The Legend of the Suram Fortress, Sergei Paradjanov's cinematic translation of the novel by 19th century Georgian writer Daniel Chonkadze, is an epic, a blend of folklore, history, political protest and romantic drama, unfolding over three generations. The movie presents the adaptation of a medieval Georgian legend on the theme of building sacrifice, with echoes in the country's cult literature. A young serf, Durmishkhan, who has just been freed from his master, sets out to earn the money needed to ransom his betrothed, but eventually fails to reach her and marries another woman, with whom he has a child. Later, in order to give life to a fortress that cannot be raised (Suram Fortress), a young man (Durmishkhan's son) agrees to be walled inside its walls.
The tragedy of a repressed love and of two lives ruined because of the loss of faith, a fairly common phenomenon in the region, is built around a central theme: the erection of the Suram Fortress. It is located in the center of the country, with the role of defending the city of Suram and ensuring the security of the whole country. However, for unknown reasons, perhaps mystical or divine, as its inhabitants initially suspect, the fortress is not allowed to be built.
As the film's title says, "this film is a tribute to the Georgian soldiers of all times who gave their lives for the freedom of their homeland" because in the 17th and 18th centuries (the period of the legend's action), the territories of southern Georgia were returned to the Ottoman Empire, which, together with Persia, continued to exert pressure on the country.
