In 1944, a courageous group of Russian soldiers, led by young lieutenant Ivushkin, manage to escape from German captivity in a half destroyed legendary T-34 tank.

Sergei Eisenstein's landmark tale of Russia thwarting the German invasion of the 13th century was wildly popular and quite intentional, given the prevailing Nazi geopolitical advancement and destruction at the time. It can still be viewed as a masterful use of imagery and music, with the Battle on the Ice sequence as the obvious highlight. A great score by Prokofiev was effectively integrated by the Russian filmmaker, but stands on its own merit as well.