The Cranes Are Flying

MOSFILM:

Wait. Wait, Squirrel!

Here, put it on.

Look!

Cranes like ships

Sailing up in the sky,

White ones and grey ones,

With long beaks, they fly!

Look, look, look!

You see...

You with your "cranes like ships".

bTHE CRANES ARE FLYING/b

Written by V. ROZOV

Directed by M. KALATOZOV

Director of Photography

S. URUSEVSKY

Associate Director - B. FRIDMAN

Production Designer - Y. SVIDETELEV

Music by M. VAINBERG

Sound by I. MAYOROV

T. KAMENEVA

Starring...

T. SAMOJLOVA as Veronika

A. BATALOV as Boris...

V. MERKURYEV

as Fyodor Ivanovich...

A. SHVORIN as Mark

S. KHARITONOVA as Irina...

K. NIKITIN as Volodya

V. ZUBKOV as Stepan...

A. BOGDANOVA as Grandma

B. KOKOVKIN as Tyernov...

Ye. KUPRIYANOVA

as Anna Mikhajlovna...

An Order of Lenin Film Studio

"Mosfilm" production, 1957

Who is there?

Wait!

Well, all right.

Say when, then.

Thursday, on the embankment.

Come on, that's too long.

Squirrel!

You haven't told me when!

Squirrel!

Squirrel, at what time?

What time on Thursday?

No, no, I can't make it.

I can't make it.

I'll be working.

- All right.

- Don't be late.

Squirrel!

- She's gone crazy over him.

- And he's over her.

That's love, my dear.

A harmless mental disturbance.

Grandma, why aren't you asleep?

Because it's time to get up, Boris!

Stop chomping!

Running around all night...

Are you jealous?

You haven't torn it, have you?

Your jacket's all right.

Outrageous!

It's noon and he's still in bed.

The boy deserves a good rest

on Sunday. He works hard.

That work of his will result

in a marriage.

That's when you'll be really jealous.

For Irina, her diploma comes first.

Look out, Uncle Fedya.

She'll be a full professor soon,

while you're still only a MD.

If children don't surpass

their parents...

...then the children are fools

and the parents are no better.

Thanks, Mamma.

This is Radio Moscow broadcasting

over all of the Soviet Union!

- What is it?

- What has happened?

We're at war! Boris!

Do you hear? We're at war!

Leave me alone!

Hi!

Boris is working day and night.

Are you waiting for him?

I'm not waiting for anyone.

Veronika!

In time of war,

one should not get confused.

One should hold on to

a normal life pace.

Take me.

I dream of dedicating to you

my first symphony.

Will you come to the concert?

Suppose the Army calls you up?

The Army? I doubt it. Hardly.

Why "hardly"?

The most talented ones will be exempted.

- Are you the most talented one?

- Me? Certainly.

Why are you following me around?

Aren't you ashamed?

I am.

I tried to keep away from you.

I know, Boris is my cousin.

But I can't help myself!

Wait!

- Wait!

- I'm going home alone.

Hey, slow down!

You just had an operation.

I'd better be in shape

for that field-pack.

They're not wasting men like you

in the Army.

There'll only be one exemption

here, and one of us'll get it.

They'd better give it to you.

You've got knowledge, experience.

And you've got talent.

Save your sketches.

My wife's already got my bag packed.

Well, as they say,

let's get our bayonets ready.

Stepan! Hey, Stepan!

Guys, give me a hand...

Stepan!

Excuse me, Sachkov.

- Where's the summons?

- Not yet. I can't wait.

- Are you off now?

- No, I've got those sketches...

- I see. Take care.

- Okay.

- Hey!

- Yeah?

- Have you told her?

- No, it's too early...

- You're right. See you tomorrow.

- Right.

- Let go.

- I won't.

- You're going to fall down.

- No, I won't.

- You'll rip up the blackout.

- It's a blanket.

I'm going to call the militia.

I'm sick of the blackout.

Give me the blanket.

- Let go. You'll fall.

- No, I won't.

Come on, Squirrel, cut it out.

Let me hang this up.

You didn't come to the embankment

today, but Mark did.

- He's very handsome.

- So what?

- Aren't you jealous?

- What?

- Aren't you jealous?

- I haven't got the time for it.

I won't have much time either when

I go to the architecture college.

You'll never pass the entrance exams.

- I will!

- I doubt it.

Cranes like ships

Sailing up in the sky,

White ones and grey ones,

With long beaks, they fly.

- Do you like my song?

- Very profound.

Oh frogs, you keep on croaking,

Why didn't you think of looking up?

You went on leaping, in mud soaking

That's why you ended eaten up.

- All right, you won, hero.

- I won, I won!

I won.

All right.

- D'you think you'll be drafted?

- Sure.

- You won't volunteer?

- I might. Why not?

No, you won't! I won't let you.

You know you'll get an exemption.

That's why you talk so big.

- Why do you think so?

- Everyone smart will be exempted.

Then the only ones to do

the fighting will be the fools.

I don't want to talk to you ever again.

Veronika...

...there's something

I must tell you.

I don't want to hear it.

And, please, don't call me

Veronika.

- Who am I?

- Squirrel.

Listen...

- What will you give me tomorrow?

- It's a secret.

If you give me something sweet,

I'll eat it up and forget about it.

Give me something

to remember you with.

Kiss me now.

When I'm with you,

I'm not afraid of anything.

Not even the war.

Though, I'm afraid of the militia.

- Veronika...

- You know what?

- Do you know?

- No.

I'll have a beautiful white dress

made for our wedding.

One like my grandmother had.

And a veil...

Very long and white.

And you should wear

your dark suit.

- And you and I will go...

- To a registry office.

- Is it a deal?

- It's a deal.

- You know I like this blackout.

- What's so good about it?

Hi!

- Stepan!

- Veronika!

- I've got a treat for both of you.

- Fine.

- What is it?

- It's a secret.

- Has it arrived?

- Yes, this morning.

- Why didn't you say so? Tell me.

- Well, go on.

You should've seen what's

going on over at the factory.

Make it short, will you?

I'm telling you:

There's so much excitement...

- Never mind that.

- Your folks told me...

- When do we report?

- Today at 5:
30.

Look at those cherries!

Is anything wrong?

- They're nice!

- Army orders.

- No! For you?

- Me too.

We both volunteered...

When?

- You volunteered?

- It's army orders.

Wait! What about us?

Stepan...

No, I've got to go.

My folks are going to... So long.

Squirrel!

I didn't want to tell you

before your birthday.

- And now I have to go.

- Of course.

Boris!

Squirrel!

What is this?

White cranes flying...

I like that.

I'm going to be all right.

Do you hear?

And after that we'll live together...

a hundred years.

Go on now.

We'll say goodbye later.

Don't be late.

What difference would it make

if he went a day later?

What a nerve if he's still

with Veronika.

- Boris! Boris!

- Did Dad call?

He was furious.

Why didn't you tell anyone?

So that we didn't have any scenes

like that.

Get these prints back

to the factory tomorrow.

- Give them to Kuzmin, the engineer.

- I will, don't worry.

What are you putting in there?

I'm going out for a bottle of wine.

Grandma, do me a favor.

Just a minute...

- Will they send you to the front?

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