“Have you been here long?” quips laconic, seemingly un-killable Red Army soldier Fyodor to a man he’s just discovered buried up to the neck in the middle of the desert. Director Vladimir Motyl’s surreal action classic is arguably the most entertaining of the Soviet “Osterns” inspired by films like STAGECOACH, HIGH NOON and 1960s Spaghetti Westerns (and certainly by Kurosawa’s YOJIMBO as well.) Set during the Russian Civil War, the story follows Fyodor (Anatoliy Kuznetsov) tramping across the sands of Turkmenistan and desperate to get home to his wife — when he’s diverted into guarding a harem of Muslim women caught in a struggle between a renegade Red Army unit and local Basmachi guerillas led by Abdullah (Kakhi Kavsadze).

Filled with endlessly-quotable dialogue and song lyrics — “A knife is good for he who has it — and it’s bad for he who doesn’t at the right moment” and “No luck in dying, I’ll have luck in love” are two gems –, WHITE SUN is as visually striking as Leone’s A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS, with its resourceful hero waging a one-man battle against the bandit chieftain and his army. (It also has a surprisingly feminist theme with Fyodor encouraging the niqab-wearing women to take control of their destinies: “Comrade women, the revolution has set you free!” he exhorts them.) The best comparison, though, may be to Georgiy Daneliya’s sci-fi masterpiece Kin-Dza-Dza (also released by Deaf Crocodile): both films are about Everyman Russians trapped in alien desert landscapes, and rather than freaking out, responding in the most matter-of-fact ways to whatever misfortunes they encounter.

One of the most popular Soviet films ever made, WHITE SUN has been beautifully restored by Mosfilm for its first-ever U.S. Blu-ray release through Deaf Crocodile, in association with Seagull Films. In Russian with English subtitles.

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Video Quality

White Sun of the Desert debuts on Blu-Ray in its original 1.37:1 aspect ratio with a 1080p master derived from a fetching 2K restoration conducted by Mosfilm and translated to disc by Deaf Crocodile. This particular partnership has yielded some of our favorite releases in recent years, and this is another exquisite example of the care taken to produce a sterling viewing experience. The sweeping visuals capture the sprawling nature of the vast desert with impressive wonder. Key elements of the makeup work and production design look gorgeous in their clarity. The transfer shows off a robust amount of depth and enhanced detail throughout this intimidating terrain.

Colors are warm to match the locale, and they suit the target aesthetic of the feature. Black levels are sturdy with no major instances of black crush or compression artifacts. The contrast is ideal, and there is little in the way of print damage to be found thanks to the restoration efforts of Mosfilm. The cinematography wows in HD with natural grain intact that is finely resolved. There is an exceptional amount of detail present with prominent textures on the costumes and within the production design. Deaf Crocodile has translated this to disc with the skill for which they are well known.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray comes with a favorable DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mono track in the original Russian (with optional English subtitles). Dialogue comes through clearly without the environmental effects or the score overshadowing vital information. There are no signs of sibilance here, and the journey at the center of the narrative spotlights standout sonic characteristics that flourish in the speakers. The film deploys some creative sound effects and other unique notes that are given a respectable presence within the mix. The music comes through ideally in relation to the competing sounds. This track achieves a first-rate fidelity without damage or other unwanted issues. Deaf Crocodile has come through for fans.

Special Features

The Deluxe Edition Blu-Ray of White Sun of the Desert arrives in a hard slipcase package that is a beauty in person. The release also includes a 60-page bound book featuring essays by film historians Peter Rollberg and Walter Chaw. This provides great insight into the legacy of the film, the career of Vladimir Motyl, the themes of the film, the behind-the-scenes detail, and more in a thoughtfully written style. The on-disc special features are as follows:

Audio Commentary: Film scholar Rolf Giesen provides an informative commentary track in which he provides great context for Russian cinema of the time, the background of the creative figures, the tone of the film, the themes at hand, how Andrei Tarkovsky was considered to direct the film, and much more.

The Revolution Has Set You Free – White Sun of the Desert and the Soviet Red Western: A 16-minute visual essay from film historian Evan Chester that gives context to “Red Westerns” or Osterns, the background of Vladimir Motyl, the creation of the score, the careers of the performers, the tone of the film, and more.

Interview with Author Sergey Lavrentyev: A 59-minute interview with expert on Russian Red Westerns, author Sergey Lavrentyev, conducted by Dennis Bartok from Deaf Crocodile. The author discusses his background, the history of the Western genre in the Soviet Union, the difference between Osterns and Red Westerns, where this film fits into the history of Russian cinema, the influences from around the world, and more.

New 2025 Trailer (1:42)

Final Thoughts

White Sun of the Desert is a deeply entertaining pseudo-Western as processed through a Russian lens. The dry humor sneaks up on you and keeps you laughing while a multifaceted plot weaves throughout the background in ways that end up being very rewarding by the time you reach the end. The scale of the production is amazing, as you are immersed in this dusty world that rarely betrays the illusion of the manufactured reality. This one is deserving of a new life on physical media. Deaf Crocodile has released a Blu-Ray which sports an enjoyable A/V presentation and an invaluable assortment of special features. Recommended

White Sun of the Desert is currently available to purchase on Standard Edition Blu-Ray or with a Deluxe Edition Slipcase exclusively through Deaf Crocodile and DiabolikDVD.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Deaf Crocodile has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.

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