The White Sun of the Desert (1969) on Netflix
NR19691h 24mActionAdventureComedy
As the Civil War ends, Red Army soldier Fyodor Sukhov walks home across the desert. A commander leaves him to guard Abdulla's abandoned wives, and the bandit is still at large.
- Netflix3.8/5
- IMDb7.6/108,842 votes
- Rotten TomatoesNot available
Trailer
Plot summary
Sukhov, a Red Army soldier, has spent years fighting in the Civil War across Russian Asia and now sets out on foot for home and his wife. In the desert he digs out Said, a man left buried in the sand to die; Said's father was murdered and he wants revenge. The pair are caught up in the desert clash between a Red Army mounted unit and the Basmachi leader Abdulla, who escapes and leaves his wives behind. The unit's commander, Rakhimov, asks Sukhov to look after the women and gives him the young soldier Petrukha as a helper. Sukhov brings them to a village on the shore and settles them in a building that serves as a museum. He asks Vereshchagin, a former customs official, for a machine gun and for help, and repairs an old gun kept there.
Cast
- Galina Luchaias Катерина Матвеевна, жена Сухова
- Svetlana Slivinskayaas Саида, старшая жена Абдуллы
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Did you know?!Facts and trivia about The White Sun of the Desert (1969)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Crews boarding Russian space flights are committed to watching White Sun of the Desert before launch, and craters on Venus are named after Abdullah's wives: Зарина, Джамиля, Гюзель, Саида, Хафиза, Зухра, Лейла, Зульфия and Гюльчатай.
- Georgi Yumatov was chosen for the role, but was dismissed for a drunken brawl right before the shooting; Motyl then called for Kuznetsov, who had been the second choice during the selection.
- A World War II veteran, Luspekayev had both feet amputated in the 1960s after past injuries; Motyl wrote the part for a man on crutches, but Luspekayev refused, arguing his character should appear as a strong person, not a cripple. It was his last role.
- In the dune scenes actors had to walk in large circles in scorching heat so as not to leave telltale traces in the sand, and Mishulin spent several days in a box buried in sand for takes of the opening scene.
- Horse riding was performed by the special stunt unit formed for the War and Peace film series; the unit performed no stunts in this film, but one of its members died in an accident during filming.
- Local thieves stole props one night during the shoot, and security improved after Motyl hired a local criminal leader to play a member of Abdullah's gang.
- Motyl reshaped the character of Vereschagin, and about 60% of the entire script, all of Vereschagin's dialogues included, was rewritten and improvised during the filming.
