THE SIXTH (DVD NTSC)

1981, 80 min, USSR. Directed by Samvel Gasparov. Starring: Sergei Nikonenko, Mikhail Pugovkin and Larisa Belogurova."The Sixth" is a parable about lawlessness and bureaucracy in the aftermath of the Great October Revolution. The film could be categorized as a Western, with a lawman hero who faces up to corruption against the odds, although no one around him has any faith in his abilities. It is set in 1923 when the Russian Civil War has come to an end, although the situation is still dangerous in some regions. An elusive band of White Guards is hiding in the mountains, raiding Soviet institutions and making short work of the local government's representatives. Five chiefs have already been killed by the Whites and the intimidated townsfolk believe the sixth one is also doomed. The protagonist is the sixth militia chief, but he is shrewder than his predecessors. Recognizing the superior fire power of his well-armed and zealous enemies, he attempts to mobilize the people in the towns and help them regain faith and hope. He learns that there is a leak in his organization and that someone is informing the band of all planned operations. He decides to use this very leak against the bandits.