Sokolovo (film)

Sokolovo
Sokolovo
	Russian film poster
Directed by	Otakar Vávra
Written by	Otakar Vávra; Miloslav Fábera; Nikolai Figurovsky
Starring	Ladislav Chudík; Yury Solomin; Martin Štěpánek; Lev Ivanov; Jiří Pleskot; Hannjo Hasse; Vladimír Ráž
Cinematography	Andrej Barla
Edited by	Antonín Zelenka
Music by	Zdeněk Liška
Production; company	Mosfilm
Release date	1974;
Running time	128 minutes
Countries	Czechoslovakia; USSR
Languages	Czech, Russian
Budget	28 Million KČs

Sokolovo (Russian title Соколово) is a 1974 Soviet–Czechoslovak war film made by Otakar Vávra depicting the Battle of Sokolovo in 1943. The film was published in two parts and was meant as the middle part of Vávra's "war trilogy" consisting of movies Days of Betrayal, Sokolovo and Liberation of Prague.^[2]

Plot

The film tells the story of Soviet aircraft designers and test pilots who, after the end of World War II, dedicate themselves to mastering MiG jet fighters, often risking their lives in the process. The plot focuses on three main characters—Viktor (Igor Yasulovich), Yevgeny (Sergey Nikonenko), and Alexei (Gennady Saifullin)—as they return from the war in the Far East and begin working on the development of a new jet aircraft. Viktor and Yevgeny take positions at an aviation factory as a designer and an engineer, respectively, while Alexei becomes a test pilot for the new technology.

The film also explores the personal challenges faced by the protagonists. Viktor's wife (Elena Sanaeva) leaves him for a wounded man she nursed in a hospital. Alexei's actions lead to the destruction of his own family. Only Yevgeny manages to maintain a stable and happy family life amidst the professional and personal turmoil.