The Last Assault

1985 film

The Last Assault

Directed by| Sergiu Nicolaescu
Written by| Titus Popovici
Starring| George Alexandru

Release date

* 1985 (1985)

Running time

| 156 minutes
Country| Romania
Language| Romanian

The Last Assault (Romanian: Noi, cei din linia întâi; English: We, on the Front Lines) is a 1986 Romanian drama film directed by Sergiu Nicolaescu.[1] It is set during World War II, during the period when Romania joined the Allies against the Axis.

## Contents

* 1 Plot
* 2 Production
* 3 Reception
* 4 Cast
* 5 See also
* 6 References
* 7 External links

## Plot[edit]

Horia Lazăr (Alexandru) is an eager but inexperienced officer given a command of Romanian troops. His unit marches across Transylvania, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia, during which it suffers heavy casualties. Much of the second half of the film covers the Siege of Budapest, including German efforts to relieve it.

During the course of the war, Lazăr forms a relationship with Silvia (Onesa), the daughter of General Marinescu (played by Nicolaescu himself).

## Production[edit]

In lieu of working German tanks, T-34's with German markings and some modifications were used instead. Some of the filming took place at the Văcărești Monastery during March 1985. Damage was committed during the filming, the worst being a fracturing of a marble cross given by Constantine Mavrocordatos, one of the monastery's founders.[2]

Sergiu Nicolaescu wrote in his memoir that The Last Assault was the most censored of those films directed by him. The Leadership Council for Socialist Culture and Education forced the removal of a few key scenes: one involving violence committed by Hungarian soldiers; the removal of the Romanian Army from Budapest, on orders from Stalin, so that the Soviet Red Army could be the first to reach the Hungarian Parliament building; and the drama involving General Gheorghe Avramescu, who was accused by the Soviets of treason and was later executed (his daughter committed suicide while in detention).[3]

One scene involves a pianist found by Romanian troops within a bombed out home in Budapest; Nicolaescu claimed this as a reference to the story of Władysław Szpilman (who was actually in Warsaw), which was later dramatized in Roman Polanski's The Pianist.[4]

## Reception[edit]

The film was successful upon release. Many commented that The Last Assault felt like an American film, which Nicolaescu took as a compliment.[4] It was selected as the Romanian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 59th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.[5]

## Cast[edit]

* George Alexandru as Lt. Horia Lazăr
* Anda Onesa [ro] as Silvia Marinescu
* Valentin Uritescu as Sgt. Saptefrati
* Ion Besoiu as Col. Câmpeanu
* Ștefan Iordache as officer Assakurthy
* Sergiu Nicolaescu as General Marinescu
* Mircea Albulescu as Horia Lazăr's father
* Silviu Stănculescu as Soviet general
* Colea Răutu as Sgt. Pliushkin II
* Emil Hossu as soldier Munteanu, ex-political prisoner
* Vladimir Găitan as Soviet Lt. Igor Ivanich Bodnarenko
* Marian Culiniac [ro] as Cpl. Petre Mărgău, from Treznea
* Ion Siminie [ro] as German General Reinhardt, commander of an armored division
* Traian Costea [ro] as German Maj. Franz
* Vasile Muraru [ro] as soldier Petcu
* Stelian Stancu as Major Badiu, commander of the infantry regiment
* Eusebiu Ștefănescu as German tank commander
* Costel Băloiu [ro] as soldier Firu
* Bogdan Stanoevici [ro] as soldier Lică
* Geo Dobre [ro] as German Lt. Peter Ungwart
* Cristian Șofron [ro] as Romanian corporal

## See also[edit]

* List of submissions to the 59th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
* List of Romanian submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Noi, cei din linia întâi". Cinemagia. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
2. ^ Petcu, Adrian Nicolae (17 January 2010). "Mănăstirea Văcărești pe răbojul istoriei". Ziarul Lumina (in Romanian). Retrieved 18 February 2021.
3. ^ Nicolaescu, Sergiu (2011). Viață, destin și film (in Romanian) (2nd, revised ed.). București: Editura Universitară. pp. 144–145.
4. ^ a b "Noi cei din linia întâi". albafilmfest.ro (in Romanian). Archived from the original on 10 May 2017. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
5. ^ Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

## External links[edit]

* The Last Assault at IMDb

* v
* t
* e

Films directed by Sergiu Nicolaescu

* Dacii (1967)
* The Last of the Mohicans (1968)
* Kampf um Rom I (1968)
* Kampf um Rom II - Der Verrat (1969)
* Michael the Brave (1970)
* Cu mâinile curate (1972)
* Then I Sentenced Them All to Death (1972)
* Ultimul cartuș (1973)
* A Police Superintendent Accuses (1973)
* Nemuritorii (1974)
* Accident (1976)
* The Doom (1976)
* Uncle Marin, the Billionaire (1979)
* Mihail, câine de circ (1979)
* Capcana mercenarilor (1980)
* The Ring (1985)
* Ciuleandra (1985)
* The Last Assault (1985)
* Mircea (1989)
* Oglinda (1993)
* Orient Express (2004)
* Carol I (2009)

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