Snake Island is a small island in the Black Sea, directly South of Ukraine. It's roughly rectangular in shape. One corner is a forest, separated from the rest of the island by an 8’ tall concrete wall. This section takes up nearly half of the island. The second corner rises up to a cliff over the ocean. The remains of an ancient temple dedicated to Apollo covers the top of the hill. There is also a radio tower. The third corner is the lowest part of the island. It has a dock for incoming ships, but is currently empty. A shed is a few feet away from the dock. The last corner contains a large house , a barn, a lighthouse, a garden and a small strip of beach. Over the house flies the Ukrainian flag.
Volodymyr Kravchenko, a Ukrainian man in his late 30s, tends to the garden that is filled with beets, wheat, rye and corn.
Kyrylo, 8 years old, runs up the interior steps of the lighthouse. Kyrylo opens a trap door and climbs into the lighthouse’s top floor.
In the kitchen, Olena washes potatoes in the sink. Standing on a stool next to her, helping, is Oleksandra, who looks a lot like her mother. Oleksandra peels potatoes.
Out of breath, Kyrylo rests for a moment, then he grabs a stool from a nearby wall and sets it in front of a telescope. He looks out over the water, scanning a familiar spot. He moves to one of three telescopes facing different directions. He moves the stool in front of the telescope. He climbs up and looks through the telescope. He scans the ocean. Nothing. He carries the stool to the next telescope. He scans the ocean again. Nothing. He carries the stool to the last telescope. Once again, he scans the ocean. He spots a small supply ship. He scans the ship until he spots the Ukrainian flag. He hops down from the stool and rushes to the trap door. He climbs through, slamming the door behind him.
Kyrylo runs across the grounds, yelling to everybody that the boat is finally here! He runs by the house yelling to his mother and father. Kyrylo runs around the end of the building far enough that he can see his father tending the garden. e tells his father he saw the boat. Volodymyr puts down his hoe and takes off his gloves. He puts them in his back pocket and heads toward the dock. Kyrylo bounces along behind him. Olena and Oleksandra come outside to join them. Olena carries a pair of binoculars. She holds them up and finds the ship. She hands the binoculars to Volodymyr. He looks at the ship.
Volodymyr finishes looking at the boat. He questions who has finished their chores and study. Oleksandra has, so she gets the binoculars first. Kyrylo nags Oleksandra until she gives him the binoculars.
Soldiers unload crates from the boat and stack them on the deck. Four Ukrainian soldiers stand in a line, waiting for the family. The family introduce themselves to Wladimir, Vitali, Yakov, and Hunter. The four men nod and thank Volodymyr. The boat unloaded, the other soldiers return to the ship. Olena and the kids start grabbing items to carry to the house.
The last of the supplies have been moved into the keeper’s quarters. Volodymyr thanks the soldiers and gives them a tour of the island.
Volodymyr leads the soldiers across the island. The kids follow behind, fascinated with the soldiers. Volodymyr shows them the garden. Volodymyr says there’s very little fresh water on this island, all on the other side of the snake wall. Volodymyr walks to the wall, which extends into the water 8 feet. A fence extends 10 feet down the beach.
He picks up a large spray can and sprays the fence in the water. He continues onto the wall, heavily spraying the top of the wall, which is 8’ high. Volodymyr sprays a consistent spray along the wall and the men follow. He comes to a gate and sets down the spray can. The gate is sealed on the sides and bottom, with no gaps.
They look through the gate and see lots of snakes. More snakes per square foot than any known place on Earth. Very dangerous snakes.
Volodymyr picks up the spray can. He says it's pheromones. The snakes won‘t come near it. The snakes swim, but they don’t swim all the way around the fence. They get near it and can’t stand the smell, so they go back. They don’t climb much, either. And never the wall. Volodymyr laughs. He starts walking toward the lighthouse.
Volodymyr leads the soldiers to the top of the lighthouse. He opens the trap door and climbs in. The others follow. The men fan out and look in different directions. The view is spectacular in every direction. No other landmasses are visible. Volodymyr says they only turn it on when the sun starts going down.
Back on the ground, Volodymyr leads the soldiers towards the cliff. He says the radio tower is their only way to contact the homeland. That and the biweekly supply boat. They walk into the ruins of the temple. Volodymyr says it was a temple dedicated to Apollo in ancient times. The snakes were probably brought here as sacrifices. Other animals, too. But the snakes were the top of the food chain. Hunter goes to the edge of the cliff and looks down at the waves smashing into the cliff wall.
Kyrylo and Oleksandra put the food supplies into their proper place in the pantry. Olena finishes cooking dinner. The kid playfully bicker.
Volodymyr and the soldiers sit around the table, drinking vodka. Wladimir tells him home is worse than he can imagine. The Nazis are as bad as advertised. And the Soviets aren’t much better. They’ve burned villages, rounded up and killed Jews, millions are dead.
Volodymyr asks why they were sent here. Yakov says Snake Island is the only part of Ukraine that hasn’t been occupied by Nazis or Soviets. Wladimir says the Nazis are struggling and the war is almost over. The soldiers are here for their own safety. They're hockey players and important people want to keep them safe till after the war.
Volodymyr says he must finish the wall before dinner. He tells the soldiers they can sleep in the rooms in the lighthouse.
Volodymyr continues spraying the wall from where he left off earlier. Kyrylo follows him, a frown on his face. Kyrylo says he heard him and the soldiers talking about bad men. He knows what Nazis and Soviets are. He heard his dad talk about them on the radio. He asks if they are coming to get them. Volodymyr says no, they are safe. The island is too small and has no resources the Nazis or Soviets want to take.
Volodymyr says the Nazis started the war. And they’re losing. The island is too far away and nothing here can help them. The Soviets are closer, but they are also busy with war. Even if they did come, they have their new soldier friends to help protect them. Kyrylo stares at the vast and empty ocean. Volodymyr picks up the can and continues spraying the wall.
The soldiers climb the lighthouse stairs. They come to the first room. It has two double beds, freshly made up. Wladimir claims the first bed. Yakov the other. Vitali and Hunter climb to the next room. They start unpacking.
Kyrylo is awake before anyone. He crosses the island to the lighthouse. He runs. He climbs the stairs. He peeks into each of the rooms on the way up, looking in on the sleeping soldiers. Kyrylo climbs into the top room of the lighthouse. He walks around the circle, following the light and scanning the ocean for anything. The sun is up now. Kyrylo looks through the telescope, scanning the ocean. He hears the bell. His mother calls everyone to breakfast. He climbs through the trap door.
Kyrylo climbs down the stairs. He passes one room, where Vitali and Hunter stir. He approaches the second room. Yakov is still asleep, but Wladimir sits up. He sees Kyrylo, who lets him know it's the breakfast bell they hear.
The soldiers enter the building, the family are singing. They’ve practiced the song, “Ty Zh Mene Pidmanula.” The soldiers stop to listen. Once the family is done singing, the soldiers applaud. The family is embarrassed. Olena stands and gestures towards the table. Breakfast is ready.
Oleksandra says she prefers to sing “Nich Yaka Misyachna.” Hunter says it's his favorite, too. The family sings.
Olena watches everyone else play soccer except Hunter, who stands nearby, tossing an American football into the air and catching it. Vitali passes the ball to his teammate, Oleksandra. She’s pretty good and easily maneuvers past Yakov, who is trying. He’s better on skates. Kyrylo tries to play, but he’s too small, so he just kinda runs along with the ball. Hunter throws the football. It’s a perfect throw that Wladimir easily catches.
Kyrylo peers into the telescope, scanning the sea.
Volodymyr leads the soldiers down to the beach. He walks to a shed at the end, nearest the house. He tells them they're in charge of fishing. He opens the shed door. Fishing gear and extra traps are inside. He shuts the door and walks closer to the water. Two pegs are jammed into the ground at either end of the beach. From each, a strong rope leads into the water. Volodymyr says they're crab traps.
Hunter joins Olena and Oleksandra in the kitchen. She asks him about the origin of his name. He says it's because he's a good Hunter. She asks what he hunts and he says Nazis. Olena stares at him. She’s afraid. He waits. He’s used to it.
She asks why he's in the kitchen. He says he's afraid of the ocean. Olena laughs. Oleksandra sees her mom laugh and joins in. She eyes Hunter warily. Olena tells her to go play. Oleksandra runs out of the kitchen. He says that what is so scary about the ocean is that it's endless. He says "I fell off a boat when I was young. Nobody saw me and I got caught by a current. Within seconds, I was so far away from the boat, I thought I was going to drown and sink to the bottom. I felt something touch my leg. I don’t know what it was, but it scared the hell out of me." Olena stares at him with sympathy. He’d rather help you cook than deal with the water. Olena nods. She tries to offer a sympathetic smile.
Olena and Hunter are preparing dinner. Olena is pulling apart a chicken. Hunter watches carefully. She says they waste nothing. Tonight, they are making pyrizhky! They laugh while they work.
The men and Olena sit at the table, drinking wine. The kids play with a puzzle on the floor. Volodymyr sets a heavy book on the table. They use the book to keep track of their time on the island. It goes back 100 years. He slides the book across the table and Wladimir turns the pages. The other soldiers look over his shoulder. The book is filled with words and drawings. Olena drew the pictures. Wladimir says she could be a professional.
Kyrylo looks through the telescope, scanning the ocean. Wladimir climbs through the trap door and joins him and introduces himself. He asks what Kyrylo is looking for every morning. Kyrylo says he was looking for ships. Now he's looking for Nazis and Soviets.
It’s a bright, sunny day. Everyone is outside. Volodymyr individually checks each plant in his garden. He doesn’t need to, but he’s a perfectionist. Everything is perfect.
Wladimir pulls a crab cage from the water, two crabs are inside. He cheers. Vitali and Yakov are fishing. They look over to Wladimir and laugh.
Oleksandra and Kyrylo play soccer. She steals the ball from him and he gets frustrated. She coaches him.
Olena and Hunter watch the kids for a bit, then go into the kitchen.
The soldiers, the kids and Olena sit facing a sheet hung from the ceiling. At the other end of the room, Volodymyr finishes setting up a movie projector. He plays Alexander Dovzhenko’s classic, “Arsenal.” Oleksandra prefers “Earth.” Kyrylo likes Arsenal because of the guns. Hunter tells him guns are evil. Kyrylo asks if Hunter ever pulled his trigger. Hunter replies "many times."
Kyrylo stares through the telescope. Wladimir sits behind him. A stack of books is next to him. He reads from a book in his lap. Kyrylo moves to the second telescope and continues his search.
Wladimir flips through the pages of “Bela Garda,” by Mikhail Bulgakov. Kyrylo moves to the third telescope. He resumes his scan. Wladimir puts down “Bela Garda” and picks up “Tale of Bygone Years,” by Nestor. He flips through the pages. Kyrylo is bored. There are no ships today.
Wladimir puts down the Nestor book. He picks up “Tales of Ihor's Campaign.” Kyrylo asks why he keeps changing books. Wladimir says he's not sure which one he wanted to read.
The front of the room is set up to resemble a theater. The four soldiers sit in chairs facing the “stage,” preparing to watch something. Volodymyr presents “The Christmas Spiders.” Volodymyr is the storyteller and the others play out the story. Once they are done, Volodymyr closes the book. The soldiers give them a standing ovation. The family members bow and grin. A tale well-told.
Kyrylo watches the sea through the telescope. Wladimir sits in a chair, reading “Tales of Ihor’s Campaign.” He asks Kyrylo if he's found any Nazis yet. Kyrylo says no.
Wladimir asks him if he knew his father used to fight Soviets as a member of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists. They agree that fighting without guns and bombs is better. He tells Kyrylo that Volodymyr fought with his mind.
Kyrylo moves over to the next telescope. He's gonna fight like his father, no weapons. Wladimir smiles. Kyrylo bends down to look through the telescope. Wladimir goes back to reading. Kyrylo adjusts the telescope. He looks again. He stands up and stares at the horizon. He looks in the telescope again. He sees a ship.
Wladimir frowns. He puts the book down. Wladimir leans down and looks into the telescope. He adjusts and focuses for a few moments before he sees it. A small military patrol craft. Coming directly towards the island. He picks up the telescope and moves it to get a better look. He looks through the telescope. He adjusts and focuses for a few seconds. He sees a red flag with a hammer and sickle.
Kyrylo runs across the island towards the garden. He rushes to his father. He tells his father a Soviet ship is coming. Volodymyr drops his trowel and follows Kyrylo, who runs back towards the lighthouse.
Volodymyr looks at the ship through the telescope. He focuses on the Soviet flag. The soldiers stand around him. Yakov says the ship is a BMO-512 Soviet Patrol Craft. He says it is dangerous. Oleksandra climbs through the trap door and runs to her father. She says the Soviets are on the radio. Volodymyr and Wladimir exchange a look mixed with shock and fear. They climb through the trap door.
Olena holds the radio, waiting for her husband. Volodomyr announces himself to the Soviets. Soviet Captain Maxim Kuznetsov says the Soviet Union is claiming this island. He tells them to surrender now and they will live. If not, they will fire upon the island. Volodymyr tells Kuznetsov and the Soviet Union to go fuck themselves.
The Soviet craft looms on the horizon. Volodymyr leads the kids to the Keeper’s Quarters. The soldiers follow.
Volodymyr leans towards Wladimir. The soldiers head into the living room. Volodymyr directs his family towards the basement. Volodymyr tells them not come out until he tells them to. Olena nods as she hurries the kids downstairs. Volodymyr joins the soldiers.
The Soviet ship gets closer. It turns so that the 70-K anti-aircraft gun is pointed at the island. The Soviets fire the gun, taking out the radio tower. It explodes and falls to the ground. They were careful not to hit anything else.
The Soviet craft drops anchor, a ways off shore.
Yakov tells them the Soviets have parked and can't come closer in the big boat. They'll come in smaller boats. Volodymyr tells them to get ready, to gather up every weapon they'vr got.They men scramble to gather weapons.
The men stand around the table, which is covered with weapons. They have four Nagant M1895 pistols, 3 Mosin-Nagant M1891/30 rifles, a Simonov AVS-36 rifle, a dozen F1 grenades, a half dozen TM-41 pressure step mines, one combat knife and three bayonets, A box of ammunition for each weapon. Volodymyr says it's not enough. Kyrylo says they forgot one thing. Kyrylo heads outside. Everyone follows.
Kyrylo stands beside the staircase in the lighthouse. The ground level is used for storage, various boxes and crates. Underneath the boxes is a catapult, about 8’ in height. Hunter is excited.
Volodymyr, Olena and the soldiers sit around the dining room table. The kids aren’t present. Wladimir asks how accurate the catapult is. Volodymyr says he maintains it, but hasn't been used in a while. They agree it should be good enough to reach the ship. They try to figure out what ammo to use to hurt the ship. Olena suggests the snakes.
Everyone, including the children stand at the gate to the snake-filled half of the island. Olena and the children stand back, away from the gate. Volodymyr, Wladimir and Hunter each hold pairs of Pillstrom tongs. He explains the snakes and how to avoid being bitten.
Volodymyr and the soldiers are beyond the gate, which remains open. Outside the gate, the kids play soccer while Olena watches. Unbeknownst to anyone, a snake has moved through the gate. Volodymyr, Wladimir and Hunter use the tongs to pick up snakes and place them in the bags held by Yakov and Vitali.
Volodymyr tells them, once you get three in a bag, tie it loosely, so they can’t escape, but the bag is still easy to open. He exchanges his tongs for Yakov’s bag, which holds three snakes. Volodymyr show them how to tie the bag. Vitali ties his bag and sets both tied bags near the gate. He grabs two more bags and hands one to Volodymyr. The continue hunting snakes.
The escaped snakes has moved closer to the kids, but no one has seen it yet. Yakov has another tied bag and carries all of the full bags through the gate. He sets them in a pile near Olena. She looks at the bags with distaste. Oleksandra kicks the soccer ball past Kyrylo. He dives to catch it but misses. He falls to the ground and lands face-to-face with the escaped snake.
Olena looks and sees the snake. She screams. Yakov moves towards the snake from behind. He puts his finger to his lips to quiet everyone. Yakov runs quietly and leaps into the air. The snake prepares to strike. Yakov lands on the snake, his boot smashing the snake into the ground. It’s alive, but its head is trapped under Yakov’s boot.
Yakov says he needs a knife. Olena sends Oleksandra to get one. Oleksandra runs across the island and inside the keeper’s quarters. A few seconds later, she returns, carrying one of the soldier’s bayonets. She runs and hands the bayonet to her mother. Olena runs and hands the bayonet to Yakov. Then she grabs Kyrylo and pulls him away. Volodymyr and the other soldiers come through the gate, shutting it behind them. Yakov kills the snake he’s standing on with the bayonet. Volodymyr runs and throws his arms around Olena and Kyrylo, both of whom are crying. Olena leads the kids inside. Volodymyr and the soldiers head to hunt more snakes. In the distance, the Soviet ship lingers on the horizon.
The Soviet ship lowers a row boat into the water. It is loaded with eight Soviet troops. They row towards the dock. Volodymyr readies the catapult. Yakov pours hormones into one of the cloth bags, which is now open. He loads it into the catapult. Volodymyr asks Yakov to check his calculations. Yakov checks the measurements on the catapult. He shrugs.
Volodymyr tells Wladimir to fire away. Wladimir hits the release and the catapult lets fly. The bag zooms through the air. It splashes into the sea a few feet from the Soviet boat. They notice it, but don’t react. Yakov is excited. Volodymyr smiles.
Volodymyr adjusts the catapult. Volodymyr adjust the catapults a little more. Yakov claps him on the shoulder. Wladimir steps aside, gesturing for Volodymyr to take over. Volodymyr lets fly the catapult. The men cheer. The bag of snakes flies through the sky. Volodymyr leans to try to influence the bag’s arc. It lands in the lap of one of the Soviets. He is shocked. He recovers and opens the bag. One of the snakes strikes him three times. He falls dead right away. A second snake slithers out and strikes another of the Soviets. He falls dead.
The other Soviets dive from the boat. Volodymyr and the soldiers cheer. The Soviets swim back to their ship. Volodymyr and the soldiers head for the keeper’s quarters. Wladimir tells Vitali to take the first watch. The others go back inside.
Volodymyr, Wladimir, Yakov, Hunter and Olena eat lunch at the table. Oleksandra and Kyrylo eat in the living room, away from sensitive topics. Hunter says the Soviets aren't taking them seriously. Wladimir says they’ll come at night. To avoid the snakes.
Hunter asks if the catapult can hit the main ship. They think so. Hunter says they should use the daylight to fill the ship with as many snakes as they can. They agree.
Yakov says they should get the smaller boat. Wladimir assigns Hunter to do that. Hunter says he can handle the water because he is a professional. Olena asks him how. He says he is a killer. He walks outside. She stares after him.
Volodymyr and the soldiers stand around the catapult. The soldiers watch as Volodymyr calibrates the catapult. Wladimir tells them to put as many snakes on that ship as possible. He puts his hands on Hunter’s shoulder. Volodymyr fires the catapult. The bag of snakes falls short and splashes into the sea. Volodymyr makes adjustments. He fires again. Direct hit. The bag lands on the deck. There’s no reaction, as all the Soviets are inside. Volodymyr and Yakov exchange a grin.
Volodymyr loads and fires again. Another hit. Snakes start crawling out of the bags. He fires again and again and again. Hunter slips into the water. He swims as quietly as possible towards the boat. He watches a bag of snakes fly over his head and keeps swimming. He dog paddles for a few moments as he pulls out a combat knife. He holds the knife up above the side of the boat. One of the snakes strikes. It’s bite bounces off the knife.
Hunter pulls himself up, above the level the boat and whacks the snake in half. He sees one other snake on the boat. He holds himself on the side of the boat. He puts the knife away and pulls out a pair of Pillstrom tongs. He carefully climbs onto the boat. He grabs the snake with the tongs and tosses it into the water, as far from the boat as possible. It swims away.
Hunter carefully checks the rest of the boat, but finds no other snakes. He starts paddling towards the shore. Another bag flies over his head and hits the boat. Two soviets rush onto the deck. They point at Hunter. The other Soviet notices a bag on the deck. He kneels towards it and a snake pops out and bites him. The other Soviet runs towards the closest deck gun. He mounts it and starts firing at Hunter. It’s not very accurate and Hunter paddles faster.
Volodymyr launches a bag at the gun. It nearly misses the Soviet. He hops off the gun and runs back inside. Hunter reaches the dock and ties off the boat.
Volodymyr stands inside with his family. The soldiers are not present. He tells Olena to take the kids to the basement. He hands her one of the Nagant pistols. She embraces him. They kiss. Volodymyr goes outside. Olena checks the gun, then goes down to the basement.
Wladimir stands next to Volodymyr, right outside the front door of the keeper’s quarters. Wladimir tells them to keep an eye on the house in case they get past. Volodymyr holds up his Nagant pistol and nods. He says they are my family. This is my home. He gestures towards the Soviet ship. He says they are uninvited.
Wladimir puts a hand on Hunter’s shoulder. He tells Hunter to go to the ship and take out those guns. Yakov hands him a bag with two mines modified to go off with a timer.
Hunter takes the bag and runs to the boat. He hops in and starts taking a round-a-bout path towards the Soviet ship. He’s going out of his way to not be seen by the Soviets. Vitali, Wladimir and Yakov use the bags and tongs to cover the dock with snakes.
Wladimir tells Yakov to take the sniper position from the lighthouse. Yakov runs for the lighthouse. Wladimir and Vitali take cover behind large boulders on either side of the dock.
Yakov climbs the steps. He comes to the first bedroom and goes inside. He opens the narrow window and waves at Wladimir. Wladimir waves back. Yakov points his Simonov AVS-36 rifle out the window and looks through the scope. He targets the dock.
Hunter stops rowing, fairly close to the Soviet ship. He’s well-hidden in the dusk. He watches as 13 Soviets board the ship’s other rowboat. They head towards the dock. Once they’re far enough away, Hunter approaches the Soviet ship. He ties the boat up. He climbs onto the deck carrying a bag. He pulls tongs from the bag and uses them to move a couple of snakes out of his way. A Soviet soldier comes out to smoke. Hunter picks up a snake with the tongs and tosses it on the Soviet. The man screams as the snake repeatedly strikes him.
Hunter moves the snake and drops the dead man’s body into the sea. Another Soviet opens the door. Hunter buries his knife in the man’s throat. He pulls the knife out and wipes it clean on the dead man’s uniform. He then tips the body over the railing and into the sea.
Yakov sees the Soviet boat approaching the dock. He yells through the window, telling them 13 Soviets are approaching. Yakov aims at the boat. He can’t really target anyone individually, so he fires at the mass of shadows. One Soviet falls into the water.
The boat is nearly at the dock. Yakov fires again. One of the Soviets slumps over.
The Soviets dive from the boat. Some swim towards the dock, others break for the shore. Wladimir moves away from the boulder towards the shoreline. He sees several Soviets make it onto the shore. He dips back behind the boulder. The Soviets go to chase him. Yakov fires at them and they take cover.
Two of the Soviets climb the ladder to the dock. The first pulls his way up. He carefully takes a step forward. A second Soviet pulls himself onto the dock. Two more follow. A snake strikes the first man on the dock. He splashes into the water, dead. Yakov sees the shadow of the other Soviet standing on the dock. He quickly fires twice, the second shot kills the man. The other Soviets hop into the water.
One of the Soviets walks past Vitali’s boulder. He reveals himself and shoots the Soviet dead. A second Soviet steps up behind Vitali and stabs him in the shoulder. Vitali screams and falls to the ground.
With only Wladimir near the dock and uninjured, several Soviets make it past him. One Soviet, a blonde one, heads towards the lighthouse, three others make towards the keeper’s quarters.
Wladimir catches one of the Soviets trying to sneak by and buries a bayonet in his chest.
Yakov sees another Soviet approaching Vitali. He fires two shots. They don’t hit, but he forces the two Soviets to hide behind the boulder.
Hunter climbs up on one of the guns. He sets one of the mines on it. He moves to the other gun and puts a mine on that one, too. He uses the tongs to move a bunch of snakes in front of the door. Hunter climbs back into the rowboat and paddles away.
Once he’s about 10 yards away, two explosions rock the ship. Both guns are totaled. Soviets come running out the door. The first few run directly into the snakes and are struck down. The others stop short and pull the door closed. Hunter smiles and keeps paddling.
The Blonde Soviet opens the lighthouse door and goes inside. The door slams behind him.
Yakov hears the door slam and readies his bayonet. The Blonde Soviet climbs the stairs but stops outside the first bedroom. He hesitates for a moment and fakes entering the room, stepping one foot inside and quickly pulling it back. Yakov lunges forward and loses balance as the Blonde Soviet leans back. Yakov falls to the floor and the Soviet dives on top of him.
Two of the Soviets approach Volodymyr, a skinny one and chubby one. They are spread out, approaching him from both sides. He takes cover behind a tree. They fire at him, but miss.
Volodymyr returns fire, but also misses. The skinny Soviet’s shot hits the tree and showers Volodymyr with splinters. He fires on the skinny Soviet and hits him in the hand.
The chubby Soviet fires, but the shot goes over Volodymyr’s head and hits the keeper’s quarters. They exchange fire again. The skinny Soviet can’t work his rifle, so he drops it and takes out his combat knife.
The chubby Soviet fires his rifle, forcing Volodymyr to stumble and fall to the ground. The skinny Soviet rushes at Volodymyr. His compatriot readies his rifle to fire again at a second’s notice.
As Volodymyr falls to the ground, a third Soviet slips inside the keeper’s quarters. It’s completely dark inside. The Soviet carefully stalks his way through the kitchen to the living room. Then through the dining room. He stops when faced with going upstairs to the bedrooms or down into the basement.
He thinks for a moment. He grabs a chair from the dining room table and leans it against the basement door. It won’t keep the door shut, but if anyone opens the door, it’ll crash and alert him. The Soviet heads upstairs.
The two Soviets at the boulder stand over Vitali, who writhes in pain. One pulls Vitali’s rifle away from him and leans it against the boulder. The tall Soviet leans down and grabs Vitali by the chin. He squeezes hard as he peers into the wounded man’s face. They decide not to kill Vitali, but they bind him.
Wladimir hides behind the boulder again, trying to hear what’s happening to Vitali. But they are too far away. He leans a little more and considers running over to the other boulder.
One of the Soviets, a bearded man, sneaks up behind him, holding a combat knife. He raises the knife to strike Wladimir from behind. Wladimir hears him. He waits until the Bearded Soviet brings the knife down. He whirls around and grabs the Bearded Soviet’s knife arm. He uses the man’s momentum to drive the knife into the boulder.
The hit jars the knife from the Bearded Soviet’s hand and it falls to the ground. Wladimir reaches for his pistol.
Yakov and the Blonde Soviet roll around on the floor. The Soviet has a combat knife and tries to stab Yakov. Yakov is stronger, though, and he eventually pushes the Blonde Soviet onto his back.
The Blonde Soviet slashes Yakov across the face. Yakov grabs the Blonde Soviet’s knife-wielding hand with both of his hands.
Yakov smashes the Soviet’s hand against the floor repeatedly until the Soviet drops the knife. Both men scramble to grab the knife. Yakov gets it. He buries it in the Blonde Soviet’s chest. He flops back into a seated position and takes a deep breath.
The skinny Soviet leaps onto Volodymyr. Volodymyr smashes him in the face with his pistol, using the man’s own momentum against him. The skinny Soviet falls to the ground, stunned.
Volodymyr and the chubby Soviet fire on each other. Both miss. The chubby Soviet moves closer.
Volodymyr shoots the skinny Soviet and uses his body as a shield. The chubby Soviet fires, hitting his already-dead countryman in the back. He fires again. Same result.
Volodymyr fires back, hitting the chubby Soviet in his arm. He drops the rifle. Volodymyr tries to fire again, but his pistol is empty. He scrambles to his feet and rushes at the chubby Soviet. The chubby Soviet swings his rifle, butt-first, and connects with Volodymyr’s head. Volodymyr crashes to the ground.
The Soviet walks down the stairs into the darkness of the basement. He pulls out a lighter and lights it. He still can’t really see anything. Olena and the kids hide behind a stack of boxes. In the light from the Soviet’s lighter, Olena can make out the children’s faces. She holds a finger to her mouth to shush them.
The Soviet comes closer. He taunts her. Olena shakes her head, comforting the scared children. She tells them to stay down. Cover your eyes. Don’t come out till I tell you. The children nod their heads. They duck down and cover their eyes.
Olena waits, gun held at the ready. The Soviet moves forward, carefully. He looks behind things and under them. Looking anywhere people might be hiding. The Soviet says Volodymyr and the others are already dead.
Olena is shocked. She doesn’t believe him, but she’s filled with doubt. She fights to hold back her tears. The Soviet brags he personally killed her husband.
Olena steps from behind the boxes, holding her gun to the side of the Soviet’s head. He is surprised. She tells him to drop his weapon. He does. She shoots him in the head. She covers the Soviet with a sheet. She goes back and hugs her children.
Hunter quietly ties the boat to the dock. He slips from the boat and into the water. He slowly works his way around the dock toward Vitali. Hunter overhears the Soviets talking about Vitali. He can see them standing close together, but they can’t see him.
Hunter rushes forward, smashing into the tall Soviet, who smashes into the short Soviet and they both fall to the ground. Hunter leaps on top of them. He stabs the tall Soviet in the back until he stops moving.
Hunter grabs the dead Soviet’s gun and shoots the short Soviet in the face. Hunter gets up and moves to Vitali, who is hurt, but will live. Hunter cuts Vitali free.
Wladimir and the bearded Soviet fire their pistols. Wladimir is hit in the arm. The bearded Soviet takes the round in the chest. Wladimir rushes the bearded Soviet. Hunter approaches from behind. They sandwich the man, knocking him to the ground. Hunter grabs the bearded Soviet by the hair and repeatedly smashes his head into the boulder. He falls to the ground, dead. Vitali walks gingerly towards them, saying he'll survive. They take off towards the keeper’s quarters.
Volodymyr lays on the ground, shielding himself against the chubby Soviet’s gun. The Soviet prepares to pull the trigger. Hunter and Wladimir rush out of the dark and tackle the chubby Soviet from behind. His gun goes off, but he misses.
Hunter falls on top of the Soviet, repeatedly stabbing him in the back. He gets up. Wladimir helps Volodymyr to his feet. He runs towards the door, trying to get to Olena and the kids. He heads inside.
Yakov approaches the other Ukrainians. Vitali finally arrives as well. Wladimir and Hunter head inside. Yakov and Vitali follow slowly. Vitali notices the new scar on Yakov’s face and teases him.
Volodymyr runs down the stairs. Olena hears him. She turns to the children. All three of them get up and rush to greet Volodymyr. They all embrace. Wladimir steps into the room, smiling at the family.
The men stand near the basement door. The building is still dark. They note there were 13 men on the boats. They count up the kills and come up one short. Wladimir, Hunter and Volodymyr grab weapons and head outside.
Volodymyr tells Olena to stay with the kids. She nods, still very scared. He hugs her tightly then follows the soldiers outside.
Wladimir, Hunter and Volodymyr fan out, not close together at all. They sweep across the island and toward the dock. They move carefully and deliberately. They find no one between the keeper’s quarters and the dock. They leave no hiding place unchecked. They make their way to the lighthouse. Hunter stands guard outside.
Wladimir heads up the stairs. Volodymyr follows slowly. They arrive at the first bedroom. Wladimir heads in, carefully checking all the blind spots. Nothing. He aims his gun at the closet door and nods for Volodymyr to open it. Volodymyr slowly approaches the door. He pulls it open. Wladimir is prepared to shoot. Nothing.
They head out the bedroom and back up the stairs. They come to the next bedroom. They repeat the search process, finding another empty closet. They climb the rest of the stairs to the trap door. They stop. Wladimir says if he’s in there, first through the door is probably dead. Volodymyr nods grimly.
Wladfimir grabs the trap door handle before Volodymyr can respond and pushes it open. He waits for something to happen. Nothing.
Wladimir sticks his rifle through the doorway and waves it around. Nothing.
Wladimir slowly climbs into the top floor of the lighthouse. He looks around but it’s empty. Volodymyr climbs into the room. Wladimir stares at the lights of the Soviet ship.
Volodymyr walks around the circle scanning the island. He stops and stares at the cliff with the temple. Volodymyr looks through the telescope. He sees the last Soviet hide behind the ruins of the temple. Volodymyr gestures towards the telescope. Wladimir looks and sees the Soviet. He grins. They head for the trap door.
Wladimir and Volodymyr make their way up the hill toward the temple. They spread out, trying to catch the Soviet in a crossfire. The Soviet hides behind a broken temple wall. He’s scared and breathing heavily. Volodymyr spots him first. He tries to talk things out.
They move closer: Volodymyr approaches the Soviet in a direct approach. Wladimir advances on the other side of the hill. He already has sight on the Soviet. The Soviet says he has them covered.
Volodymyr asks his name. It's Artyom. Volodymyr introduces himself and says this is his island. He says they have him surrounded. Artyom looks up and sees Wladimir targeting him. Volodymyr says if he surrenders, they'll let him live.
Artyom says nothing. He keeps eyeing Wladimir. Wladimir fires a warning shot that whizzes past Artyom’s head. The Soviet gets up and runs towards the cliff. Wladimir stands up and follows Artyom. Volodymyr follows. Both men pointing their rifles at the Soviet. They tell him to stop. He doesn’t. Artyom leaps over the cliff. Volodymyr and Wladimir stop at the edge and scan the water for Artyom. They're sure Artyom is dead or soon will be. They return to the keeper’s quarters.
Olena treats Vitali’s wound. The others eat. Wladimir says they aren’t leaving. They’ll have to finish them off or they’ll call for reinforcements. Hunter says if they call for reinforcements, they’ll raze the island. They’ll kill everyone. Every person. Every snake. Every seal. Wladimir says they have to go get the Soviets first.
Yakov says a ship that size probably about a dozen soldiers left. They will be heavily armed. They’ll be prepared for the snakes this time. Wladimir says they'll go while the Soviets are sleeping. He asks Olena to make coffee.
Wladimir says Hitler is in trouble. But the Soviets are getting stronger. This island is all that remains of a free Ukraine. It will not fall on my watch.
Vitali stands up and starts singing. The others join in. Everyone stands. They sing "Everything Will Be Ukraine." Olena returns with coffee and mugs. She sings as she pours cups for everyone.
Volodymyr hugs his family. The soldiers look on. Olena goes to her bedroom. Volodymyr follows her.
Kyrylo asks Hunter why the Soviets came. Hunter says they shouldn’t have come. It doesn’t make sense for them to come here. It was stupid. Wladimir says they'll make them pay for that stupidity. Wladimir says they have to stop them from calling for more Soviets to come. Volodymyr has to go with the soldiers to keep his family safe.
Volodymyr lies on the bed, Olena rests her head on his chest. He doesn't want to go, he's not a fighter. Olena says he's fought well so far and he need to protect them. He promises he will. He leans in and kisses her.
The four Ukrainian soldiers and Volodymyr row the boat out to the Soviet vessel. They make a plan. The boat pulls alongside the ship. Vitali ties the boat off. The men gather their weapons and climb onto the Soviet ship.
Artyom quietly sneaks past the window of the keeper’s quarters. He peers in and sees Olena washing dishes. In the living room, the children are reading. Artyom sits and waits.
The five men stand on the deck of the Soviet ship. Volodymyr uses the Pillstrom tongs to move snakes out of the way. Wladimir nods. He heads towards the door to the bridge. Hunter, Vitali and Yakov head belowdecks.
Wladimir readies his pistol. Volodymyr does the same. They stand on either side of the bridge door. Volodymyr opens the door. Wladimir pokes his head quickly into the doorway. He sees three Soviets. Two of them point guns at him. The other is the ship’s captain. Wladimir ducks back out of the doorway. They fire at him, but he ducks and they miss.
Wladimir motions to Volodymyr that there are three men inside. Volodymyr nods. Volodymyr heads back towards the rowboat. He uses the tongs to pick up one of the snakes. Wladimir moves quietly across the ship and approaches the door on the other side of the bridge. Volodymyr tosses the snake onto the bridge and fires blindly around the corner.
Hunter, Vitali and Yakov travel through a passageway and climb a ladder below decks. Yakov knows the layout. Hunter walks down the corridor towards the bunk room. He quietly slides the door open a crack and waits. Inside the room is dark and quiet. Hunter pulls out his knife. The others do the same. Hunter opens the door slightly more and waits. No sound. No movement.
He opens the door widely enough to make his way through. He waits once again. One of the Soviets turns over in his sleep. Hunter freezes, paralyzed with fear. The Soviet starts snoring.
Hunter visibly relaxes. He motions for the others to follow. He enters the room. Vitali and Yakov follow. Yakov shuts the door behind him. Then the screaming starts.
Olena tucks Oleksandra and Kyrylo into the bed they share. She leans down and kisses each one of them goodnight. Oleksandra asks if the Soviets hurt her. She says no.
Kyrylo asks if Volodymyr is okay. She says yes. He's with the soldiers. Kyrylo asks if there are a lot of Soviets on the ship. Olena says there aren't many left.
Oleksandra asks if Volodymyr will kill the Soviets? Olena says "if he must." He asks why and she says because they want to conquer Ukraine. And they’ll kill anyone to do so. Olena says Volodymyr will try to stop them. She tells them to go to sleep. Olena puts the light out as she leaves.
Olena walks into the dining room and pours herself a glass of vodka. She takes a deep drink and sighs.
Artyom sneaks into the living room. He points his pistol at her. She looks frantically around the room. Her own pistol is on a table behind Artyom. He motions for her to pour drinks.
She gives in. She picks up her glass from the floor and grabs another. She fills both glasses. She hands a glass to Artyom. He gulps down half of it in one drink. He motions for her to drink. She does, but keeps an eye on him.
Artyom questions Olena and concludes she is a prisoner.
She defiantly declares she and her family are free.
Artyom says they should've surrendered. At least they would be alive in a different prison. Now he has to kill them.
He tries to drink more, but realizes his glass is empty. He tells her to hand him the vodka bottle.
She hands him the bottle. She grips her glass more tightly. He takes the bottle. He sets his pistol down and grabs his glass. He starts to pour the vodka.
Olena smashes her glass down on his head. It shatters and slices his head open. Blood pours forth, blinding him. She picks up the bottle of vodka and smashes it into the side of his head. He slumps in his chair. Olena picks up the pistol and points it at him. She fires into his chest.
Wladimir peeks around the corner. He draws fire. But they miss. He shoots one of the Soviets and the man falls dead.
He rushes Volodymyr and knocks him to the ground. Volodymyr drops his pistol. Volodymyr struggles to fight back, but the captain gets his hands around Volodymyr’s throat. The captain chokes as hard as he can. Volodymyr starts to lose consciousness.
Across the bridge, the last Soviet shoots and hits Wladimir in his shooting arm. Wladimir rushes him and knocks the gun from the Soviet’s hand. Wladimir pulls his knife out and stabs the Soviet in the chest several times.
Volodymyr knees the captain in the groin and he falls on his back. Volodymyr grabs his pistol and scrambles to his feet. He shoots the captain, killing him. Hunter, Vitali and Yakov walk onto the bridge and survey the scene. There are no more Soviets on this boat.
Everyone sits at the table eating breakfast. Wladimir says the soldiers have to leave, with the radio tower out. Kyrylo doesn't want them go. Volodymyr says they'll run out of food and water. They also need parts to fix the radio. And, the O.U.N. will want to have a look at the Soviet ship.
Hunter and Vitali stand and thank Olena for the food. The soldiers leave to pack.
The soldiers load the last of their possessions into the two rowboats. Volodymyr thanks them. Wladimir thanks him in return. The men celebrate Ukraine's freedom. The soldiers board the boats. They wave goodbye to the family. The family waves back. The soldiers row the boats towards the Soviet ship.
The Soviet ship is on the horizon now, barely visible. Volodymyr, Olena, Oleksandra and Kyrylo stand on the dock, as a family. The snakes are safely on their side of the wall again. The family watches their friends sail away. The flag of Ukraine proudly flies over their heads.