Комендантский час (1981)

“Komendantsky Chas” (The Watch of the Commandant) is a 1981 Soviet drama and war film directed by Natalia Troschenko. The story is set in the early days of the Russian Civil War and is based on the novel “The Commandant’s Watch” by Yuri Davydov. The film follows the lives of a group of soldiers and civilians living under the command of the Red Army’s Komkor (division commissar) Semyon Babushkin (played by Yuri Soloviev) in the city of Kokchetav, Kazakhstan. The main plot centers around the love triangle between the Komkor’s wife Larisa (Galina Makarova), a nurse named Olga (Irina Reznikova), and a young soldier named Ivan (Ivan Sidorkov). The film explores the human condition during wartime, showing how people’s lives are disrupted and changed forever. It also delves into the complex relationships between soldiers and civilians, as well as the tensions between the ruling Communist regime and the local people who long for stability and security. The outstanding performances of the cast, including Galina Makarova, Irina Reznikova, and Yuri Soloviev, make the movie an excellent watch. “Komendantsky Chas” is a thought-provoking film that showcases the depth of human emotions and how they can be tested in times of hardship.