Trial on the Road Aleksey German (USSR; 1971)
Trial on the Road Aleksey German (USSR; 1971) Rolan Bykov; Anatoly Solonitsyn, Vladimir Zamansky
viewed 1st Aug 2025 – streamed from internet archive
The USSR during the 1970’s and 80’s must have been a sort schizo place to make a movie. Hundreds of films will have been produced in this period yet for the most part the films and directors now best appreciated from this era – Kira Muratova Sergei Parajanov Andrei Tarkovsky and Aleksey German – all had much of their output denied distribution. They were in effect banned for expressing anti-Soviet ideas or attitudes. But at the time these films were made it must have been evident from their scripts that these directors were all singular voices critical of the core socio-philosophical tenets of communism. The films were produced then denied distribution and locked away in dark warehouses. Many of these films were not low cost. Some must have had large budgets with epic scenes involving large scale use of extras and special effects. There must have been high placed individuals in the various film companies, Moskfilm Lenfilm who passionately loved cinema, who recognised film making genius and were able to use their executive offices to honour and enable these particular directors to create their work. These executives, now unheralded must have held a conviction that their decision to green light these films would be vindicated in the future by the reception and acclaim of these forbidden movies.
German’s ‘Trial on the Road’ (interestingly adapted from the novel written by his father) was banned for fifteen years, only released during the first period of ‘perestroika’.
Set in 1942 with Soviet partisans engaged in a war of harassment with the invading Nazi forces, the film melds into a single statement two situations: the psycho dynamics of paranoid Stalinism and the snow bleached terrain of the Russian Winter. The two actualities intertwine interlock to produce a film that embraces the chilling realities of conflict.
The film revolves around the character of Lazarev, a Russian sergeant captured by the Nazis, who collaborated with them under pain of death. In an early section we see him in German uniform as he gives himself up to the partisans after escaping. Lazarev explains that he would rather be shot by Russians than Germans. In the paranoia of Stalinism everyone was a potential traitor. Accordingly no one captured by the Nazis let alone a collaborator could be trusted. Anyone taken prisoner should be shot. And Lazarev (presumably named for he whom Jesus brought back to life) awaits death, expects to be shot. But the commander of the partisans sees Lazarev’s burning patriotism and a desire for redemption. To the fury of the political commissar, the commander trusts Lazarev to prove himself in action. The commissar’s determination that the traitor should die pervades the film’s discourse, even after Lazarev’s critical part in a successful ambush. His perception is unwavering: in political terms Lazarev is and always will be a traitor, no matter what acts of heroism he performs or any avowals of patriotism. For Lazarev there is and will be no second life. He will remain among the dead.
The setting of ‘Trial on the Road’ in the midst of the Russian Winter sets the emotional temperature of the film. The hard snow landscape creates a background mood of harsh unforgiving conditions which permeates the political atmosphere.
Lazarev of course dies. He knows for him there will be no resurrection. He dies during a raid on a German supply depot taking on overwhelming odds to allow his comrades to escape. The film ends sardonically with an encounter at the war’s end with the commander of the partisans, still in a lowly command position having a chance encounter with a soldier who has had rapid promotion. The thought occurs as to how long it will be before the commander is either banished to Siberia or shot.
adrin neatrour
adrinuk@yahoo.co.uk