Burnt by the Sun

The film "Burnt by the Sun" is a fictional film made in the ninety's depicting the darker side of communist Russia. The main character Sergei is a well respected colonel who draws many parallels to the infamous Chapaev. Both are extremely well known and respected generals, with broad shoulders and big thick mustaches. Both men's soldiers show unfaltering loyalty to them, and more importantly soldiers and civilians alike. Sergei is in the countryside enjoying a holiday, when the mysterious Mitya appears to their countryside home. It becomes clear that Mitya and the colonels wife were once lovers but Mitya's true motivation is never exactly clear until close to the end of the movie. Mitya is portrayed as an uncharacteristic skinny man compared to the rest of the men shown in the movie. He is also very familiar with French culture and often speaks it instead of Russian, he even goes as far as giving the characters French nicknames. This eventually becomes a very ironic point because it is him of all characters who is deepest with the Russian government as a member of the secret police. His true motivation is finally revealed towards the end of the movie, that he is there to arrest Sergei. Sergei makes no attempt to run away but rather he simply says goodbye to his family and quietly accepts the punishment for crimes he did not commit, which consequently is death. This film is undoubtedly made for all the families that suffered from the terror created by Stalin and the secret police reigned upon them in the early years of communist Russia.