AllMovie

The best thing about this joint Soviet-East German World War II drama is the exceptional score by famous Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich. Otherwise, the tale is a somewhat banal recitation of the rescue of art works just after the fire-bombing of Dresdan in 1945. Taking the lead in saving these valuable masterpieces is the Soviet army, in close association with the Germans. The objective, in this 1960's interpretation of Soviet-(East) German relations is to promote as much propaganda as can be crammed into 103 minutes of running time.