MOSFILM WITH STATE FINANCIAL SUPPORT
OF THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION THE COMMERCIAL BANK “DERZHAVA” OAO THE FILM STUDIO “KURIER” ALEKSEY VERTKOV VITALY KISHCHENKO and also VALERY GRISHKO
KARL KRANZKOWSKI
CHRISTIAN REDL - Look over here, who is this?
- The uniforms aren’t German. Must be Romanians or Italians. - It’s Magyars.
- Who? Magyars. Hungarians, that is. IN A FILM BY
KAREN SHAKHNAZAROV - Look, the beasts came two by two.
- See what he’s got on him. Yeah, what can he have? The infantry
has already picked them over. WHITE TIGER BASED ON THE NOVEL BY ILYA BOYASHOV
“THE TANK CREWMAN” FEATURING THE MUSIC OF RICHARD WAGNER WORLD WAR TWO. THE SUMMER OF 1943.
THE RUSSIAN FRONT. And where are his legs? Go over there and look. What happened to you there?
Did you get it out of gear? Comrade Captain, Sir!
They won’t let go. - What won’t let go?
- The hands. - What hands?
- The driver’s. The driver’s? I think he’s alive, Petya. You’re right. He’s alive. Stop! - What have you got here?
- Take him to the hospital. - A dead man?
- He’s alive. - Dead, alive. What’s the difference.
- Put him in. Where’s this one go? - To the forest.
- You didn’t even look at him. There’s a pulse. Take him to the tent. Put him here. I’ve never seen anything
like this before. 90% covered in burns, but he’s alive. He won’t live two hours. Well, hand me the ointment. Good. Where’s the tank crew member? - How long has he been with us?
- Three weeks. 90% covered in burns,
he’s got sepsis and he’s still alive. Let’s change his dressings. - Where are his burns?
- Some kind of pathology. Just three days ago he didn’t have
a chance among the living. What’s your name, soldier? Your last name, first name, Serial number. I don’t know. May I? Yes, yes. Have a seat. Naidyonov, Ivan Ivanovich.
Year of birth – 1914. Russian, non-party, tank crew member. Wait, wait. You said that he didn’t have any
documents. He doesn’t remember anything. In the accompanying forms from
the field hospital it says unknown tank crewman. Well, and how did you
figure out his name? Everyone here calls him “Ivan Ivanych” and we decided to give him
the last name Naidyonov (Found) since on the form it says: found in a tank. And his date of birth
and party affiliation? His teeth are like a thirty year old’s,
his party affiliation - you understand. You’ve got a mistake here.
Are these really his documents? They’re his. It says here: 90% covered in burns. Well, yes… He was burned on the order of 90%
over the surface of his body. - Are you kidding or what?
- Where are his burns? You see we can’t fully explain, but the patient has
completely recovered. Apparently, this is some kind
of miraculous peculiarity of his body and, without a doubt, it is phenomenal. Well, and what are we supposed
to do with this phenomenon? He has a rare case
of retrograde amnesia: he remembers all his skills, he remembers the alphabet, he can write, but he doesn’t remember who he is, where he’s from, who his family is,
and what happened to him. I think that it would be correct to accept him
as fit for non-combat duty. A tank crewman? - Don’t you know the order from command?
- I know it. All tank crewmen released
from a hostpital are to be sent back to tank
divisions – no exceptions? I know. But this is
a special circumstance. A soldier without any memory. In order to load a canon in a tank,
you don’t need any memory. Hey, Soldier! Come here! Who are you? Sergeant Naidyonov. Mechanic-driver.
Second company. And what are you doing here? This tank here. A “Panther” put it out of commission. It was ambushed. Why do you think that? It told me itself. Who told you? The tank. This tank. This tank told you something? It got hit by “Tiger”. The same one that set me on fire. “White Tiger”. So that’s how it is, Soldier.
Double time to the transport! Sir! - Do you know him?
- Yes. He’s a very good mechanic. Only since the hospital there’s
been something wrong with his memory. Damn if they won’t send
anyone to the front. He should be in a loony bin,
but they’ve sent him to the front. Give me a light. Listen, Nikolai, this “Tiger” – the white one, I’ve also heard about it. They say that it’s something
kind of like a ghost… That’s bullshit. You don’t need to listen
to all that bullshit. Stop! Stop! There are legends about
that tank in our army. In the battle near Bobruisk Russian tanks attacked us.
There were more than twenty of them… It seemed like they got rid
of everything in their path. But then on their flank there appeared a T-VI tank, painted completely white. And started firing at the Russian tanks. In ten minutes “Tiger”
destroyed all of your tanks and disappeared. As if it dissolved into thin air. And did you see this personally? - Me?
- Yes. I personally didn’t see it, but my comrade who took part
in the battle told me about it. That white devil is out of your league. Why is that? Because… Because it’s a triumph
of the German genius. Sharipov, wait for me here. It was first noticed in the woodlands. All the “tigers” were stuck
in the swamps, but not that one. It destroyed whole tank battalions. Then it appeared in the North.
Then in the South. Each time it appeared at our rear flank, shot about fifteen of our tanks
and self-propelled guns and disappeared into the forest. How could that be? How come fifteen of our tanks
can’t take out a single fascist one? Georgy Konstantinovich, Sir, It’s not a standard issue tank. I’m just
expressing the general concensus: it is the only one of its kind
that the Germans have. If it is impenetrable by shells from
an IS-tank destroyer that means it’s got a minimum of 250 mm
of armor plating. But then it would have to weigh
about one hundred tons. And the strongest German tank motor is only 700 horse power. Your suggestions? Do the same thing as the Germans. Create one unique tank based
on our “T-34/85”. By means of the stabilizer ensure it can carry out precision
firing on the move. To strengthen the armor and
put in a reinforced motor. How long will it take? A month. In this case, two weeks. General Smirnov, your assignment is to seek out
and destroy the German tank. Provisionally,
we will call it “White Tiger”. Take the new T-34. - And assemble your crew.
- Comrade Marshal, Sir! Who will be responsible for this? Deputy Chief of counter-espionage
of the army Major Fedotov. Choose the best, Major. Comrade Marshal, Sir. - Naidyonov, Ivan Ivanovich.
- Yes, Sir! How do you feel? - You came from the hospital?
- I feel fine. Yes, everything heals on him
as well as on a dog. He was 90% burned,
but it’s all healed over. He was shot in the leg and not
even remove from the combat zone. On the third day he got up. You are something special,
Naidyonov, tenacious. If you say so. So you can’t remember anything? Your name, where you’re from? No, I don’t remember anything. Your whole battalion perished. We tried to find your real name. Do you want to find out what it was? Not really, not very much. Well, it was probably Petrov or Stepanov –
and it became Naidyonov. I remember, that I am a Russian,
a tank crewman. What else do I need to know? What about your relatives?
Maybe you’ve got a mother, a father. Or maybe you’ve got your
own family, children? Well, if I had them, they’ve probably
received word that I died in battle. And dead men should not come back. A dead man doesn’t have any business
among the living. I remember how it fired. The shell flew slowly. Straight at me. I saw it. It flew slowly. I wanted to move, to drive the tank
to the left or back, and I couldn’t. I couldn’t move my hand. - Did you see it?
- Yes, I saw it. “White Tiger”. He burned us, each and every one of us. What’s it like, Naidyonov? He’s dead, Comrade Major. What do you mean dead?
What are you saying? A tank… What’s it like? A cannon?
What are its dimensions? Its armaments? Well, yes. He’s a tank like any tank, well, he’s bigger than others. Only… he’s dead. There are always
people sitting in the tank. Fascists, of course,
but all the same… people. We know that there are people there. People are always,..
either they’re cowards, or they’re fumbling around,
or they’re too brave – taking risks. But this one is dead. He’s not timid, doesn’t fumble, he does everything just right. Yes, just right. There’s no salvation. You were recommended as
the best driver of the army. I will request that you will be classified
at the rank of junior lieutenant with a classification of commander
of the experimental tank T-34/85. The tank is a prototype with enhanced armor and
a more powerful motor. There will be a three-man crew – a gunner, a loader and you. Your assignment – find and destroy the tank “White Tiger”. Tank commander –
Junior Lieutenant Naidyonov. Sergeant Kriuk – the best gunner, Master Sergeant Berdyev, loader, Can load the weapons in 15 seconds And is not at all susceptible
to the gasses given off in the turret during firing. - Have you formed the crew?
- Yes, Sir. - And they are the best of the best?
- Even better. And so? Their faces aren’t… Aren’t what? - They aren’t…
- Well they’ll be sitting in a tank, and not on the stage
of the Bolshoi Theater. Tank commander and gunner,
get over here! Do you see the barn? - Yes, Sir!
- How far away is it? - 600 meters!
- So you’ve got it at 600?! - 640!
- OK. Destroy the barn with a maximum
of two explosive rounds. Sir! To your stations! Yesterday it appeared at the rear
of the unit here, so it got here through the swamp –
it doesn’t make sense. But a fact is a fact: it appeared, destroyed five tanks and four self
propelled artillery units and disappeared. If you want you can look at the place
where it happened. He shot at them from this forest here. Right behind that forest is a swamp. - A tank couldn’t get through there.
- But he got through. - He’s here.
- Where? Somewhere here, in the forest,
he’s hiding. It's not there. Yesterday we combed through the whole
forest. We crawled through every meter. He’s there. What do you suggest? I’m going to ambush him. I need another tank, just one more, if possible a “thirty-four”. How do you know he’s there? How? He’s there. I’ll burn him, Comrade Major. Let me have another tank. Sharipov! Go to Kutaisov’s brigade. Give this to the commander. I’ll wait here. Comrade Major. Aleksei, don’t you get
the feeling that he’s crazy? -Who?
- Well, that Naidyonov, - he’s lost his mind,
- Sharipov, you’ve got your orders. Well, then… Get some more. I’m at your command. Sergeant Slepov. Naidyonov! Here’s your commander.
Junior Lieutenant Naidyonov. Listen, go over there to that grove. As soon as he appears, try to distract
him with gunfire and maneuvers. - Understood.
- Proceed. Yes, Sir! Listen, Sergeant! Keep the hatches open. Don’t close them all the way. - At ease.
- Help yourself, Comrade Major. - Thank you, I’m full.
- Help yourself. There’s enough for all! And the commander? Yeah, he doesn’t really eat. - What do you mean he doesn’t eat?
- He just chews on some bread. I would have run from him, my God,
how I would have run. He’s got some magic charm protecting
him, or something. Shells can’t touch him. Maybe with someone like that around
Berdyev and I will survive this. What do you think? Would you like something to drink,
Comrade Major? We tank crew members don’t
drink before a battle, it’s forbidden. How many guys have been burned
because of being drunk. But it’s fine for Berdyev. He can drink.
He’s a loader and a drunk. Right, Berdyev? Do you think he’ll appear? He’ll appear. He’s looking for me. Slepov. You’re missing the mark, Kriuk! If he destroys that “thirty-four”, we’re goners! Listen up! We’re going to move now. I’ll come up on his right flank,
hit him under the turret. - Got it?!
- Sir! Let’s move! Fire, Kriuk! Fire! - He’s not there!
- What do you mean he’s not there?! Fire! I don’t see him! Kriuk! Get out of there! - Where can I go?
- Look outside. Assess the situation. Yes, Sir! Commander, he’s not here! He’s gone. He left! No he hasn’t, Kriuk, he hasn’t left. He’s behind you. How could he miss? From such a distance, and from behind. Yes, he could’ve blown us to bits.
And they’d never have found our helmets. OK, go get the clamp. And 27 by 32. Are you wounded? Where is he? How did he get behind you? Do you think I chickened out? No, Naidyonov, I don’t think
you chickened out. If I thought that, I’d have you shot. He just outfoxed you. Slepov got hit for nothing. You told me that our experimental tank destroyed the German wonder-tank. Yes Sir, that’s what I said. So then, why have no commendations for medals for this crew crossed my desk so far? There was only one witness
to this battle. Deputy Chief of counter-espionage
of the army Major Fedotov. The fact of the matter is, he didn’t
witness the destruction of that “Tiger”. He saw how our tank twice attacked him and then he disappeared. What do you mean: Disappeared? The battle took place on the edge
of the Kornilov forest. Behind that is nothing but swamp. - This “Tiger”, apparently, sank in it.
- Apparently? So then, maybe it didn’t sink? After the battle this “Tiger”
was never seen again. Here are his tracks. Here is where he retreated. There aren’t any further tracks. How are we to understand this? Our guess is that it went through
the swamp all the same. We don’t know how, but it went through. In such a situation from this side
there would be tracks from its tread. But they’re not here! The field engineers have looked
over every centimeter! There’s nothing there,
Aleksei, It sank. You won’t get it out of the mire,
but it’s there… Naidyonov insists that it left. Naidyonov’s crazy. Listen, Aleksei, that happens.
You know it does. In this war many have gone crazy.
Many more are going crazy. You know that he prays
to the God of tanks? - To whom?
- To the God… of tanks. He’s got his own God,
you understand, a tank God. Good day, Sir! - What brings you to our humble home?
- Just passing by. - Well, how are you doing?
- Not bad. We’re fighting a war. - Where can I find Naidyonov?
- That’s his place. Sergeant Kriuk! Kriuk, if you ever take another
broad into a classified tank I’ll kill you on the spot! Get it?! Yes, Sir! Attention! What is this, Berdyev? Master Sergeant Berdyev, I’m asking
you: what’s in these cans? That’s German schnapps,
Comrade Captain of the Guard. He found it yesterday in a cellar
in a nearby town. Two barrels. Berdyev, didn’t they warn you that Germans leave poisoned
schnapps behind on purpose to bring about more losses
to our personnel? Is it good? Kriuk! Where’s Naidyonov? - With the tanks.
- With which tanks? With the ones that are out
of commission. Not far from here. These are ours.
In ’41 they burned them here. Naidyonov! Naidyonov, attention! - Your superior is talking to you!
- Let it be, Captain! Naidyonov. “White Tiger”. What about the “White Tiger”? He didn’t sink. He’s there. What? He went through the swamp
and flew through the air? Wait, Sharipov. And why do you think he didn’t sink? He left. He’s preparing. He’s waiting. For what? What’s he waiting for? When we begin to attack. Did the tank god tell you this? Yes. And this god of yours, where is he? In the sky, in the clouds, he’s got a throne. He sits on his throne and all around him are all the tanks
which have perished in combat. And what does he look like, this God? He’s in coveralls, in a tank helmet. He’s got a “Thirty-four”, gilded. When he sits in it, the thunder peals
and the lightning flashes. There, you see… And he helps you in battle? He helps me. I hear tanks. All tanks talk, only no one hears them, but I hear them. And they, when the shells
are flying at them, they warn me and I get out
of the way of the shells. That’s how they help me. They want me to live. And they want me to burn that "White Tiger". To exact vengeance. - Didn’t I tell you he was crazy?
- You told me. - Now do you get it?
- Now I get it. We need to reassign this crew! Naidyonov needs to be sent
for treatment to the hospital, Kriuk and Berdyev can go to other crews. They’ve gotten completely out of hand. Well, why aren’t you saying anything? - What are you thinking, Aleksei?
- I’m not thinking anything. Let’s go. Yes, I served in the staff of the
Inspector-General of German tank troups. How were you captured? I was sent to the front
to accompany a group of specialists from the Ministry
of Munitions and Armaments. I was taken prisoner by your scouts. What can you tell us about
the tank “White Tiger”? Legends about that tank are everywhere. Actually, it causes us sooner fear
than hope in the Wehrmacht... But believe me, in all the time of my
service at the staff headquarters, I have never seen a single document even indirectly connected
with this “White Tiger”. Maybe it was made all the same? And maybe it reports directly to Hitler!? No, that’s impossible. I’m sure: There is no such tank. And what do you think now? What I think isn’t possible. They’re moving in tight formation. They can be knocked out with one battery. Comrade Army Commander, everything
for the next 10 km ahead has been cleared. Not a single fascist remains
up to the crossing. Cleared, my ass! - Who’s hitting us then?! Where from?!
- Commrade Army Commander, - Order them to withdraw. Quickly.
- Yes, Sir! Well, is that him? Yes, Comrade Army Commander, that’s him. I can’t see a damn thing. Where are we? At the devil’s birthday party. Kriuk, do you see the barn
over to the right? Yes, Sir. Hit it with an armor-piercing shell
on the wall, level with the turret. Yes, Sir! Ready, the bastard! That’s not ours. That’s a T-4. Now we’re in it! Yeah, Berda, now we’ll party. Got it. I hit his turret and it’s stuck. Finish him off, Kriuk. The cannon blew up. - Is he in?
- Yes, Sir! Announce me. Go on in. - Good day, Comrade Army Commander.
- Hello. - Do you want to eat?
- No, thank you. - Something to drink?
- I won’t turn down a drink. Have a seat. He disappeared! Like he fell through the earth. He was burning. He was hit bad. And Germans don’t just sit
in burning tanks, you know that. They should’ve abandoned it. I don’t think there is a crew in it. That’s the story,
Comrade Army Commander. Are you being serious? Maybe I poured you too much? After the battle I asked Naidyonov, how he could predict that
the “Tiger” was going to fire. Do you know what he said to me? That his tank warned him. That tanks themselves
feel the shot coming and warn their mechanics about it. It’s just that most
of them can’t hear it. And what, he can hear it? Are you in your right mind?!
He hears tanks! How else can his unbelievable ability to feel the appearance of this
“Tiger” be explained? How could he know that it was going
to come out of the swamp again? That it was lying in wait for
the start of our attack? You said that Naidyonov has
a fierce hatred of this “Tiger” - because he burned up his tank.
- Yes. So if he hears the warnings of his tank, why didn’t he hear it that first time? He didn’t yet possess the capability. It appeared after he himself got burned,
Mikhail Efremovich. What do you mean got burned? What do you mean by that? People don’t survive after they
have had 90% of their body burned. And Naidyonov got burned. He got burned and then he was reborn a different person. Ideally suited for war. He is born out of it. Just like that “Tiger”. And so, Aleksei Nikolaevich,
you believe in all this mysticism? There’s no more mysticism in what
I’m saying, Mikhail Efremovich, than in the theory of Darwin about the evolution of living organisms based on their ability to adapt
to their environment. Or do you consider Darwin’s
theory to be mystical? I don’t know about Darwin, but I believe in God and the Devil. The war has proved their existence. Although I’m a communist,
of course, just like you. Remember, Major, my Army is headed for Berlin at
a speed of fifty kilometers a day. And nothing will stop it. And concerning Darwin I’ll say this: you’re tired, you’re exhausted. That’s why all this foolishness
came into your head. I’m giving you a ten-day leave. You’ll rest up and get back to normal. When you return, we will take Berlin! Stop here. What’s going on? Stand here. Go on in. Your seats are here. Ask the German representatives if they have familiarized themselves
with the statement of complete and unconditional surrender? Yes, Sir. Are the Representatives of the German High Command
ready to sign the statement of complete and unconditional surrender? Yes, Sir. It is proposed that the German
delegation sign the statement of unconditional surrender. Have them come over here. Gentlemen. Would you like some wine? Yes. White. Here is a Tokay. No, the Tokay is too sweet.
Then a red. This roast is not bad at all. I wonder, where they got all this. I bet it’s from a restaurant. It tastes
like it’s from “Schlemmer’s”. Have you been there, Fieldmarshal? Where? At “Schlemmer’s”, the restaurant. No, I’ve never been there. Come here. That’s all. Let’s go. What’s this? Frozen strawberries and cream. You know this is the first time in my
life to eat frozen strawberries and cream. What?! What did I say that was funny, Stumpff? No, it’s nothing.
I’m sorry Fieldmarshal, nothing at all. Naidyonov! I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you drive up. I was correcting the traction. - I see you’ve got a full allotment
of ammunition. - Yes, Sir! Even more. I loaded on 14 more. Have a smoke. German? French. And where’s the crew? Where indeed!? We know where they are. It’s Victory, after all. Well, yes. Damn! They’re ruining themselves with drink. The war’s ended, Naidyonov. Did you hear, Ivan? The end of the war. It’s all over. Until I finish him off, the war isn’t finished,
Comrade Colonel. He’s not there. Since the battle at the Vistula,
he’s gone. He’s waiting. He is. He’ll wait twenty years, fifty, maybe a hundred. And then he’ll crawl out. He must be destroyed. You know that has to be done. We’ve known each other
too well for too long, too much ties us together, for me to hide my thoughts from you. The war has been lost. I know that. It’s not just simply lost,
Europe has been routed. But can you possibly imagine
what tomorrow will bring? An unhappy Germany! They will blame
her for all mortal sins, the German people will be
the scapegoat for everything. Thousands of books will be written, thousands of ridiculous documents
will be found, hundreds of memories thought up, and we, Germany and I, will be brought before the world, like unprecedented monsters of humanity, like devils incarnate! But we simply found the courage
to carry out what Europe dreamed of doing. We said, since you’re
thinking about it, let’s once and for all just do it! It’s like a surgical operation – it’s painful at first, but then
the body heals. Didn’t we bring about the secret
dream of every European citizen? Wasn’t that the principle behind
our victories? After all, everyone realized: the things they were afraid to tell
even their own wives, we announced clearly and openly as befits a courageous
and whole people. They never loved the Jews! Their whole lives they were afraid
of Russia, that somber, gloomy country in the east,
that centaur wild and alien to Europe! I simply said: let’s solve
these two problems, let’s solve them once and for all. Did we really come up with
something new? No! We simply brought clarity
to those questions for which all Europe was
seeking clarity. That is all. As long as the earth revolves
around the sun, as long as cold and heat, storms and sunshine exist, there will always be struggle, including struggle between
people and nations. If people were to live in heaven,
they would rot. Mankind became what it is thanks to struggle. War is a natural, ordinary thing. War is eternal and everywhere. It has no beginning and no end. War is life itself. War is the original human state. Scriptwriters
Aleksandr Borodyanskiy
Karen Shakhnazarov Directed by
Karen Shakhnazarov Director of Photography
Aleksandr Kuznetsov Cinematography
Alik Tagirov Production Design
Sergey Fevralev Artistic Design
Irina Ochina Composers
Yuriy Poteenko
Konstantin Shevelev Costume Designers
Dmitriy Andreev
Vladimir Nikiforov Make-up Design
Nina Kolodkina Sound Design
Gulsara Mukatayeva Editor
Irina Kozhemyakina Producers
Karen Shakhnazarov
Galina Shadur
