars, we like to say that the German is a coward, that he's afraid of frontal attack, that he's sure to swerve." "And mine hadn't swerved." "So that my planes ripped off, one wing to the left, the other to the right." "I came to on the ground." "My Yak was burning down." "And I saw cherries bloom in my eyes." " We fight to death, Seryoga." " I know, Lyosha." "But believe me, I swear by mother, I didn't mean to leave the battle." "I controlled the machine, with my hands in place." "I'm burning to fight, but as..." "It flares up..." "When I came to my senses, the fight going the hell knows where, and I dropped out." "I guess I want to live." "You can't escape the war." "You can't escape yourself." "That's what's most horrible." "Send me to the tribunal, Commander." "Here, an application for my transfer." "Where?" "To the infantry." "To hell, damn it!" "To the penal battalion." "To hell?" "And who's going to shoot down Fritzes?" "Me and those rookies?" "This is all I can do for you." "As for helping you..." "There're moments in life when nobody can help you." "You come into this world on your own and you die on your own." "Well, the host won't offer us any tea." "Let's get to business." "Give me the map." "Sit down." "Will you ever get yourself a map-case, or shall I give you one?" " One's boot is safer in battle." " In battle, yes." "According to the partisans, information, the enemy's transferring a large grouping of tanks to our bridgehead." "This information hasn't been confirmed, so off you fly, hover above the roofs, peek into the barrels of guns, but find the tanks." "Let me fly the trophy." "The Messer?" "You may be shot down by our own." "But over there I can fly like at home." "That's not a bad idea." "we'll warn our people." "Feel out this forest." "You'll come in there from the enemy side." "And come out at Nekrasovka." "Only no tricks." "I know you." "No engagements, you're not to be spotted." "May I go and carry out the mission?" " Come back alive." " Yes." "Good luck." "Well, Ivan, let's check out the reinforcement." "Perhaps... some tea first?" "You think while we sit drinking tea, they'll take the downed plane off the runway?" "You softy!" "Turn it the hell down!" "About face, damn it!" "Get out of my sight!" "I'm off on a mission." "You're in charge of those." "Drill them." " Me?" " Yes, you!" ""I don't know, Comrade Commander. "" "Catching grasshoppers." "No flights." "No vodka ration." "A permanent duty as an airfield attendant." "Grasshopper!" " Where are you flying?" " Straight ahead, to the west." "In such weather..." "Makarych, there's a persistent rumor at Hitler's headquarters that some Soviet aces are given a cross before a flight by politically-backward mechanics." "They're all weirdoes at Hitler's headquarters." " Start'er up!" " Yes, start'er up!" "Flying in such weather!" "What Jupiter can..." "Shall we fly more today?" "Enough screwing for today." "Learn the theory." "Give me your paw for luck, my friend." "Cheer up, Grasshopper." "Do your duty, and the commander may cool off." "Be thankful for that." "It could be worse." "As Shakespeare said..." " And who's that?" " Must be some big wig." "Soldier's wisdom:" "Stay away from big wigs, but closer to the kitchen." "Come on." "Guys." " Excuse me, is that the mail?" " Or maybe an army shop?" " Got lost, girls?" " Oh, look, a dog." " Why don't you say hello, boys?" " Hello." "Let's go." "A good point." "A reprimand to everybody, comrade flyers." " Got it." " Follow me." "Lift it!" "Come on." "Pardon me, this is men's job." " Ivan, work." " Yes!" "Lift it!" " Where do you run the thread here?" " What thread?" "This is a flying sewing machine, isn't it?" "Push it." "You should've seen how the Messers grilled us today." "Oh, you fly too?" " I'm sorry." " It's nothing." "Our dear U-2!" "A hard-working horse." "Never mind, one day we'll put a monument to you." "Thank you." "Not at all." " Are you from Moscow?" " Yes." "Oh, our neighbors!" "First squadron, come here!" "The night-timers came from the neighboring regiment." "How was your flight?" "I'm Petya, by the way." "Nice to meet you." "Good!" "Greetings to you, girls-in-arms!" " What's wrong?" " A hole in the petrol pipe." "Our mechanics will fix your biplane in a jiffy..." "I'm Petya, by the way." "Stay cool." "don't you believe me?" "Incidentally, these are the guests of the second squadron." "The best mechanics are here." "As is our traditional hospitality." "So you can lay off, Vasya." "A Messer!" "Calm down, it's our guy." "It's Maestro." "After hard and exhausting battles, when you go into a frontal attack, when a German ace's scowling face is in front of you," "when you can see..." "rivets on the enemy planes, we, fighters, need an emotional let-out." "And here we're helped by music." "For everything passes, but music remains." "And as Shakespeare said in his 18th sonnet..." "Hi, boys." "Hi, girls." "What did Shakespeare say?" "Well..." "And not in the 18th, but..." "In the 19th?" "In the 19th sonnet Shakespeare said..." "Lay off, Vasya." "Let's go." "Hey, orators!" "Some discipline!" "Why are you leaving your own home without your superior's permission?" "Where's your traditional hospitality, fighters?" "Yes, Comrade First, it's been confirmed, we found them." "Where we supposed they were." "Yes, he sure flew over there." " How many times?" " Four times over their heads." "I flew 4 times." "An arrogant general sitting on a white horse there." " You even saw his shoulder-straps?" " I was flying pretty low." "Vassily Vassilyevich, First's waiting." " Don't see me off." " Thank you." "Punch a hole for a decoration, Maestro." "Valya, give me Pop's "Kazbek" cigarette." "I got Prokhorovka on an aerial photograph." "I'll go to the lab and check it." " How did the hosts receive you?" " All right." "But what the cheek!" "Did you report everything, my dear friend?" " Everything." "Good tobacco." " Yeah, good." "And what then?" "You won't believe it." "Like in an operetta." "The tanks, and that one on a white horse waved to me like this..." "And you?" "..." "I waved to him once, too." "I had to punish him, it's not 1941 now." "You were ordered not to reveal yourself." "Ah, what the heck." "Sitting like that on a white horse, bastard..." "I'll remind you of that white horse yet." " May I go?" " You mean you'll go like that?" " I don't understand." " What's happened to people?" "You're not going to invite your comrade-in-arms and commander?" "Invite where?" "The whole regiment is rushing to the second squadron now." "May I?" "May I?" "May I?" "I meant to ask you." "If..." "Got you." " Granny, let's dance." " Not me!" "we'll show them how to dance!" "But they don't dance." "Why don't we dance?" "We had our dance, I guess, back in Spain." "Oh, no." "May I?" "May I, Comrade Commander?" "Did you see that?" "They can't fly." "They can't shoot yet, either." "But they're real eagles!" "Everybody come here." "All this is fine, but it's just a consumers, cooperative." "Dear guests of the second squadron, please come to our philharmonic hall." "Curtain!" "Our singing second has another profile." "We believe that a song is like geography." "Here's Zoya from Siberia, a stern and mighty land." "So are its songs." "A storm was raging, thundering..." "Vano." "Georgia." "Mountains." "A Caucasian rhythm." "And I'm from Tauria, Southern Ukraine." "The steppe, as even as a table." "(speaks in Ukrainian)" "It's Milky Way in Russian." "Our songs are as endless as the steppe itself." "You understand it's not singing, it's just a sketch of singing." "And now you'll hear the best soloist of the first Ukrainian, the former Voronezh, the future soloist of the Bolshoi Theatre..." " Very big." " Very big theatre." "Senior Lieutenant Skvortsov!" "(speaks in Ukrainian)" "Commander." "Cancelled for technical reasons." "Maestro." "don't you let me down." "The season's first." "There's no harp." "Take a tambourine." "Start'er up!" "In the summer, in the morning, At a garden I dropped once." "There's a girl, a Moldavian darkie, She was gathering the grapes." "I'm blushing, I'm paling, I'm about to suggest:" ""Let's go to the river To watch summer dawn at its best. "" "Curly maple, leaves so intricately cut," "By love smitten, I'm standing all distraught." "Curly maple, so bushy a maple," "Its leaves so beautifully cut!" "And the girl, the Moldavian darkie, Told the boy all at once:" ""We're forming in Moldavia A detachment of partisans." "Our men have left their homes Early on, before the dawn." "So go to the partisans, To the woods you go on. "" "Curly maple, leaves so intricately cut," "Here, by the maple, you and I will have to part." "Curly maple, so bushy a maple," "Its leaves so beautifully cut!" "Comrade Guards Major, may I address Comrade Captain?" "You may." "Good evening." "Comrade Captain, while some were doing la-la-la here, the 1st squadron have got everything for the repair ofyour cruiser." " Thank you." " You're welcome." "Good boys, our first squadron." "When it comes to downing the Messers, it's the second squadron, but as to getting things, it's the 1st squadron." "Curly maple, leaves so intricately cut." "Hello, darling, now we'll never have to part!" "Curly maple, so bushy a maple," "Its leaves so beautifully cut!" "Comrade Regiment Commander, the U-2 is ready." "Thank you." " Start'er up." " Yes!" "That's all." "Well, he's got your left hand." "Our Romeo from Tashkent is sulking." "His Juliet left in a biplane." "Lieutenant, stop being cheap." "I got your message, I'll keep mum, or I'll be beaten by you neat and never shall perform my feat." "Look, I don't know what kind of a feat we're going to perform, but the fact that this girl fights in the war, it's..." "Not enough paint." "What about you?" "You may use it." "Leave the paint!" " There're no tanks there." " I believe Titarenko like myself." "I do, too." "Yet the low-flying planes and our neighbors were there as nothing!" " They found no tanks." " That's why they're not Guards." "All right, Guards pilot, don't get riled up." "150 tanks are not a matchbox." "How can one hide them?" "When is he going to land?" "Second squadron." "As soon..." "Stop munching!" "As Titarenko lands, let him report at once." "That Uzbek boy of yours has guts." "Wait and you'll see him a soloist." "we'll wait and see." "What are they doing?" "!" "Turn!" "Titarenko, turn!" "Is he nuts, that soloist of yours?" "!" "Ninth, go to a landing." "Oh, it's not cold at all." "The soloist is coming." "In a frontal attack a hypothetical enemy's been hypothetically shot down." "May I have your remarks?" "All right, we'll get along." "But you have to work on your turns." "5- minute smoke break for the old men." "Rookies, come here." " Darkie!" " Here." "Well, kids, tomorrow we go to battle." "In your first battle, most important is not to fall back from the leader." "You may not shoot down enemy planes, you may not even shoot." "But if you hold on to the leader's tail, you can fly." "But once you gape, they'll eat you alive, and you can blame only yourself." "Remember three "no's"." "In battle you can't be blind." "Turn your head 360°." "Second..." " Grasshopper." " Here." "Go to the commander." "he's in great spirits!" "Third, never leave your comrade when he's in trouble." "Better die yourself, but help your friend out." "And fourth, never keep a fighter on a permanent duty." "Please let me fly." "And fifth, you can't interrupt your seniors in rank." " You may go." " Yes!" "You too." "Grasshopper was the best at school." "Comrade Commander, he's not 18 yet." "To get enrolled at school, he added himself a year." " he's a great guy!" " For how long has he to be on duty?" "Until he comes of age." "You're called to the command post." "I was watching." "Good work!" "But you have to make way for your elders." "In a streetcar, not in battle." "we'll get along." "You mean I flew to my mother-in-law's and gave you some baloney?" "But they couldn't vanish into thin air, those damned tanks, and they couldn't draw them off so quickly." "May I fly again?" "Come on, wait..." " Where are they, then?" " Allow me to fly." "And order to put a photo camera onboard, if my word is not enough." "You're stubborn, aren't you?" " Here." " What for?" "Too bad we don't have enough hay." "It eats a lot of it." "What about yours?" "Leave the hay!" "Maestro, what was that roundabout you had up there?" "A training battle." " And how was it?" " All right." "Who was it that pressed you so?" "I told them about frontal attack." "And he went head-on and didn't turn." "I couldn't turn either, after all I'm a Hero of the Soviet Union." "And girls stare at you at the mess." "It's not my character to turn, but he went on and on." " So you had to swerve?" " Not to mess things up." " They're good boys, we'll get along." " Hurry up, men." "The Germans are transferring our old acquaintances to the Kiev area." "I mean Goring's best carrion crows." "Thanks for good news." "Why should they come here before the start?" "Enough of your superstitions." "It's not good." "Well..." "It doesn't count." "don't swap it for a tank!" "Starlet, I'm Maestro!" "The irons are in place, camouflaged as haycocks." "Quadrant 19." " Roger, Maestro!" " Quadrant 19, copy." " Roger." " Say hello to the neighbors." "How are you?" " How are you, Maestro?" " All right, I'm falling." "Guys, I'm one of you, a Soviet." "You say Soviet?" "There you go!" "Check out my uniform." "he's even donned our uniform!" " Oh, holy shit!" " He even swears in our tongue!" "Go to hell, the queen of fields!" "He seems to be ours." "And let my regiment know that I'm alive and well." "Very warm hospitality." " I'll get there." " we'll provide you with transportation." "we'll fix you up, and you'll be great." "This is pure stuff." "We keep it for our guests." "Fomin, drop your accordion." "Water for our guest." "Yes!" "Let's have one for the road and to friendship between arms of the service." " Some friendship." " don't be pissed off." "One Messer has been bombing our first-aid post for a week." "Chose the red cross as his target, bastard." "The boys took you for him and got a bit overexcited." "You're lucky you're alive." "Well, aviation..." "To our victory." "we'll live on, infantry." "You're a hell of a drinker!" "A fighter drinker!" "All right!" "TO KIEV!" "Halt!" "Who's coming?" "Not coming, but riding." "Dnieper." "Volga." "Go on." "Greetings, Comrade Commander." "Hi!" "Makarych, accept the machine." "I swapped it without bargaining." "Sorry, they didn't offer me a tank." "Who?" "Darkie." "How did it happen?" "They worked on flying in pairs." "Suddenly 4 Fokkers out of the blue." "I've never seen them like that." "All painted up with diamond aces." "Pop on the wireless: "Go away. " But how?" "They were in the clutches." "Here comes Darkie:" "Cover me." "I'll attack." "Well..." "He was just a kid." "Got carried away." "He should have gone on a turn, but he persisted, and..." "A daring devil." "What a guy!" "When we got up, no more Fokkers." "And he was burning down in the weeds." "Those are his things." "Yesenin's poems." "His tunic... over there." "And Aunt Dusya." "His mother." "How are they going to tell Aunt Dusya that he's... gone." "Missing in action is better." "We were together in school." "You know, Vitya and I lived in the same house." "When they were seeing us off at the station, all the boys played the fool." "And Vitya turned around... and said:" ""Look how old our mothers turned in a moment." "Just in a moment... "" "Stop crying." "How do you say "sky"?" "And "earth"?" "And "cherry tree"?" "Only it's not cherry, but an apple tree." "Makes no difference." "It smells of home." "A poplar is my home country's tree." "Only ours are tall, Lombardy poplars." "And how do you say "home"?" "Such a long word?" "In Uzbek, it means "I love you, Masha. "" "Girls, Romeo and Masha are coming." "Masha." " I got to go." " Romeo!" "Yes." "I'll be in trouble if..." " Sure." " Romeo!" "Only you go first." "I can't look back." "All right." " Don't look back either." " Right." " Well, I'm going." " Goodbye." "Goodbye." " Good luck." " Goodbye." "We never look back!" "Novokov." " Congratulations!" " I won't let you down." "Kozhanov." "Kozhanov!" "No more flying for Kozhanov." "Titarenko." "Congratulations!" "Want to say something?" "No, I'm not good at talking." "I'll say my word in battle." "Good point." "Our party is 8 men stronger now." " 6 men." " 8 men, Komsomol leader." "Eight." "Congratulations, communists." "And you, Titarenko, will get a mission from the Party right away." "Sit down, comrades." "Sit down." "You've already met those Goring's diamond aces." "They can burn very well." "Come on, you shouldn't underestimate the enemy." "The German man is a serious man." "But they do burn very well, and you should explain it to the young boys." "All this hype with painted aces, dragons and other voodoo stuff is aimed at them." "This is a psychological attack." "You scare the enemy before battle, you get an advantage." "They won't scare him!" " Your regiment has many new boys." " That's right." "So your task of the first order, Captain, is to explain all that to them intelligently, setting your own example." "I understand, Major." "I have my own account to settle with the diamonds." "Just write like this? "This'll be the day for you and us, so kiss my..." "Shall I put an ellipsis?" " A diplomatic note." " Cossacks writing to the sultan." "Ready!" " Grasshopper, translate it to German." " Yes!" "Do it quickly, but make it sound like belle-lettres." "Ready." " Is that all?" " The rest is untranslatable." "don't drag it out, or you'll get it coming." "Come out to fight one on one, we won't shoot you on a takeoff." "Maestro." "And it took us a whole day to write." "A stylist." "Not funny, but to the point." "You'll be an editor after the war." "And a flyer during the war." "Commander, allow me to fly." "we'll talk later." "The letter goes in there." "They'll translate this themselves." " Will all the squadron fly?" " No." "Will you fly yourself?" "My number 2 will be senior lieutenant Skvortsov." "Yes!" "Yes!" "Seryoga, they took the challenge." "don't fall back, come in from the sun." "Yes!" " Seryoga, my gun's jammed!" " What do we do?" "Imitate an attack." "Cover me, I'll attack!" "Got you, Lyosha!" "What chivalry!" "Get the second squadron up." "Lyosha, a Messer at your tail." "Hold on, Lyosha!" "You're on fire, diamond!" "Ninth, pull back, your boys are in the air." "Roger, Pop." "Go away, Lyosha!" "Let's sing a duet now, Seryoga!" " But your gun!" ".." " It's all right, I just kidded you." "I'll show you pedagogy!" "Commander, are you all right?" "Give me the paint." " What paint?" " To paint stars." "I'll get it in a jiffy!" "Oh, you..." "You ought to have your own paint!" "How many stars?" "Two?" "I'm running!" "Two..." "You sweat so much downing just one." "I stuck to him and he writhed like on a griddle." "Suddenly, from behind..." " I hardly managed to get out of it." " Want to live, try to be smart." "Yeah, we taught those diamonds a good lesson." "Well, this suit suits me alright." "What do you say, Romeo?" " Me?" " Yes, you." "I saw the fight." "I saw everything." " Crosses, crosses, crosses..." " Did you fire?" "Sure, all the cartridges." "And all missing." "Missing." "What is Juliet going to say?" "Commander, the women's regiment will be based here." "The second squadron has been invited to a party tonight." "Stop being cheap." "Go, go." "She's been looking for you." "Comrade Commander, may I go for a minute?" "And right away the enamored mate revved up his plane and rushed on to a date." " Commander." " Quiet." "The cranes." "It's too early for them." "They're alive." " Listen, Lyosha..." " Seryoga." "No words, please." "Yes, no words, Commander." " The Messers!" " The Junkerses!" "The enemy approaching!" "Where're you going, kid?" "Follow me!" "To the forest!" "Where are you going?" "Get down, Grasshopper!" "They'll kill you, kid!" "Come back!" " Start'er up!" " Yes, start'er up!" "he's crazy." "He took off!" "Grasshopper took off!" " Who took off?" " Titarenko!" " Start'er up!" " Yes, start'er up!" "It's something, guys!" "Grasshopper's shot down a Messer." "What a devil!" "Let's lift him up, guys!" "My dear boy!" "No ovations, please." "Guys, Grasshopper's coming." "Right face!" "Attention!" "Center dress!" "By the way, where's my vodka ration for the downed plane?" "Why just a ration, my dear?" "You deserve a barrel of Georgian chacha!" "Cool it." "I don't drink, but it's a matter of principle." "Way to go!" "Thanks, you've saved the regiment!" "And how he hit him!" "Why are you laughing?" "Learn from him!" "What a style!" "Against all laws of physics!" "Listen, it wasn't me." "Shut up." "Prepare a report for a decoration." "Not for me." "For Lieutenant Grasshopper..." "It's Alexandrov who shot him down." " Grasshopper?" " Exactly." " You're kidding me." " No." "He did." " You shot him down?" " Yes." "I could shoot down more, but you, Comrade Commander... scared off all Germans with your underwear." "Oh, those kids!" "May we come in?" "I got on his tail..." "The getters are already here." "Good evening." " Gifts of the forest." " For our girls-in-arms." " You got settled all right?" " All right." "For this they could go to the can." "They stole the birch-tree twigs the sergeant had provided for the bath." "don't think ill of them." "They're nice boys, but somewhat underdeveloped aesthetically..." "Zoya, who are these boys?" "I think they're not from our neighborhood." " They're not even from our street." " That's right." "Quiet, comrades!" "Please, be quiet." "Our lecturer, Grasshopper, asks for two more minutes." "If he goes beyond the time-limit, we'll turn him out of the tent." "Go on." "I'm speaking about love." "Seriously, I'm not kidding." "You see... people..." "Humankind should come to understand that hatred is destructive." "Only love is creative." "Only love." "Yes, love..." "Seryoga and I have gone all the way from Brest to Stalingrad with love." "And from Stalingrad to the Dnieper here, also with love." "Even a hundred years later, I'll be able to fly this route without a map." "Because all along there are graves of the boys from our singing squadron." "And not just a squadron, a whole division have fallen there." "And how many more..." "Some day in Berlin, on the tallest surviving wall," "I shall write lovingly:" ""Satisfied with the Reichstag ruins. "" "And then I can go home, even if I'll have to spray the gardens." "Commander, while leaving your autographs in Berlin, please, pay attention to our signatures, those of the first squadron." "What difference does it make, friend, yours or ours." "Actually, the first to sign there will be infantry private Vanya." "And it's only right." "That's how it is." "Commander." "Everything passes, only music remains." "we'll live on." "Start'er up!" "Listen, shall we ever hear the best soloist of the First Ukrainian?" "The future soloist of the Bolshoi Theatre?" "No problem!" "Seryoga, jump!" "Jump, Seryoga!" "We'll live on, guys!" "The regiment is to be lined up in 15 minutes!" "Forward march!" "Vano, they're just kids, but you're an old man." "How come?" " Sorry." " What's the score, anyway?" " The second squadron was winning." " Good." "May I address you on a personal matter?" "Be quick." "What is it?" " I want to get married." "May I?" " Yes." "Yes..." "A great idea." "And just the right time." "I know what you're going to say." "It's war, they may shoot you down." " They may." " But they may shoot her down, too." " They may." " So please, allow me to." "But remember, Romeo..." "It should be for life, a short or a long one, but..." "Will you ever get yourself a map case, or shall I give you one?" " In battle, a boot is more reliable." " That's in battle... don't forget to invite me to your wedding." " What?" " "Thanks" in Uzbek." " (speaks in Ukrainian)" " Pardon?" ""You're welcome" in Ukrainian." "Wait!" "Stand there." "You softy." "We've waited for this moment for a long time." "We've waited for a thousand days and nights." "Comrades-in-arms!" "Pilots of the Guard!" "Our ground forces are coming out onto the borders of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics!" "Our regiment has got a mission to carry out..." "Your boy is a real eagle." "As if he's commanded a regiment all his life." "From now on, the whole regiment will be singing." "And if he gets a division, where shall we get so many balalaikas?" "No talking while in line!" "The enemy won't give up the sky to us." "Our goal is to throw them out of there!" "It'll be a fierce fight." "Only "old men" go to battle today." "Onto your horses, boys!" " What about us?" " No talking." "Don't be in a hurry, boys." "You'll get your share of fighting." "Those kids..." "You know what's the most difficult in our work?" "Rummaging in the engine at -30°." "The most difficult part is waiting." "That's some way to land." "Some "old men", my ass." " Romeo, hold on the machine." " I can't see anything." "Hold on the machine!" "All right, we're landing." "Reduce speed." "Reduce speed." "I can't see anything, Commander." "Stay cool, Romeo. we'll land." "Pull the handle." "Get ready, we're landing." "Switch off the ignition." "Good work, boy!" "Break the door!" "Doctor!" "Step back, everybody!" "What?" "I've landed, Commander." "Makarych." "You go and tell Masha." "Yeah..." "The girls, regiment is gone." "Perhaps it's as well?" "Romeo's still alive for her." "Commander!" "Commander." "When the war is over, we'll come back here, walk over these places... those who survive." "And we'll have the best symphony orchestra, all in tails." "The conductor will come out." "I'll approach him and say..." "Let them play for us..." "Well, you know..." "I'll do it." "I'll say: "Excuse me, Maestro." "Let me do it. "" "And we'll sing "The Darkie"!" "From the very beginning to the end." "And the grass of the steppe smells of bitterness," "The young winds so green evermore." "We wake up in the night to the thunderbolts" "Either of a storm or the echo of our past war..." "I'll get up before the dawn and go walking" "Over a wide field as the day gathers." "So strange my memory is working:" "I remember what has happened to others." "Drops of rain beating the cheeks weathered;" "Twenty years for the world is little, rather." "I have never known the boy who promised:" ""Wait for me, I shall return, Mother... "" "And the grass of the steppe smells of bitterness," "The young winds so green evermore..."