Figure 1.-- The movie "Attentuon the Turtle!" has a happy ending. Yoga yells out to the tank commander that there is a turtle in the tank training track and manages to save his beloved Rocket the turtle.

The film "Attention the Turle!" begins with a scene, where a young school teacher goes on Moscow street dressed in a fashionable mini-skirt and bright short raincoat. On some distance she is followed by two small girls (1st or 2nd grade), who’s dresses are also very short. But when the teacher comes to school, she hides and rolls down her skirt, takes off a bright raincoat, then puts on glasses to become a “true” teacher. This would have been and inconceivable scene in a Stalinist era film. Children following her also hide and rolls down their skirts, after that run to their teacher and greet her. This film is very touching. It teaches a love of animals. Thev main character in particular loves animals and in particulr Rocket the Turtle. The class has a turtle (who’s name is “Rocket”). They keep it in their “Corner of live nature”. Another small boy, the main character's antagonist, is obsessed with war and always paints war pictures. In the plot he steals Rocket and tries to put it under a tank “to check if its shell (armor) is "solid” or not. Another boy, the main character, knowing that Rocket is in danger, runs away from a children hospital where he is being treated. A girl from his class also concerned about rocket helps him by changing clothes with him and replacing him in the hospital. In the climatic scene, he manages to draw the tank commander's attention to Rocket and the tanks turn to avoid poor Rocket.

The Teacher

The film begins with a scene, where a young school teacher goes on Moscow street dressed in a fashionable mini-skirt and bright short raincoat. On some distance she is followed by two small girls (1st or 2nd grade), who’s dresses are also very short. But when the teacher comes to school, she hides and rolls down her skirt, takes off a bright raincoat, then puts on glasses to become a “true” teacher. This would have been and inconceivable scene in a Stalinist era film. Children following her also hide and rolls down their skirts, after that run to their teacher and greet her.

Yoga

Vova Vasilyev (Yoga, “a yogi”) is a quiet and modest boy, who has aassion for animals. In the class he is a “Responsible for a Live Nature’s Corner”. The children have collected a hamster “Hamster”, rabbit “Cowardy” and a turtle “Rocket”. But Vova is so thin and eats so little, that kids in a class call him “Yoga”, “Funtik” (lit. “little pound”) and even “Distrofic”. Yoga's grandmother, who is sport trainer, is very concerned that her grandson is so thin. So she arranges to put him in the (fictional) “Institute of Feeding”, where for children with poor appetites or for other reasons are not eating properly. Vova doesn't like the idea. He points out to his teacher that he is a “Responsible” and “Who will care for the animals and feed them?”. This is where the teacher insists that “there are no irreplaceable people”. And Vova asks her “Who are replaceable people?” which stuns her. Finally he says “Goodbye” to his beloved animals and class and goes to the hospital.

Rocket the Turtle

This film is very touching. It teaches a love of animals. Thev main character, Yoga, in particular loves animals and as a special place in his hear for Rocket the Turtle. The class all love their animals and Rocket seems to be the most popular in their “Corner of live nature”. Rocket of course gets his name for being so slow.

Vova Didenko

The teacher asks children to vote “Who will be new Responsible for Live Nature’s Corner”. Children elect Vova Didenko. He is a very active and curious boy, that likes to paint war paintings. “I always paint war” he tells the teacher during drawing lesson. He also likes to play soldiers and to produce gunpowder using matches. One girl protests and says, that “Vova Vasilyev must continue to be Responsible, because he loves live nature very much”. But Didenko repeats teacher’s replic “There are no irreplaceable people, now I am a Responsible!”. As a new Responsible, Didenko begin to use Rocket in his, often cruel, games. He makes her carry toy soldiers and guns, then places schoolbooks and even a table on her, and finally decides to put Rocket under a tank “to check if her armor is solid or not”.

Tanya

One girl in the class, Tanya Samohina, is a good friend of Yoga. She decides to save Rocket and secretly puts the turtle in her schoolbag. When Rocket is found missing, all the class and the teacher search for Rocket, but the turtle is lost. One girl says that that “Rocket is offended and she’s gone away”. The children are all concerned about Rocket and begin to cry.

The Children's Hospital

In the hospital a doctor asks Yoga “What do you love?”. He answers “I love rabbits, turtles”. A doctor says: “Very good, we will make dinner for you a turtle soup and a rabbit in a white gravy”. Yoga in horrified and says “No, I love them alive!”. Astonished doctor says, that he must get off his foolish thoughts and, if he wishes to return home, he must eat.

Testing Rocket

After school Vova Didenko discovers what has happened. He learns that Tanya has in fact Rocket has in fact hidden Rocket in a doll’s bed in her flat. He steals it from there, and with his friend proceeds with their plan to test Rocket's shell. They go to the tank firing grounds and find a track where they can place Rocket in the path of a tank.

Saving Rocket

Tanya is terrified when she finds Rocket missing. She doesn’t know what to do and with two of her girlfriends visits Yoga in the hospital. Yoga decided that “we must save Rocket!” and to fool the hospital watchman he changes clothes with Tanya. He runs to firing grounds and calls for Didenko. Suddenly tanks appear. Didenko puts Rocket on the road and waits aside. Yoga runs to tanks and cries “There is a turtle!”. The tank commander spots the strange crying child and first he cries in answer “Girl, go away!”, but later he sees that “a girl” doesn’t stop, examines a road in a binocular and discovers there is a turtle. He gave a command “Group, attention! There is a turtle on the road!”. Then tanks turn and bypass Rocket, Thus Rocket is saved. Crying Yoga runs and picks up Rocket. He kisses her and says “My turtle, my darling, darling turtle!”. Finally, the adults (Tanya’s grandpa, Yoga’s grandma and a teacher) come and get the tired children and take them home.

Created: 9:07 AM 12/9/2008
Last updated: 9:07 AM 12/9/2008