Podvig razvedchika

Pavel Kadochnikov stars as an agent of Soviet military intelligence during World War II. The film is one of Soviet cinema's first forays into the World War II spy thriller, which was to reach its climax with the "17 Moments of Spring" miniseries made in 1973.

The film is fairly typical of the Stalin era war films, with a a slight cartoonish aspect to the characters, but pleasantly there is lack of blatant communist/Stalinist propaganda.

The director, Barnet (who plays a Nazi general in the film), favors static wide shots which do not always translate well on television, especially if you are watching a mediocre transfer from an old print. The performances are pretty good, particularly Kadochnikov's. The plot does keep you on the edge although the end is a bit rushed, it almost feels as if Stalin commanded the editor to shorten the end by 50%.

Overall the film is enjoyable for those who like old war flicks.