Kutuzov (Film 1943-ENG SUB)

Kutuzov (Кутузов) is a 1943 Soviet drama film directed by Vladimir Michajlovič Petrov. Audio in Russian with English subtitles.

The film of 1943 shows the Russian view of the main events of the Patriotic War of 1812. The main points are Kutuzov's character and warfare, the major battles, the soldiers and the major errors of Napoleon.

- "delaying operation" started by Mikhail Bogdanovich Barclay de Tolly and continued by Kutuzov
- "scorched earth" by burning Moscow
- "guerrilla warfare" on horseback against French supply lines by the Cossacks
- "total war" against French foraging by peasants
- "no peacemaking with Napoleon" by Alexander I of Russia
- Battle of Borodino
- Battle of Maloyaroslavets
- Battle of the Berezina
- French invasion of Russia (Logistics)

Kutuzov is a biopic about Prince Kutuzov, the Russian Field marshal who defeated Napoleon Bonaparte’s Grande Armée in a brutal war of attrition. Shot in 1943 and released to Soviet audiences in March 1944, the film served to rouse up the Soviet people in their push back against invading Nazi Germany.

The War of 1812 and WWII held much in common for the Russian and Soviet people. In fact, in Russian they are called the Patriotic War and Great Patriotic War respectively. Both Kutuzov and Stalin pursued a scorched earth policy, designed to make their invading foe’s supply lines as difficult to support as possible. In Kutuzov, the eponymous Field marshal is depicted as a master strategist, capable of completely understanding the enemy, and trusted implicitly by his men. When Soviet citizens watched the movie, there was a clear message – that they should trust the competence of their leaders completely to end the war for good.

Cast & Characters:
Aleksei Dikij as Prince Kutuzov
Semyon Mezhinsky as Napoleon Bonaparte
Yevgeniy Kaluzhsky as Marshal Berthier (as Ye. Kaluzhsky)
Sergo Zakariadze as Prince Bagration (as S. Zakariadze)
Nikolai Okhlopkov as Gen. Barclay de Tolly
Sergei Blinnikov as Platov, bearded Russian officer (as S. Blinnikov)
Mikhail Pugovkin as Fedya (as M. Pugovkin)