The Last Frontier also released as The Final Stand (Russian: Подольские курсанты, romanized: Podolskie kursanty, lit. 'Podolsk cadets') is a 2020 Russian WWII film written and directed by Vadim Shmelyov. A story about the heroic performance of the Podolsk cadets’ (ru) at the Battle of Moscow in October 1941.[2][3]
Plot
In October 1941, near Moscow, cadets from the Podolsk artillery and infantry schools, on the brink of completing their training and becoming commanders, are abruptly ordered to guard the Ilyinsky line of defense. Two close friends, who had been competing for the affections of a young woman, now face a stark reality: the German forces have broken through the front, and a tank column is advancing towards Moscow. With regular army units stretched thin, these cadets—essentially still boys—become the primary defense. In fierce battles against overwhelming enemy forces, they hold their ground, sacrificing their lives to fulfill their mission and buying precious time until reinforcements can arrive.[4]
2020 Russian stamp dedicated to the Podolsk cadets’ (2020 film)
The film was shot at a specially built film complex "VoenFilm" in Medyn, where a village was built, pillboxes were dug, a river was built and filled with water, and part of the Varshavskoye Highway was dumped.[5] Historical consultants tried to achieve maximum reliability of what was shown, up to the reconstruction of the numbers of tanks and aircraft; in particular, Bezrukov's character is armed with a Thompson submachine gun, since such a weapon was found during excavations at the Ilyinsky border.
The supervisory board of the film project is headed by Viacheslav Fetisov.
Reception
Budget
The film's budget was 450 million rubles, of which 60 million were provided by the Ministry of Culture, the rest was allocated by investors, distributors and a film studio.[7]
The film received three awards at the 2021 Prague Independent Film Festival — Grand Prix, Best Director, Best Actor (Sergey Bezrukov) and Best Score.[8][9]
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