A two-part Soviet biographical drama that traces the nuclear arms race among the great powers during World War II and the early years of the Cold War. It opens with the meeting at the Elbe and the Potsdam Conference, then moves between the United States, Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union to show how each side tried to get ahead. The narrative follows scientists such as Igor Kurchatov as they face the moral dilemmas that come with their work.

How it was made

The project was handled entirely by Mosfilm, with no direct involvement from DEFA, although several East German actors were cast in German historical roles. Fritz Diez played Hitler and also Otto Hahn. For a nuclear explosion scene, special effects coordinator Samir Jaber, a Syrian citizen working for Mosfilm, settled after several tests on a method involving a drop of orange-tinted perfume released into a watery aniline solution and filmed in close-up.

Reception and legacy

The film won the Grand Prize at the 1975 Kishinev All-Union Film Festival. Talankin received the Silver Pyramid at the 1977 Cairo International Film Festival.

Stills

Trailer

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Trivia

One actor, two roles

Fritz Diez played Hitler on screen and also Otto Hahn, one of the physicists in the story.

An explosion made with perfume

The nuclear blast effect was achieved by dropping orange-tinted perfume into an aniline solution and filming it up close.

More films by Igor Talankin

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Original Cinematopedia text based on Wikipedia (en) and Wikidata.