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The Elusive Avengers

The Elusive Avengers
Elusive Avengers poster.jpg
Film poster
Directed by Edmond Keosayan
Produced by Mosfilm
Written by Story:
Pavel Blyakhin
Script:
Edmond Keosayan
Sergei Yermolinsky
Starring Viktor Kosykh
Mikhail Metyolkin
Vasili Vasilyev
Valentina Kurdyukova
Yefim Kopelyan
Vladimir Treshchalov
Boris Sichkin
Inna Churikova
Saveli Kramarov
Music by Boris Mokrousov
Cinematography Fyodor Dobronravov
Edited by Lyudmila Yelyan
Distributed by Mosfilm
Release date
  • 29 April 1967 (1967-04-29)
Running time
78 min.
Country Soviet Union
Language Russian

The Elusive Avengers (Russian: Неуловимые мстители, translit. Neulovimye mstiteli) is a 1967 Soviet adventure film directed by Edmond Keosayan and made by Mosfilm. It is loosely based on the novel Little Red Devils by Pavel Blyakhin, under its original name. The film is an example of Ostern, set in Russian Civil War era Ukraine.

The film has spawned two sequels, The New Adventures of the Elusive Avengers (1968) and The Crown of the Russian Empire, or Once Again the Elusive Avengers (1971).

The film' is a version of a story about four youngsters who become heroes in the Russian Civil War. Danka, orphaned son of a Red agent, whose father was tortured and executed by the warlord Lyuty before his eyes, and his sister Ksanka join Valerka, a former schoolboy, and Yashka, a devil-may-care gypsy. They make a pledge of mutual assistance, determined to exact revenge on the bandits who are bringing so much suffering to peaceful villagers. The friends then embark on a series of daring adventures.

Meanwhile, strange things begin to happen to a band of outlaws led by the ruthless bandit Ataman Burnash. All his schemes seem to go wrong, sabotaged by unseen and unidentified enemies. The mischievous culprits always leave a note signed '- the Elusive Avengers', and are of course the four friends, who succeed by never forgetting their pledge of mutual assistance. They are so effective, in fact, that reports of their deeds are reaching the local division of the Red Army.

In a plot twist familiar to many Westerns such as For a Few Dollars More and the Japanese Yojimbo, Danka uses his anonymity to infiltrate the outlaws' gang and insinuate himself into Burnash's confidence, becoming his trusted right hand man. Unfortunately, Warlord Lyuty, whom Danka had thought he killed earlier, arrives at the Ataman's camp and accuses Danka; and when Lyuty's accusations are proven, it is up to the other three Avengers (well, mostly Yashka and Valerka) to get him out.


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Wikipedia

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