Bornes en flammes

A heroic adventure, the Fiery Miles is a very entertaining Soviet frontier drama. Opening onboard a packed train, an assassinated comrade with his dying breath passes on vital information to Red Guard chekist Grigory Zavragin. Counter revolutionaries and mutineers are mobilizing and threatening the advance of the Red Army. Zavragin is also given a name, the only clue to identify an infiltrating spy who is travelling on the train.

Forced to leave the train as the line has been blocked the action-packed adventure really takes off. Zavragin is joined by a diverse group of characters who commandeer two horse drawn machine-gun mounted carts, they embark on a wild edge of your seat ride through enemy territory... Incorporating western cinematic elements, a handsome hero, a fearless femme, a treacherous bad-guy, spectacular horse chases and expansive scenic vistas, the Fiery Miles is a creative and thrilling Soviet production.

Now regarded as an Ostern (Red Western), for enthusiasts of this classic film genre, highly recommended viewing!

An old fashioned, Soviet war flick. Like most films of its time - this was made in 1957 - the plot is somewhat predictable; the good guys win (though some die or sacrifice themselves along the way) in the end; a romance develops naturally but without much interaction.

The director is good at building up suspense at different parts of the movie. The music is good and adds to the atmosphere. The acting is strong, 1950s style.

If you enjoy films not only for their entertainment value but also as a way to gain insights into society then this film is watchable. There's patriotism, some glorified worker comrades and action all baked into this film ... And it's from a state, the USSR / Soviet Union, which no longer exists.

A little bit of cinematic history.