Road to Berlin

It is the summer of 1942. It is the thick of World War II and the bitter battle for Stalingrad is underway. The young lieutenant Ogarkov, a communications officer, is given important instructions -- to convey command orders about redeployment for the 341st division. In the confusion of an advance to the rear and localized fighting, the lieutenant does not deliver the orders and as a result the division ends up surrounded. A military tribunal court martials Ogarkov and sentences him to death by firing squad. Before the sentence can be carried out the convict is assigned to an escort -- the Kazakh Dzurabaev. But due to ? surprise attack by the Germans the execution of the sentence is delayed. The escort and the convict remain alone and together they must overcome obstacles and make their way to headquarters. In spite of it all, a silent friendship develops between the convicted man and his escort. Together they break through the encirclement, they do battle against the Germans and they even are awarded the highest honor - the commendation of the Order of the Red Star. But the death sentence was never rescinded and the road leads the new heroes to staff headquarters... (Montreal World Film Festival)