The Commander of the Lucky ‘Pike’ (1973) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language

1973 · 101 mins · Russian

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Directed by

Boris Volchek

Starring

Donatas Banionis, Vladimir Ivanov, Konstantin Raykin, Valentina Berezutskaya, Pyotr Velyaminov, Vladimir Kashpur

Set in the polar waters of 1942 as the Germans move to seize Murmansk, the Soviet submarine Sch‑721 is famed as “Lucky Pike.” Its resourceful captain Aleksei Strogov devises daring periscope‑free torpedo tactics despite superiors’ doubt. When the Pike must rescue the crew of a stranded Soviet sub trapped on the seafloor with dwindling oxygen, Strogov leads a harrowing operation that saves the men but costs him his own life.