The Ascent (1977)

Voskhozhdenie (original title)

Two Soviet partisans depart their starving band on a short march to a nearby farm to get supplies. The Germans have reached the farm first, so the pair must go on a journey deep into occupied territory, a voyage that will also take them deep into their souls.

The Ascent (1977)
The Ascent poster Rating: 8.3/10 (5,421 votes)
Director: Larisa Shepitko
Writer: Vasiliy Bykov (novel), Yuri Klepikov (screenplay), Larisa Shepitko (screenplay)
Stars: Boris Plotnikov, Vladimir Gostyukhin, Sergey Yakovlev, Lyudmila Polyakova
Runtime: 111 min
Rated: N/A
Genre: Drama, War
Released: 02 Apr 1977
Plot: In a freezing cold World War II winter, two pro-Soviet partisans - Sotnikov and Rybak - head off to find food for themselves and their compatriots. They find a goat at the home of a German Headman but their return to camp is interrupted when they are arrested by a Nazi patrol. Taken prisoner, Sotnikov stands true to his beliefs and refuses to answer any questions despite physical abuse and torture. Rybak on the other hand argues that since they know nothing, they should simply tell them all that they know and do whatever they can to stay alive. One of them will live, but at a very heavy cost.