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While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

atmosphere of classic western. adventures and drops of humor. values and sacrifice. the war and its hero. and, sure, the spice of propaganda. result - a film who reminds the sensitivity of a period and the charm of a land. because it has the gift to be a travel in time who remains out by propaganda's circle. for the art of a director who knows explore the story, for the actors who are masters of a good job and for the landscapes. for the fight scenes and for the wise manner to explore each detail. a film for entire family. because it is a splendid window to an impressive part of the past. an eastern. and little more. for the courage and art to be more than entertainment.

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.

Quite possibly it is the only instance when I give a movie the highest mark, though I do not enjoy it much.It is a cult Soviet movie. To give out the plot is not needed - read it in the "main details" section. As to its quality - it is definitely up there in the starry sky. The way this movie runs is very easy and charming. The conversations, the action, the violence, the songs, the settings are ironic. This action movie is absolutely different from a usual modern action film we are used to. It floats like a white cloud against the deep blue sky. Shootings and fisticuffs are never the main and most important "dish". The greatest thing is the subtle and elusive but genuinely Russian atmosphere that is present in every scene. The ways of doing things in this film are definitely of our highest Russian quality. The way of Sukhov's dreaming, talking, and smiling, the way of Petrukha's and Vereschagin's dying, the way of Wife's crying.The whole movie points out that we don't need a big macho with muscles to fight evil. The hero can be just humane and romantic, that's enough. Sometimes the evil forces cannot cope with that.In our cinema this gem occupies the same place as "High Noon" (I guess) in the American one. You cannot come even close nowadays.And watch out for a funny spoof of this movie that goes back to the year 1983 with the same leading actor as Sukhov! You want to know the title? Shame on you, you should know that. It is also one of our classics.10 out of 10. Thank you for attention.

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.