Sorok pervyy / The Forty-First (1927)

The Forty-First is a 1927 Soviet silent film based on the eponymous novel by Boris Lavrenyov. The film is set during the Russian Civil War (1917–1922) and tells the story of a tragic romance between a female sniper of the Red Army and an officer of the White Army. In 1919, Maria, a sniper for the Red Army, misses her 41st target, Lt. Vadim Govorukha-Otrok of the White Army. Vadim is carrying important information from a White Army general, and Maria guards him until both are sent to Kazalinsk. Their ship capsizes, leaving them stranded on an island. They fall in love. When an army vessel arrives, Otrok recognizes them as White soldiers and intends to join them. Maria shoots him in the back, killing him. As she realizes he is dead, she runs into the sea and embraces his corpse. The film was remade in 1956 and released under the same title, The Forty-First.