''Pirates of the 20th Century'' (russian: Пираты XX века, translit. ''Piraty XX veka'') is a 1980 Soviet

action Action may refer to: * Action (narrative), a literary mode * Action fiction, a type of genre fiction * Action game, a genre of video game Film * Action film, a genre of film * ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford * ''Action'' (1980 fil ...

adventure film An adventure film is a form of adventure fiction, and is a genre of film. Subgenres of adventure films include swashbuckler films, pirate films, and survival films. Adventure films may also be combined with other film genres such as action, an ...

about modern

piracy Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...

. The film was directed by

Boris Durov Boris Valentinovich Durov (russian: Борис Валентинович Дуров; 12 March 1937 – 5 April 2007) was a Soviet and Russian film director and screenwriter. His 1979 action film '' Pirates of the 20th Century'' became the highest- ...

, the story was written by Boris Durov and

Stanislav Govorukhin Stanislav Sergeyevich Govorukhin (russian: Станислав Сергеевич Говорухин; 29 March 1936 – 14 June 2018) was a Soviet Union, Soviet and Russians, Russian film director, actor, screenwriter, producer and politician. He w ...

. The film was the leader of Soviet distribution in 1980 and had 87.6 million viewers. It was the highest grossing domestically produced film in the Soviet Union.

Plot

The film begins with a convoy of military vehicles rolling into a seaport located somewhere in Middle East in the bank of

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

or Pacific Ocean and stopping near the pier where the Soviet cargo ship ''Nezhin'' is anchored. An agent of a local pharmaceutical company meets the captain of the Soviet vessel and discusses the cargo, medical

opium Opium (or poppy tears, scientific name: ''Lachryma papaveris'') is dried latex obtained from the seed capsules of the opium poppy ''Papaver somniferum''. Approximately 12 percent of opium is made up of the analgesic alkaloid morphine, which i ...

, which is in critical demand by the hospitals of the USSR. Soon after that the pharmaceutical company agent is seen inside a car, speaking to someone via

walkie-talkie A walkie-talkie, more formally known as a handheld transceiver (HT), is a hand-held, portable, two-way radio transceiver. Its development during the Second World War has been variously credited to Donald Hings, radio engineer Alfred J. Gross, ...

. Later the MV ''Nezhin'', with the opium on board, leaves port for

Vladivostok Vladivostok ( rus, Владивосто́к, a=Владивосток.ogg, p=vɫədʲɪvɐˈstok) is the largest city and the administrative center of Primorsky Krai, Russia. The city is located around the Zolotoy Rog, Golden Horn Bay on the Sea ...

.Russian Learning Scenario: Pirates of the 20th Century
/ref> Some distance into the voyage, a watchman cries "

man overboard "Man overboard!" is an exclamation given aboard a vessel to indicate that a member of the crew or a passenger has fallen off of the ship into the water and is in need of immediate rescue. Whoever sees the person's fall is to shout, "Man overboa ...

" and the captain orders the engines stopped to rescue the stranded swimmer. The boat from ''Nezhin'' picks up an Asian man who identifies himself as Salekh, the only surviving sailor from a foreign merchant ship. Salekh told the crew that his ship suddenly capsized during a heavy storm and his crewmates were fighting for places in rescue boats. Shortly after that the Soviet captain is informed of an unknown ship, drifting nearby. The ship, called the ''Mercury'', is apparently abandoned, with no crew visible and no activity on deck. The captain of the ''Nezhin'' decides to send four men to explore the ship and offer assistance to possible survivors. However, the abandoned ship turns out to be a

trap A trap is a mechanical device used to capture or restrain an animal for purposes such as hunting, pest control, or ecological research. Trap or TRAP may also refer to: Art and entertainment Films and television * ''Trap'' (2015 film), Fil ...

for the Soviets. Occupied with the ''Mercury'', none of the Russian crewmen pays any attention to Salekh, who takes an axe from the ship's firefighting kit, enters the radio room of the ''Nezhin'', and attacks a radio operator, killing him. After Salekh destroys the ship's radio equipment, the Mercury starts her engines and approaches the ''Nezhin''. At that moment, the ''Nezhins crew see the bodies of the boarding party, floating in the water behind the Mercury. The Soviet captain realizes that his ship is under attack by pirates. Their attempt to escape is foiled when the ''Mercury'' rams the ship and the pirates open fire with assault rifles and machine guns. The pirates board the ''Nezhin'', brutally killing Russian crew members who fight them. Sergey, the chief-mate of the ''Nezhin'', discovers the dead radio operator and decides to find Salekh. Chasing Salekh through the corridors of the ship, Sergey makes an attempt to stop him. Salekh shows impressive martial arts skills and quickly defeats the chief-mate. Soon after, the pirates lock the remaining Russians into crew compartments and begin to offload the opium to the ''Mercury''. The pirate captain thanks Salekh for a successful mission and orders him to blow up the ''Nezhin'' together with her crew. The Soviets, left to die on a sinking ship, manage to escape and must fight the pirates for survival.

Cast

Nikolai Yeremenko Jr. Nikolai Nikolaevich Yeremenko Jr. ( be, Мікалай Мікалаевіч Яроменка (малодшы), (russian: Никола́й Никола́евич Ерёменко-мла́дший; 14 February 1949 — 27 May 2001) was a Soviet and ...

as Sergey Sergeyevich (

Chief Engineer A chief engineer, commonly referred to as "ChEng" or "Chief", is the most senior engine officer of an engine department on a ship, typically a merchant ship, and holds overall leadership and the responsibility of that department..Chief engineer's ...

) *

Pyotr Velyaminov Pyotr Sergeevich Velyaminov (russian: Пётр Серге́евич Вельями́нов; 1926–2009) was a Soviet Russian film and theater actor who was awarded the title People's Artist of the RSFSR. Commander of Order "For Merit to the Fat ...

as Ivan Ilych (Soviet Captain) *

Talgat Nigmatulin Talgat Kadyrovich Nigmatulin ( tt-Latn, Təlğət Qadıyr uğlı Niğmətulin, russian: Талга́т Кады́рович Нигмату́лин; 5 March 1949, in Kyzyl-Kiya – 11 February 1985, in Vilnius) was a famous Soviet actor and mart ...

as Salekh *

Rein Aren Rein Aren (25 December 1927 Tartu – 16 May 1990 Tallinn) was an Estonian actor. In 1951 he graduated from GITIS' Estonian studio. From 1946 until 1949, he was a choir singer and ballet dancer at Vanemuine theatre. From 1951 until 1972, and aga ...

as Captain of Pirates * Dilorom Kambarova as Island girl *

Natalya Khorokhorina Natalya Nikolaevna Khorokhorina (russian: Ната́лья Николаевна Хорохо́рина; Kharakhorina (russian: Харахорина); born in 1954) is a Soviet and Russian film and stage actress. Biography Natalya Nikolaevna ...

as Mascha *

Igor Kashintsev Igor Konstantinovich Kashintsev (russian: Игорь Константинович Кашинцев;Bosun A boatswain ( , ), bo's'n, bos'n, or bosun, also known as a deck boss, or a qualified member of the deck department, is the most senior rate of the deck department and is responsible for the components of a ship's hull. The boatswain supervi ...

* Maija Eglīte as Aina * Alexander Bespaly as Chief mate * Viktor Zhiganov as Igor Stetsenko * Georgy Martirosyan as Georgiy Kluyev * Leonid Trutnev as Radio operator * Vladimir Smirnov as Political commissar * Viktor Gordeyev as Yura Mikosha * Vladimir Yepiskoposyan as Bearded pirate * Farkhat Aminov

References

External links

* *{{IMDb title, 0151987
USSR Blockbuster: 20th Century Pirates
1980 films 1980s action adventure films 1980s Russian-language films Gorky Film Studio films 1980 martial arts films Pirate films Soviet action adventure films Films directed by Boris Durov

Plot

Cast

See also

References

External links