O Sol Branco do Deserto

Being completely agree with all other comments, I can add a simple explanation what a cult movie it is. Every time when a manned spaceship is launched in Russia, it's team watches Beloye Solntse Pustyni right before takeoff. It's a tradition they never forgive. Even Dennis Tito had to watch it, together with other crew members, yet he probably had no translation or subtitles.

Needless to say, this film carries an enormous cultural significance for the Russians. Today, Russian press even hails it as the first Russian/Soviet action film, although "Piraty XX Veka" is much better suited for that title. Besides, this movie is not the kind of action that people are used to nowadays. There is no point in going over the film's story line because it is very simple and focuses on good vs. bad guys (Soviet style, that is) during the Russian civil war. I imagine that any person who hasn't lived in the former USSR will not find much to worship here. And yet, it is truly a masterpiece that sort of happened to be made without any grand intentions, but was able to strike a chord with the entire nation. It's all very simple and naive, but the film's characters, the things they say, the theme song, it all clicks together perfectly. And the best thing about it is that neither time nor political fluctuations (like the demise of the Soviet empire) doesn't detract its magic. It just became more sarcastic, or nostalgic, depending on your perception. "White Sun of The Desert" is undoubtedly a classic of the Soviet cinema.

I have seen the impact that the American Western had on the Italians ("The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly") and now I have seen its influence of the Russians. This "Ostern" tackles the subject matter of civil war, bigamy, and death with a wonderful lack of pretense that is expected from a John Wayne movie; all that has changed are the ideologies. With a little more in common with "Lawrence of Arabia" than just sand the movie focuses on an unextraordinary man forced to rise to the occasion of being a hero. The lead is extremely engaging as a man who never looses his laid-back attitude even as soldiers pour oil around him and the many wives. His fidelity to his farm wife provides for the movie's highlight. He imagines his wife surrounded by the entire harem performing chores around the field. The clashing of East and... well, further East provides for many comical situations. The way the harem acts around the men in the museum is countered by the men lusting after them.

I's, oh, so wonderful film. I saw it for the first time in my 19, in 1971 in small bioscope in Poland. Soviet film were not very wanted by the teenagers but it was long, dull summer and I haven't nothing better to do. And, what a surprise - film full of humor, action and irony. Song sung by me beloved Bulat Okudzava. After a long, long time I've seen it again in 2000 (You know , Soviet films were almost banned in Polish democracy. A moment of anxiety how it will be work and - ohhh, same feelings, same thrills, same chills. No, not the same, even deeper.

I think the "best USSR movie ever" misses the point. This is certainly not the best movie, it wasn't even supposed to do all that well in the theaters when it was first made and released. I don't think anyone ever foresaw its success. However for some reason it just works; audiences identified with it and loved it.

White sun of the desert is a classic western. You don't have to know history of the Soviet Revolution to recognize a western when you see one, for this is exactly the soviet adaptation of the genre. Not only that, but the plot of this movie is just great.

I first saw this film when I was a kid (and numerous times since then), and even though I haven't seen it in a while, even with subtitles, you can't go wrong. I'd rate it 3rd best western along with "The Good, The bad, and the Ugly", "High Noon", and "A bullet for the General."