THE FLIGHT (2 DVD NTSC)

RUSCICO. Russia. 1970. Subtitles: English. Directed by A. Alov, V. Naumov. Starring: L. Saveleva, A. Batalov, M. Ulyanov, V. Dvorzhetsky, E. Evstigneev, V. Basov, O. Efremov and others. The film is based on the eponymous play by Mikhail Bulgakov, and deals with the defeat of the White Army in the Russian Civil War of 1918-21, which caused massive emigration by the upper classes and nobility (known as White Russians). The movie takes place in the Crimea, Constantinople and Paris. The Russian Civil War and emigration is shown through the eyes of the defeated Tsarist Generals Vrangel (Freindlikh), Khludov (Dvorzhetsky) and Charnota (Ulyanov), as well as intellectuals and aristocracy. Amidst the chaos of emigration, Generals Khludov and Charnota become involved in the unfolding love story of professor Golubkov (Batalov) and Serafima (Saveleva). While General Khludov has hallucinations about the Civil War, General Charnota is more tough and practical. He goes to Paris to frame the wealthy Russian tycoon Korzukhin (Evstigneev), in order to support his former wife Serafima and other suffering Russian emigrants.