Trial on the Road

Trial on the Road (Russian: Проверка на дорогах, romanized: Proverka na dorogakh) is a 1971 black-and-white Soviet film set in World War II, directed by Aleksey German, starring Rolan Bykov, Anatoly Solonitsyn and Vladimir Zamansky.[1][2] It is also known as Checkpoint or Check up on the Road.[3]

Trial on the Road
Directed byAleksey German
Written byYuri German.
Screenplay byEduard Volodarsky
StarringRolan Bykov
Anatoly Solonitsyn
Vladimir Zamansky
CinematographyYakov Sklansky
Distributed byLenfilm
Release date
  • 1987 (1987)
Running time
96 min
CountrySoviet Union
LanguageRussian

Trial on the Road was censored and taken out of circulation in the Soviet Union for 15 years after its release due to its controversial depiction of Soviet soldiers. The film is based on a story by the director's father, Yuri German.[4] The screenplay was written by Eduard Volodarsky.[5]

This film is Alexei German's solo directorial debut which took a philosophical approach to the Soviet usage of "heroes" and "traitors". Screenplay by A. German and Eduard Y. Volodarsky (1941-2012), the film is based on the novel of his father (Operatsiya "S Novym Godom", or Operation "Happy New Year"), Yuri German (1910-1967), a Soviet novelist, screenwriter, and journalist.[6] The original film title was that of the novel.

Plot
A memorial plaque to Alexander Lazarev. It mentions several Lazarev's depictions in literature and film

The drama takes place in December 1942 during the Nazi occupation of the USSR in World War II. It revolves around the former Red Army sergeant Lazarev who was captured in his German uniform by Soviet partisans. Earlier he was captured by the Nazis and become a collaborator (hiwi), but after being captured by partisans he starts fighting against the Nazis.

The title of the film was based on real events: partisans used to stop a truck full of "politsais" (police made of local collaborators) or Vlasovites and shoot them all after a brief trial, leaving one to tell the story. Lazarev's character is based on a real person as well, but his real-life role was to penetrate Vlasov detachments to convince Vlasovites to give themselves up.[7] In the film, Lazarev voluntarily gives himself up to partisans, and two partisan leaders (of antipodal characters), Commander Lokotkov and Commissar Petushkov, put the collaborator to the test.[4] For some partisans, he will be always a traitor and treated with suspicion, but for others this former Red Army officer, by joining the group of partisans, has to prove himself on the battlefield as a patriot and hero. In the end he got killed in action distinguishing himself by bravery and heroism.

Cast

Release history

The "Trial on the Road" film was shot in 1971, but was banned for 15 years. It was "shelved" for the film's theme: it was harshly criticized for "deheroization of partisan movement" and for sympathy to a traitor, or collaborator with Nazi forces, but who becomes a hero in fighting against the Germans on the Soviets side. This "anti-heroic" depiction of Soviet history shows that distinctions like "traitor" and "hero" cease to have any real meaning, according to Alexei German's humane portrait of wartime. The film was released in 1987, during "perestroika" in the Soviet Union.[8]

Awards

References
  1. "TRIAL ON THE ROAD". Gene Siskel Film Center - School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
  2. "Trial on the Road". Lincoln Center Film Society. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
  3. IMDb
  4. "Trial on the Road (Proverka na Dorogakh)". Seattle International Film Festival 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
  5. Roth, Andrew (2012-10-13). "Eduard Volodarsky, Screenwriter Banned by Soviets, Dies at 71". New York Times. Retrieved 2013-03-22.
  6. VOLAND, JOHN (1986-11-15). "Soviet Emigre Hopes His Film Trials Are Over". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2016-02-11.
  8. Youngblood 2007, p. 177.
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