Welcome back to Movie Recap. Today I'm gonna show you a 2020 Russian biographical film called,
AK-47. Spoilers ahead. Sit back, relax and enjoy the video.
The movie begins with two children running in a farmhouse and then a child who is working
something with the tree logs, as soon as the child sees the two other kids, the kid who was
doing something with the tree logs, run to the two other children and started playing.
In year 1941, there’s a war going on. It is chaotic as how you imagined it to be in a massive
war. Exchange of bombs and military gunshots are all over the place. Senior Lieutenant Gaponin is
shouting releasing instructions to his fellow soldiers but as soon as he commands his team to
do his instructions, a bomb is thrown at their machine gun truck. The Senior Lieutenant is
affected by the bomb explosion and while holding on to his ear, he saw a blood in his hands after.
Senior Lieutenant Gaponin still tries to get up and looks at the machine gun truck window
to check the situation and see what their next move can be. He then shouts saying,
“Turn Left! Turn Left!”. The military gun truck starts moving in the said direction.
As Senior Lieutenant Gaponin is commanding his team, he sees one of his fellow soldier
down inside the machine gun truck. The opponent continues to throw bombs at them so the Senior
Lieutenant commands the team to accelerate at full speed and show no mercy on the opponent.
A child is laying down in a bed the same as the Senior Lieutenant.
When the Senior Lieutenant opened his eyes, he’s looking at his surroundings and asked the lady who
approached him where his fellow soldiers at and if they were in a good condition.
Some soldiers are in a military truck and a bunch of soldiers are walking.
The lieutenant asked to stop the truck and the comrade captain asked him where
the 12th division is because he have been looking for them for half a day already.
The comrade captain tells the lieutenant to be careful as there are still some Germans around.
The military truck gets stuck in mud snow and the soldiers were trying to push the truck to get the
truck out of the mud snow. A man named Kalashnikov saw a village nearby and told the lieutenant about
it. They decided to spend some time there first since they couldn’t solve their problem with the
truck being stuck in a mud snow. The lieutenant asked for Kalashnikov’s name and he responded
“Sergeant Major Kalashnikov” and the lieutenant asked him for his real name
and Kalashnikov answered, “Mihail”. There then the lieutenant asked Kalashnikov to come with him.
They began to walk towards the village. While walking, an exchange of conversations
happened between Kalashnikov and the lieutenant. Kalashnikov asked if what the lieutenant carrying
is a machine gun. The lieutenant answered “Yes, it’s just gone out of production.”
“They say everyone will soon have this instead of rifle”. Kalashnikov asked how
does it beat and how much does it beat. The lieutenant answered “Only the devil knows”.
As they keep walking, the lieutenant hands Kalashnikov a gun in case somethings happens
and he also told Kalashnikov to keep a 50-meter distance from him.
When they reached the village, they saw two men come out of the house they’re heading towards.
The lieutenant pointed a gun at them from a far and the two men is shocked when they
saw the lieutenant. One of the men shouted “Johan! Johan! Behind you!” and a few more
men comes out from the houses in the village and started firing gunshots. The lieutenant
got a shot on his chest but Kalashnikov shot the man who did it to the lieutenant.
Kalashnikov runs quickly to the lieutenant to check if he’s alive
and was relieved when he found out the lieutenant didn’t lose consciousness.
The horse is pulling a bunk bed where they are at while heading back to the truck. Kalashnikov’s
trying to analyze something about a weapon he is holding. The lieutenant asked if Kalashnikov
knows what he’s holding, why he knows and does he understands it as well. Kalashnikov said
that he practices them and he invents as well. The lieutenant’s surprised to know about it and asked
Kalashnikov some of the things he invents. They head back to where the truck was and
they finally got it out of the mud snow and they started their journey going to their destination.
A letter is sent to Mikhail’s family explaining what happened to him and why he left his area.
A lot of people are gathered in the train station to try and get a chance to have a ride.
A man saw Mikhail with his injured left hand so he called him to get in the train.
An exchange of conversation happened between Mikhail and a man in the train. The first few
conversations are about their hometown until it reached the question of what their work is.
The man asked for Kalashnikov’s work and Kalashnikov showed the man what he’s trying
to invent which is an automatic machine gun. The man’s astounded by the inventions of Kalashnikov
and told him that their homeland needs him with such inventions to protect their health.
A flashback of the life of Kalashnikov when he was young was shown. He was so
passionate and creative in inventing a gun. When Kalashnikov arrived into Matai station,
he bumped into a man who’s named Pavel Andreevich who he used to work and serve for 38 years.
Kalashnikov’s trying to approach Pavel to talk to him but Pavel is busy and has
to be in the phone to talk to someone else. Kalashnikov goes to the office of Pavel and
told him that they need to invent a good machine gun since they are densely behind the weapons of
the Germans. Kalashnikov proposed the automatic machine gun he’s been working on for quite some
time now but Pavel refuses since he already remember Kalashnikov and his inventions back then
that cause a danger to the inspector while firing the gun and put Pavel’s job at stake before.
He then just asked Kalashnikov to get out of his office.
Kalashnikov got out the office feeling discouraged.
Kalashnikov saw comrade colonel going down the train and he runs after him.
Kalashnikov respectfully asked the comrade colonel to hear what he’s about to say
and the comrade colonel listened to him. Just like applying for a job, Kalashnikov told about
his experiences in the military such as how many tank trucks he has already destroyed and being
in the forefront for several years, he told what strategy, machines and weapons they must have in
order to outsmart the Germans. Kalashnikov told comrade colonel about the automatic machine gun.
With his injured hand, Kalashnikov persists in making the automatic machine gun into reality.
He works non-stop to make it possible. But despite his hard work and dedication
to invent it to help his homeland, Pavel refuses to accept this plan of Kalashnikov.
While Kalashnikov is working on his automatic machine gun,
a bunch of men came to him to confirm if he needs help because they were sent to help Kalashnikov.
Kalashnikov’s surprised because Pavel just told him that he just couldn’t ask help from these men
but the machine level operator clarified that they can help him after their work.
Kalashnikov’s delighted to hear this news and so they started working on the automatic machine gun.
After a while, the automatic machine gun is already made so they started testing it.
Kalashnikov and the few other men who helped is satisfied with its firing outcome.
One day, Kalashnikov arrived in Kazakhstan and is looking for Colonel Basarov to show what he has
just made but he got locked up and his automatic machine gun is taken because they thought that
Kalashnikov he threatened the commander. The commander who took the automatic machine gun
brought it to someone to inspect and test them. They were surprised how great and effective the
automatic machine gun was so they went back to the headquarters and freed Kalashnikov.
The colonel is impressed with Kalashnikov’s invention but he reminded him that he has
to compete with other arms designers. In order for his rifle to be produced, he has to win the
competition. Kalashnikov’s now advise to improve precision and facilitate construction thus,
he was undeniably happy about it. Things have been in Kalashnikov’s
favor as when the day of the testing of his proposed automatic machine gun came,
the general is honestly impressed about his invention to the point that it made
the general decide to send Kalashnikov to a federal contest as a representative of their
district and will send a personal recommendation for Kalashnikov.
The general told Kalashnikov to not disappoint him because he’s truly impressed with his creativity
so he believes in him a lot. A celebration to honor Kalashnikov’s greatness was held after.
When a new person always gets to see Kalashnikov’s gun, they make fun of it and discredit what he has
done due to the fact that it was just handmade. Arrived in Moscow, Kalashnikov was sent to where
he will have his education to study to and to be trained. The general in Moscow asked for
Kalashnikov’s drawing but he doesn’t have it so the general asked him to work on it.
A lady named Ekaterina Moiseeva is asked to help Kalashnikov with the drawings.
She accepts the additional work but she sets a condition with Kalashnikov which is no harassment.
Ekaterina came as agreed and starts helping Kalashnikov with his drawings.
After a few days of sketching the automatic machine gun, the drawing’s finally done.
Kalashnikov’s really grateful for the help of Ekaterina and he doesn’t know how she could
pay her for the work she’s done. Kalashnikov runs fast in his room to give the sugar as a payment.
Kalashnikov and Ekaterina went to a ball that night. A sergeant asked Ekaterina to dance with
him but she replied that isn’t it right to ask for her knight’s permission first but
the sergeant refused to do it because he thinks Kalashnikov wouldn’t mind so they went to center
and dance together. Ekaterina thanked Kalashnikov that he allowed her to dance with the sergeant.
The two are on their way home when the sergeant asked to accompany Ekaterina on the way home
but Kalashnikov angrily refuses out of jealousy. Ekaterina got mad at Kalashnikov for doing it.
Kalashnikov still persists to accompany Ekaterina home. A small exchange of conversation happened
between the two of them once they reached Ekaterina’s place asking Kalashnikov about what’s
going to happen if he doesn’t win the competition. Ekaterina also wish Kalashnikov a good luck.
Kalashnikov was given a new assignment which is to start working in Kazakhstan and as he
leaves the place, he saw Ekaterina from a window and glance at her for a few seconds.
Kalashnikov is sent back to Kazakhstan as he failed with his mission in Moscow which is
to win the competition. He then continues to improve and work on his invention because of
the trust that was given to him by the colonel. In the train station, a man was surprised to see
Kalashnikov and it turns out to be his brother. Both of them are surprised to see each other
in an unexpected place. As the comrade captain approached and asked Kalashnikov who that man was,
he said that it’s someone he doesn’t know. While on the train, the comrade captain
offered to have a drink with Kalashnikov but Kalashnikov rejects the drink.
He then asks Kalashnikov why a front soldier don’t want to have a drink with an officer like him.
He then concluded that Kalashnikov could be an enemy to him. A worse enemy than Germans.
It is raining hard when the two of them are walking in the forest while carrying the gun
suitcase. They’ve been walking for quite some time already when the comrade captain realize
that they might be going the wrong way. He then told Kalashnikov that he has just intentionally
did it so he got mad. He asked who Kalashnikov is and hands out a gun after. The comrade captain
pushes Kalashnikov to the ground and he walks toward Kalashnikov to check if he’s alive.
Kalashnikov outwit the comrade captain by not responding to pretend that he’s dead so when the
comrade captain reached him, he quickly punches the comrade captain and steals the gun from him.
Kalashnikov told the comrade captain who he is and the story about his brother which Kalashnikov’s
grateful for the comrade captain because he’s the reason why his brother is alive.
On a bright afternoon, Kalashnikov surprised Ekaterina. He threw a stone at her window to
catch Ekaterina’s attention which surprised her to see Kalashnikov outside her window.
They went to the field and when they came home at night, Ekaterina hugs Kalashnikov.
Kalashnikov hugs her back and kissed her. It just shows how much they missed each other.
As they lay down on the bed, Ekaterina is smiling while looking at a sleeping Kalashnikov.
The next day, the improved machine gun is tested. The results were out and none of
the submitted submachine gun samples will be accepted for production since non meet
the technical requirements. The competition may have been over but the finalists still have the
chance to continue to work on new weapon models. Kalashnikov’s disappointment led him to ask the
comrade doctor to write that he is suitable. The doctor asked to stretch out Kalashnikov’s fist.
The comrade doctor just told him to go away because he failed the physical test as well.
The commander had a conversation with Kalashnikov and encourages him because
a lot of people are still believing in him. Kalashnikov visited at Ekaterina’s place.
Both of them did not expect that Ekaterina’s mom would visit as well.
Taking the perfect time to ask Ekaterina to marry him, he then asked for Ekaterina’s
mom’s permission to marry her daughter. Come the day after Kalashnikov asked
Ekaterina to marry him, people were shouting victory in the quarters. It is because they win
the Great Homeland War. Kalashnikov went to the Comrade Colonel’s office with his submachine gun.
Kalashnikov asked the Comrade Colonel if are they just going throw the gun away after putting so
much effort into it. The Comrade Colonel cut him off and hand Kalashnikov a letter saying that the
Commander-in-Chief provided armies and fleets with the most advanced shooting weapon but the good
news is that Kalashnikov could continue working on his guns and he now have a department to lead.
A sergeant who Kalashnikov had a competition before came to his department and commend
him for his progress. He then informed that there will be a new submachine gun
competition that will happen in the future and they will compete with each other again.
Kalashnikov goes to Kowrow to improve his submachine gun. There he met a guy named
Zaitsev Alexander who he will be working with him for a couple weeks in improving the gun.
Kalashnikov adapted Sudayev’s idea in making the gun as simple as possible. After they are done
with improving the gun, Kalashnikov wanted to test it even if other inventor’s gun is being tested at
that time. He persisted even if he knows it’s not allowed but this is one of Kalashnikov’s strategy.
He continued to test his gunshots for him to be sent to the General Companion’s office.
The General Companion remembers Kalashnikov even if he doesn’t win the competition back in 1943.
He stated that he’s still impressed with Kalashnikov’s work.
This led to the General Companion wanting to see his improved submachine gun. Kalashnikov’s afraid
to show it to him because he might steal his brilliant ideas. Kalashnikov showed his improved
submachine gun to the General Companion and just like before, he’s still impressed with his work.
He is very impressed in the submachine gun details of Kalashnikov. He then said it might not be a
good idea to send the General Companion’s rifle. Come the day of the testing of Kalashnikov’s
rifle. It is a victorious moment that everything’s working fine on the day of
the testing and this resulted to Kalashnikov’s submachine gun being accepted as one of the
perfectly fine weapons that Russia will be using in the future. After a long time of proposing,
improving and making the submachine gun, all of Kalashnikov’s effort paid off and
what a great surprise as well that Ekaterina’s pregnant with Kalashnikov being the father.
His invention made him to be recognized as one of the young great inventor their land has.
It was then named AK-47. Kalashnikov was given a recognition for this and the Colonel rewarded
him a vacation to see his mom. The movie ends with Kalashnikov and his family going
on a vacation to see the mom of Kalashnikov who he hasn’t seen for more than a decade.