It Was In May

It Was In May

Year: 1970

Runtime: 110 mins

Language: Russian

Director: Marlen Khutsiyev

DramaWar

Days after Germany’s unconditional surrender, a detachment of Soviet soldiers is assigned to a seemingly untouched farmyard. The quiet rural setting masks a chilling reality, and the Red Army troops soon uncover the full horror of Nazi terror hidden within, confronting the brutal legacy of the war.

Melancholic
Bittersweet ending
Emotionally heavy
High intensity
Slow pacing
Moderate complexity

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Timeline & Setting – It Was In May (1970)

Explore the full timeline and setting of It Was In May (1970). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

May 1945

Set in the immediate postwar period, the film juxtaposes the end of the Great Patriotic War with the unsettled, memory-haunted landscape of rural Europe. The soldiers discuss their futures and the cost of war as they encounter former prisoners and confront the past. The time frame anchors the story in a moment of transition from victory to reckoning.

Location

Rashke's farm, Abandoned mansion, Nearby town

The primary setting centers on Rashke’s farm, a rural estate used as temporary Soviet lodging after the war. An abandoned nearby mansion serves as a gathering place for the soldiers, while the surrounding area hints at a recently liberated but unsettled landscape. The night-time stay on the farm underscores the uneasy coexistence between the occupiers and the locals in the immediate postwar period.

🏡 Rural farm 🪖 Postwar occupation 🕯️ Ghosts of the past

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:18

Main Characters – It Was In May (1970)

Meet the key characters of It Was In May (1970), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Lieutenant Nikolaev

Soviet reconnaissance unit leader who maintains outward control while internalizing the war’s horrors. He anchors the group’s discipline but is forced to navigate a moral line when fear and memory threaten to overwhelm order.

⚔️ Military 🤔 Moral Dilemma

Rashke

Wealthy German pig farmer who appears friendly to the Soviet soldiers but is haunted by a brutal past, including crimes against Rashke’s own family’s prisoners. He and his family disappear at night, hinting at a shadowy history that refuses to stay buried.

🏡 Rural figure 🕯️ Secrets of the past

Stefan

Polish former prisoner who recounts the horrors of the camp and Rashke’s brutality. He describes the gas chambers and the brutal exploitation his wife Katarzyna endured before her execution, making him a witness to the war’s cruelty.

🇵🇱 Polish survivor 🕯️ Trauma

Katarzyna

Stefan’s wife, torn from her family by Rashke’s exploitation, driven to madness by hunger, and eventually sent to the camp where she was executed. Her story embodies the human cost of wartime exploitation.

🇵🇱 Polish victim 🕯️ Victims of brutality

German engineer

A German engineer who speaks Russian and reflects on wartime betrayals. He recounts his wife receiving a bill for the execution of his brother, lamenting the way ordinary Germans were affected by the political machinery of the time.

🇩🇪 German engineer 💬 War guilt

Unnamed German prisoner (with dogs)

An additional former prisoner who mutters in German and recalls the guard dogs, portraying the lingering fear and trauma of the camp’s brutality.

🇩🇪 Camp survivor 🕯️ Trauma

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:18

Major Themes – It Was In May (1970)

Explore the central themes of It Was In May (1970), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🕯️ Memory

Memory and guilt shape the soldiers' perceptions as they listen to Stefan’s recount of Rashke’s crimes and the camp horrors. The past intrudes on the present, turning the farm into a site where the echoes of gas chambers and executions linger. The film probes responsibility and complicity in wartime violence, showing how memories both haunt and reveal truths.

🤔 Moral Dilemma

The soldiers’ attempts to pursue Rashke test their discipline as fear and anger threaten to override orders. Nikolaev’s insistence on calm contrasts with the men’s volatile reactions to Rashke’s past. The film questions whether wartime duties justify cruelty, and whether truth-telling can coexist with survival.

🏚️ Haunted Places

The deserted concentration camp and its furnace rooms haunt the characters, turning spaces of quiet postwar life into memorials of violence. Thick walls and vents symbolize the erasure of humanity under tyranny and the persistence of memory. The setting heightens the sense of dread and reminds the audience that place shapes moral weight.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:18

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Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Movies about the aftermath of war like It Was In May

Stories that explore the heavy silence and moral debris left in the wake of conflict.If you were moved by the contemplative and heavy atmosphere of It Was In May, this thread gathers similar films that explore the post-war period. These movies focus on the lingering trauma, moral reckoning, and quiet struggles of survival after the fighting has ended, offering a sobering look at the true cost of conflict.

somberreflectivegrimhauntinghistoricaloppressivemeditative

Narrative Summary

Narratives in this thread typically follow characters—soldiers, civilians, or communities—as they navigate a world shattered by war. The central conflict is often internal or social, revolving around processing trauma, uncovering hidden atrocities, and facing the moral ambiguity of survival. The plot is driven by discovery and reflection rather than external action.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped together because they share a specific setting and thematic focus. They prioritize a melancholic tone, slow pacing, and high emotional weight to convey the oppressive silence and unresolved pain that defines the post-war experience, creating a cohesive vibe of somber historical reflection.

Movies about uncovering dark truths like It Was In May

A slow, grim discovery of historical crimes that forces a moral confrontation.For viewers who appreciated the chilling discovery narrative in It Was In May, this collection features films with a similar pattern. These stories involve a slow, deliberate investigation that leads to the uncovering of horrific events, forcing characters and the audience to confront deeply disturbing truths about history and human nature.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern follows a journey of investigation or accidental discovery. Characters, often outsiders or newcomers, piece together clues in a subdued environment, leading to a climax that reveals the full scale of a hidden horror. The emotional journey is one of increasing unease shifting to profound shock and sorrow.

Why These Movies?

These movies are linked by a specific plot mechanism and emotional arc. They share a slow-burn structure that builds tension through atmosphere rather than action, leading to a devastating reveal. The combination of high tension, high sadness, and a melancholic, bittersweet tone creates a powerfully coherent and unsettling viewing experience.

Unlock the Full Story of It Was In May

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It Was In May Summary

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It Was In May Summary

It Was In May Timeline

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It Was In May Timeline

More About It Was In May

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It Was In May (1970) Plot Summary & Movie Recap

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It Was In May (1970) Spoiler-Free Summary & Key Flow