The Star

The summer of 1944. The Soviet army is preparing a major offensive and does not know what is behind the German line. A reconnaissance party of seven is sent out; their radio call sign is Zvezda, the Star. Two parties sent before them never reported back. The group moves through the forest, sees German armour massing, and has to report it. The moment they transmit, their position is known. The film builds no heroic set piece; it watches how long seven men can stay at that radio. Nikolay Lebedev directs the Russian film; ninety-seven minutes, with Igor Petrenko in the lead. It is adapted from Emmanuil Kazakevich's story of 1947; the same story was filmed in 1949, and that version was kept from release for four years.