

The Ascent
During a freezing WWII winter, two Soviet partisans on a mission to gather food contend with the temperature, the occupying Germans, and their own psyches.
TMDB
7.9/10
263 votes
IMDb
Not rated yet
View on IMDb
- Status
- Released
- Budget
- —
- Box office
- —
- Language
- German
- based on novel or book
- winter
- world war ii
- soviet union
- snow
- torture
- bullet wound
- partisan
- hanged man
- death
- nazi collaborationism
- wounded soldier
Top billed cast
















Behind the camera
Director
Writers
Music
Produced in
Soviet Union
Where to watch
All optionsAvailability for United States. Provided by JustWatch through the TMDB API.
Gallery












Videos
Release dates
United StatesUS
- PremiereChicago International Film Festival1 Oct 1977
- PremiereSeattle International Film Festival14 May 1978
- TheatricalNew York City, New York22 Dec 1978
CanadaCA
- PremiereToronto International Film Festival15 Sept 1977
BrazilBR
- Theatrical (limited)14IMS Paulista ("O Cinema de Larisa Shepitko," 4K Restoration)12 Sept 2026
FranceFR
- PremiereTPParis Film Festival23 Nov 1977
- Theatrical19 Mar 1980
- PremiereParis Russian Film Festival8 Mar 2024
- TheatricalRe-release (Restored 4K Version)29 May 2024
GermanyDE
- PremiereBerlin International Film Festival1 Jun 1977
- TheatricalEast Germany28 Oct 1977
- TVWest Germany18 Jul 1978
PortugalPT
- PremiereFestival Internacional de Cinema de Santarém16 Nov 1977
- PremiereLisboa, Semana do Cinema Soviético25 Jan 1978
- PremierePorto, Semana do Cinema Soviético15 Mar 1978
- Theatrical26 Oct 1979
- Theatrical (limited)Porto, Cineclube do Porto28 Feb 1982
- TheatricalRe-release20 Oct 1984
- TheatricalRe-release13 May 2016
RussiaSU
- Theatrical2 Apr 1977
Frequently asked questions
The Ascent was released on 2 April 1977.
Audience reviews
1- C7/10
CinemaSerf
12/15/2024
This starts and finishes with the same shot - a freezing cold snowscape peppered with a few telegraph poles amidst a wilderness that the Soviet population were prepared to to die to protect from the invading Nazis. Two Red Army partisans are doing their best to frustrate their enemy whilst combating the brutality of the terrain and the climate. "Sotnikov" (Boris Plotnikov) and "Rybak" (Vladimir Gostyukhin) are out fo…
Member reviews
Sign in to rate and review. Browsing stays free and open.
Sign inMember comments
0Sign in to post a comment. Browsing stays free and open.
Sign in











