The North Star Page #4

to keep my people from

fascist slavery."

I am willing to give my

life, to die in battle

to keep my people

from fascist slavery.

You know where we'll be.

One of us will come every

night to the pine grove.

Remember, we'll need

supplies and information.

This is our land, our village!

We remember we fought another

war to make them ours.

We swear to give our

lives if they be needed.

We swear!

Through day, through night

Guerrillas fight the

butcher's bloody power

From field and tower

In rain or shower

Through day, through night

Guerrillas fight the

butcher's bloody power

His guns keep drilling

Our graves he's filling

But men grow brave

who fight to save

The land that

they were tilling

Our forest, our river

We'll fight for

land and home

Our land we'll deliver

back to its own

A dream we cherish

And never perish

And we'll be free

men once more

I'm ready, Comrade Petrov.

Good. Now, just a moment.

These reports show the

Germans rapidly advancing

across our territory.

By nightfall, there

won't be a highway

free of their guns,

their tanks,

and their supply trucks,

all going to the front.

Remember, you have a

good 40 miles to travel.

Your best chance is to

take to the back road.

That'll take too long.

I'll have to take a

chance on the highway.

We need that ammunition

bad and quick.

I'll get the truck through.

You can count on it.

Good.

Comrade Karp is going

to take my place.

My duty is to report to

the nearest airfield.

So gather around,

listen closely,

and I'll show you what I

think is your only chance

to get back to the village.

The Germans must have crossed

the river at the upper bend,

and --

get down, everybody!

Father!

Kolya.

Damian.

Get the guns out.

Save the guns.

Get them out.

Get these boxes out!

Did you do it?

Yes, Father.

They're safe.

For our men.

Take it to them.

They're... They're at

the end of the stream.

Other side,

Obmyk Hill...

Beyond the pinewoods, past...

Take it back to them.

You hear me?

Yes, Father. We'll

take it back.

Say hello to... To

your mother for me.

I promise.

Well, that's all of it.

I'll say goodbye now.

Travel at night and

stick to the woods.

When you get to the

upper crossroads,

you'll see a little --

but what about you?

You said the Germans

had crossed the river.

How can you get

to the airfield?

I'll get through all right.

Now, do your best.

Don't be frightened.

Fear is a bad enemy -- or

so people have told me.

Bye, Clavdia.

Goodbye, Kolya.

Marina.

We'll do the best we can.

That's all.

Tell Mother that...

Grisha.

Goodbye, Kolya.

Look after them, Karp.

Twenty-five years ago, we

fought and died for this earth.

People go forward.

They fight for themselves

and make things better

for themselves --

more food, a good bed, jokes

to make and time to laugh.

Then the filthy come

and try to stop it.

They want to take

away from people

all the good they've made

for themselves.

Well... Then you take your gun

and you fight until

you've killed all such.

Ready, comrades?

Yes, comrade.

We're ready.

We are ordered to occupy

the North Star village.

How big is this village?

Not big.

We're only taking

125 men to hold it.

We are ordered to establish

a regimental field hospital

in the village

North Star ahead.

Field hospital and a

village dispensary.

How can I take care of all

these men and more to come?

The order says that

more ambulances

and doctors will

be sent to us.

I don't want doctors.

I need surgeons.

The colonel has forgotten me.

I am a surgeon.

A surgeon is a man who can

operate, Dr. Richter.

I have not forgotten you.

Dr. Richter, where did you

take your medical training?

Freiburg, as I have told the

colonel many times before.

That was a good school.

I must beg the

colonel's pardon.

With respect to the colonel's superior

rank and reputation,

I must beg the

colonel's pardon to --

do not beg my pardon

so often, Dr. Richter.

Good manners do not

make a good surgeon.

It's well known, of course,

the colonel studied at the

University of Leipzig.

In the great days.

I was a pupil of freidenthal.

His most famous pupil.

Freidenthal? The Jew?

Yes. Freidenthal the Jew.

The colonel did not

mind his being a Jew?

Mind?

I never thought about

it in those days.

It must be pleasant to

be so sure of oneself.

I should like to

think I was as good

as the colonel thinks he is.

The day you think you're as

good as I am, Dr. Richter,

I will know that

you're suffering

from delusions of grandeur

and I shall commit

you to an asylum.

Trust me, Dr. Richter.

Burn your houses! The

Germans are coming!

Burn your houses! The

Germans are coming!

It's hard. The hardest part.

The hardest part.

Go and do it now.

Others give their lives. We

give what is life to us.

Look.

Another burning village.

Speed up. Speed up.

Quite different, isn't

it, Dr. Richter?

The Army of the Third Reich

didn't see burning villages

on its pleasant tour

through Western Europe.

This amuses the colonel?

No. Danger doesn't amuse me.

I only state facts.

A strong people. One

has always heard that.

A hard people to conquer.

Silence!

Who is responsible for the

burning and destruction

in this village?

Where are the younger men?

They burned it and

have tried to escape.

Is that correct?

Has the hospital

been burned down?

It is not bad. We caught it.

Carry in the

casualties immediately

and get the operative

cases ready.

As you order, colonel.

The chairman of the Soviet

of this collective farm

is called... Rodion Pavlov.

Is he here?

Where is his family?

I wish these

questions answered!

You have already, by the

burning of this village,

shown yourselves to be

enemies of the German army.

We punish our enemies...

Severely.

Where is the wife

of Rodion Pavlov?

I am the wife of

Rodion Pavlov.

Come forward.

I wish to know where

your husband is hiding,

how many men he has with him

and how much ammunition.

Yes?

I cannot answer

those questions.

You are certain that

you will not answer?

I am certain.

Take her inside.

Swine. Swine!

I am a doctor.

They will bring her out.

Her right arm and her

right leg will be broken.

You should advise your

people to give information

when it is asked for.

You are a doctor and

you are able to --

in this new order of ours,

we have to countenance

and commit many acts one does

not necessarily approve of.

Shh.

We'll have a look.

We'll join you at

the crossroads.

Wait.

Take Clavdia and grisha

and hitch the horses.

I can shoot. Do

what I tell you.

If anything goes wrong,

then -- well, drive away.

Don't wait. Just drive.

The horses. Quick.

Hitch the horses.

Frightened?

I...

Yes.

Good.

Only fools aren't frightened

when there's something

to be frightened about.

And I don't like to see

a fool hold a gun.

Now, go on.

And remember --

you'll only have

a second to fire

and you must be

quick and sure.

Try to sleep.

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