Only Old Men Are Going to Battle (1973)

a lovely film. few lines and a profound message. a war film but far to be another movie about heroic events and mounts of dead. it is poetry and music. homage and wise example to be more than political instrument. a film about human links, not complicated, about joy and sacrifices. a film of characters because each of them is a seductive sketch. a film about Soviet Union as a large family but without the veil of propaganda. it is strange its freshness. the explanation is simple - the values who defines ordinaries lives. the war is short, the music is eternal and this is the heart of its force and charm and science to present basic truth in perfect light, in the best form. nostalgic and tender. a slice from a great cinema school.

This movie is about war! Our war, that killed 30 million people. It is about love. Love which does have country borders or nationalism! It is about soviet heroes, who died letting us live. Who died fighting against Hitler! There is no Soviet propaganda, which makes it suitable for any generation and for any person. The main idea is people. Their relationships, their dreams, their believes, their sacrifice and tears. This movie let you think about war. It wont show you physical pain, it will show you inner grief. Watch it and think twice voting for people who start wars, who says that your nation is better, who let people die!

Hi !This is very interesting WWII fighter pilots' film in international standard!This fighter wing has own music band played by fighter pilots themselves and the "nose art" of the plane of wing leader is "music score".Director and main actor, Leonid Bukov is one of very impressive actor in Soviet union 1960-70s era movies who usually took rolls of ordinary citizen or soldier in several films. He never took a roll of famous red army general.Most of air battle scenes were taken from documentary films. This films focus on a life and death, happy time and sad time, of pilots themselves, and their love with lovely female pilots.Also I feel special Ukrainian feeling in this film.(This film was made by Ukrainian movie studio during Soviet era)Beside this one, another Soviet Union Fighter pilot film "Baltiskoe Nyebo" (means, Baltic Sky) is also impressive in different way which focus on the various relations between fighter pilots and citizens of Leningrad under German army's Blockade.

It's a movie about the Great Patriotic War and the life of Soviet war pilots, who died for their motherland. The cast is great. We watch this movie every year and it doesn't become less interesting.I think it's one of the best not only Soviet but world movies of all time.