On May 6, 2022, an ordinary open-air drive-in cinema in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, had a very special day, as it was a day when the silent cinemas were overcrowded.
Most of the people sitting in the car were older couples, who had come to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the film Walter Defending Sarajevo.
In addition, the film was re-screened in many cinemas in Sarajevo, where Walter Defends Sarajevo was filmed. The museum in the city center also held a grand commemorative event.
Even the staff of the Chinese Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina went to the filming location to pay tribute to the film and the historical events embodied at the time.
This film was released in China 45 years ago, as a war film of the former Yugoslavia, although it cut some plots when it was released, it still caused a sensation in the mainland at that time, and it was a classic praised by everyone.
So what exactly is Walter about in Sarajevo, and why has it been remembered by many people until now?
Yugoslav war films caused a sensation in China
In 1972, the film "Walter Defends Sarajevo" was screened at the famous Skender Cultural Center in Sarajevo, and on the first day of its release, it was enthusiastically followed by local citizens, and it immediately became a global hit.
Although this is only a spy action movie, its protagonists and locations are archetypal. Sarajevo is the capital of Bosnia, as well as its economic and political center.
After World War II, Sarajevo also experienced many ups and downs. Sarajevo was once the capital of Yugoslavia. Sarajevo is a beautiful landscape surrounded by mountains. Although the geographical area is small, many historical events have occurred here.
It was here that the fuse of the First World War was born. The movie "Walter Defends Sarajevo" mainly tells the story of a guerrilla leader who, with his excellent personal ability and the help of the partisans who traveled with him, succeeded in exposing the enemy's conspiracy and gave them a great victory.
As for why Walter Defends Sarajevo is so popular with so many people, first of all, we need to understand the context in which the story takes place.
After the end of World War I, Sarajevo became part of Yugoslavia. After the war, the country did not prosper as much as it had developed before.
In 1941, after the German Nazis invaded Yugoslavia, they bombed Sarajevo as a direct target. Thus began the city in its darkest hour. Especially in 1943 and 1944, they were bombed by the Allies, and people's lives were destroyed.
In this chaotic period, the German fascists were actually besieged, the people of Sarajevo became more and more courageous in the resistance, and the Soviet and Allied forces became more and more heroic.
There were many local partisan groups in Sarajevo, and their combination kept the German army under layer after layer.
For Germany, which was already about to fail, the only area they could control was on the Danube. They needed to withdraw their troops from Yugoslavia and Greece, but the fuel prepared by their troops themselves could not support them back to Berlin.
In the middle, they also need to rely on Sarajevo's fuel to ensure that they have enough fuel for the future. Therefore, in order to be able to carry out a thorough withdrawal, the German army drew up a secret plan called "Operation Laufer".
If this plan is to be carried out in a foolproof manner, it is necessary to prevent the local guerrillas from obstructing them.
Among them, the most famous partisan leader among the people of Sarajevo was Walter. The German army put a lot of effort into being able to arrest the partisan leader, and they even spent a year in Sarajevo, arresting and interrogating more than 100 members. But not only did they not even know Walter's identity, but they also didn't know what he really looked like.
Thinking of this, the Germans decided to ask their captain Condell to use this opportunity to pretend to be Walter and contact the partisans to find out what was going on inside them.
In order to be recognized for his identity, Condell actively participated in local struggles many times, and even cooperated with the German army to show his combat ability and coordination ability.
In addition, the partisans had the eyes of the Germans in the first place, so Condell quickly gained the trust of the partisans and quickly broke into their interior.
In the aftermath of the operation, Condell used illusions to confuse the partisans, causing many obstacles to their plans.
Soon, one defeat after another attracted the attention of other partisan leaders. So they decided to not only dig up the fake captain, but also catch the traitors who connected with Condell.
At the same time, Condell is looking for the real Walter. When Condell learns that only one guerrilla knows Walter's true identity, he also carries out his own plan, and the only partisan who knows Walter's identity becomes the target of contention.
In the process of finding the real Walter, the partisans experienced many casualties and many defeats, and the frenzied German army did not hesitate to use more people's lives as bait in order to find the real Walter.
In the end, thanks to Walter's efforts and the cooperation of all the Sarajevo partisans, they finally caught the traitor and sabotaged Operation Laufer, and won the final victory.
"Walter Defends Sarajevo" was a hit
And after this movie was released in China, it became popular all over the country. Movie posters, villain books, and various commemorative photos on the streets and alleys became a popular trend at that time.
At the same time, documentaries, TV shows, and museums related to movies are all very popular, and some artists have even forged the label of a widely circulated Chinese-made Walter beer.
Various goods related to the movie are also very popular with the people, such as a 90-page hero comic book specially drawn by hand.
When the People's Fine Arts Publishing House introduced it to China, it became one of the most successful comic book books at that time, and it was sold out as soon as it was released, becoming a hot book. In 2014, it distributed more than 8 million copies in China. It can be seen how popular "Walter Defends Sarajevo" in China.
However, some viewers who have watched the TV version of this film said that in fact, the film version released in the mainland deleted many scenes and lasted more than 20 minutes.
This is also the reason why some clips seem incoherent, but the overall did not have a great impact on the movie, so it still does not affect the popularity of the movie in the mainland.
At the same time, as the male protagonist of the film, he also came to China many times for activities. Just in 2017, the People's Publishing House also published a book dedicated to his starring role. In addition, the actor has also met with Chinese guests who have arrived here in Serbia many times.
The patriotic feelings conveyed by this film to bravely resist foreign invaders cannot help but be deeply engraved in the hearts of the leading actors, and have also become the memory of a generation of Chinese.
The most important thing is that the main character in this movie has a prototype, and that is Vladimir Perich.
Prototype Vladimir Perridge
Peric was born in Serbia in December 1919. In 1939 he joined the Communist Party of Yugoslavia. Just a year later, he came to Sarajevo to work.
At the time of the Nazi invasion of Germany, Perici became the most heroic member of the Sarajevo underground guerrillas, and his main responsibility was to rally the workers into the movement.
In 1942, Peric joined the partisans, and although he was only in his 20s, he was already quite experienced. He led his troops to fight the Germans many times, and the results were remarkable.
In 1943, he returned to Sarajevo as the leader of the underground organization. In order to be able to keep his identity secret, he assumed the pseudonym Walter. Using this alias to create a new identity, and at the same time to create a very effective underground intelligence network, Perridge not only organized the activities of the local guerrillas, but also provided them with a lot of material and moral assistance.
At that time, Perridge was not only the leader of the guerrillas, but also a legend of the dragon. Although the action in the movie is fictional, it is very vivid to show Perridge's heroic side in the course of the battle.
Truth is always more dangerous and complex than movies. In 1945, the situation faced by the German army became more and more critical, and Walter began the final operation, and his most important purpose at that time was to ensure that Sarajevo's infrastructure could be functioned normally, not destroyed by the German army, and that the residents could have normal water and electricity.
However, the situation was also favorable to Perridge, despite the fact that the partisans had already launched an offensive against the Germans in Sarajevo at that time.
One night in April, Peric died in a fight against the enemy. The day after his death, the Yugoslav partisans liberated Sarajevo.
In 1953, Peritsch was awarded the title of National Hero, and the reason why this film reflecting Perridge's true story is sought after and loved by everyone is also because heroes like Walter are sought after and moved by everyone, they are heroes who fought against the German army.
The audience was touched by the courage and resourcefulness of tens of thousands of Walther team members, and their determination to defend their country against the Nazis.
When this film was released in the 70s of the 20th century, it shook the hearts of countless Chinese audiences, who were unknown and bravely sacrificed themselves before the National Liberation War.
Their history is similar to ours, and perhaps this is one of the reasons why we are so moved.
According to incomplete statistics from Yugoslavia, more than 300,000 people died in the anti-fascist war by their People's Liberation Army and guerrillas.
And that's just a conservative statistic, and the real losses are far more than that. The heroic guerrillas in these movies, the ordinary people who are brave and brave in fighting, and the performances that sacrifice their lives for the country are not deliberate performances in the movies, and the real situation is often more tragic than what the movies show.
We should not forget history, nor should we forget every hero who gave his life for the independence of the country.
The contributions made by these guerrillas to our anti-fascist war also deserve to be deeply remembered by us all the time.