Attack (1986 film)
| Attack | |
|---|---|
| Russian: Атака | |
| Directed by | Igor Nikolayev |
| Written by | |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Vyacheslav Zvonilkin |
| Music by | Aleksei Nikolayev |
Release date |
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| Country | Soviet Union |
| Language | Russian |
Attack (Russian: Атака) is a 1986 Soviet drama film directed by Igor Nikolayev.[1][2][3]
The film is about a graduate of a tank school who chooses Karakum, believing that it will be easier on the battlefield than at school.[4]
Plot
[edit]After graduating with honors from a tank academy, Lieutenant Timofey Ermakov chooses the Karakum Desert as his service location. The youthful idealism of this second-generation soldier soon meets the stark realities of life in a frontline tank regiment. Ermakov arrives amid the USSR’s military operations in Afghanistan, and the deaths of officers he never met, lost on deployment in the DRA, impact his views on training his T-62 tank platoon.
Ermakov’s ambition to incorporate real combat experience into platoon training—rather than relying on outdated drills—is met with resistance from his superiors, from company to division commanders, as well as from the district’s commanding officer, who chastises him in front of Ermakov’s mother, a prominent journalist. His commanders, subordinates, and even his mother misinterpret his methods as ego-driven rather than aimed at creating skilled tankists capable of adaptive thinking in combat.
Meanwhile, Ermakov develops a relationship with Annagul, the commanding officer of the officers' quarters and widow of a fallen tanker. Initially dismissive of him as an “arrogant, self-assured junior officer with a reckless streak,” she gradually warms to him.
When the division is put on alert for exercises, Ermakov's company encounters “enemy” tank columns. After the company commander is “eliminated” in a simulated airstrike, Ermakov takes charge, demonstrating remarkable tactical skill by successfully "destroying" the enemy battalion. At the same time, the “southern” division hypothetically deploys nuclear weapons. Lacking communication with higher command, Ermakov proceeds with the mission, accidentally “taking down” helicopters carrying the division commander of the “southern” forces. His actions derail the preplanned exercise scenario, revealing the limitations of rigid military doctrines against Ermakov’s Suvorov-inspired tactical approach.
Leading his company in a sacrificial “assault” on enemy missile launchers, Ermakov’s unit symbolically “destroys” tactical nuclear weapons. The exercise mediator is forced to halt the simulation, acknowledging Ermakov’s true command abilities. The district commander and Ermakov’s mother arrive to find him resting with his exhausted crew beside their tank, showcasing the young lieutenant's dedication and potential.
Cast
[edit]- Sergey Chekan as Timofey Yermakov
- Aleksandr Novikov as Igor Linyov
- Vasili Popov as Pavel Prokhorovich Ordyntsev
- Valeri Tsvetkov
- Svetlana Konovalova as Tatyana Savyelyeva
- Dilorom Igamberdyyeva
- Oleg Avetisov
- Viktor Chebotaryov
- Sergei Isavnin
- Oleg Demidov[5]