The Corporal and the Others

In the last days of World War II, a Hungarian army corporal, Molnár, deserts along with his battalion’s pay hidden in grenades. He finds refuge in an old castle with other deserters, also hiding there. Albert, the “noble” butler of Baron Drexler takes care of them. The deserters, now as heroic Hungarian soldiers, take over the guard of POW Szíjjártó. They set out to find some food, and on their way they save Grisha, a Soviet soldier, hiding in a forester’s house. They try to avoid both the Germans and the Soviets, but a troop of Hungarian fascists finally uncovers them. The pay, hidden in an oven, is burnt to ashes. Meanwhile, they get hold of the grenades, and when the Nazis are about to execute them, they fight back. Attempting escape, they fall into Soviet captivity, where they organize a partisan squad from their little group. Preoccupied only with saving his own life, Corporal Molnár walks out, and is replaced by Grisha in the squad. The partisans depart, the corporal taking the opposite direction, but changing his mind, he finally rejoins them. “The Russians are already in the larder…” – this legendary statement sounds familiar to all movie-freaks, and has made the film unforgettable. —hunniafilm.hu