Locomotive Breath in Siberia just after WW2

In 1945, a disgraced Red Army train engineer, Ignat (Vladimir Mashkov), is assigned to a Labor Camp in Siberia, which houses former Soviet POWs that Stalin assumed collaborated with the enemy and need "re-educated." His status immediately wins the affection of the in-house beauty (Yulia Peresild), but he sets his eyes on an abandoned steam engine cut off from use because of a washed-out bridge. The problem is a German refugee, Elsa (Anjorka Strechel), is using the locomotive, not to mention the damaged bridge.

Known as "The Edge" in North America, but also known as "Kray" (transliterated from Russian), this is a Russian flick with English subtitles. If you favor (generally) realistic films that deal with trains or the northern wilderness, such as "The Way Back," "Transsiberian," "Dr. Zhivago" and "Runaway Train," I recommend checking it out (a quality print is available free on Youtube).

The film dares to make a German female in postwar Russia a potential heroine and possible love interest. People forget that German citizens like her were just as much victims of the war, which is easy to overlook amidst the horror of Nazi invasion.

This is a superb adventure drama with authentic locations and steam engines. It's simultaneously brutal, adventurous, dramatic and amusing. Train lovers should eat it up.

It runs approximately 2 hours and was shot in Russia.