cinema of the soviet union

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Cinema of the Soviet Union A very, very exciting view of why the communists were better than everyone else

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Cinema of the Soviet Union. A very, very exciting view of why the communists were better than everyone else. Imperial Treatment of Film. Nicholas II hated film: “I consider that cinema is an empty, totally useless, and even harmful form of entertainment.” - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Page 1: Cinema of the Soviet Union

Cinema of the Soviet Union

A very, very exciting view of why the communists were better than

everyone else

Page 2: Cinema of the Soviet Union

Imperial Treatment of Film• Nicholas II hated film: “I consider that cinema is an empty, totally useless,

and even harmful form of entertainment.”• Nevertheless, film managed to attract an audience because of its novelty,

not because of any real artistic greatness• Although Nick hated films, most Russian people, particularly peasants,

loved film and wanted it to prosper• Film was originally created by western power, so Russia not having a lot of

movie theatres is behind the times

• Father Sergius was the last significant film in the Russian Empire, but was released in Soviet Russia

Page 3: Cinema of the Soviet Union

Father Sergius

Page 4: Cinema of the Soviet Union

Cinema under Lenin• Lenin and others recognized the potential of film to be a propagandist

medium, to spread primarily Soviet values to the common people• After communists took power, filmmakers began to be heavily censored; if

party officials found content not to their liking, they re-cut or removed those parts

• However, the advances in technique and style of Russian filmmakers increased; before the best films were imported

• Stalin was heavily influenced by Lenin’s positions on film, notably the fact that film should be a representation of the revolutionary zeal of the government

Page 5: Cinema of the Soviet Union

Cinema under Stalin• Stalin ferociously controlled the media circulating during his reign, even

more so than Lenin.• Many great films came out of this time period, most notably by Sergei

Eisenstein• Were acclaimed abroad as well as at home, despite being blatantly pro-

communist propaganda• The Battleship Potemkin, Alexander Nevsky, and yes, Ivan the Terrible were

all Eisenstein films• Made groundbreaking and shocking use of violence, new techniques in

cinematography, and sound• However, some censorship permeated the works throughout; kept

censoring ‘til his death in 1951

Page 6: Cinema of the Soviet Union

Cinema under Stalin Ctd. • The USSR banned foreign films from entering in 1931 because they

exposed people to dangerous capitalist ideals• Embraced socialist realism as the primary form of film.• In other words, while the world was seeing the best of Russia, Russia was

only seeing Russian films.• Film was seen as the province of civilization; if a nation has movies they’re

advance and civilized. Russia has films->is advanced=We are powerful.

Page 7: Cinema of the Soviet Union

Admiral Nakhimov & Alexander Nevsky

Page 8: Cinema of the Soviet Union

Cinema under Khrushchev• After the death of Stalin, Nikita Khrushchev took over the USSR and its

nationalized film industry• Was more lenient than Stalin about certain things; felt okay to move away

from socialist realism• However, the advent of the Cold War hampered criticism of the

government • Still made significant advances in the arena of government criticism;

however still expected to repeat the party line• During this time filmmakers were more concerned with artistic triumphs

than financial ones, because they were paid by the state• Animation and science fiction, in addition to tragicomedies, took off

during this time • Some really epic pieces produced in this time

Page 9: Cinema of the Soviet Union

Cinema towards the End• After Khrushchev loses power, state control over industry “waynes” • State control finally slips in 1981; filmmakers embrace newfound freedom• Can finally make films without government approval; criticism goes much

higher than previously• Contributed to the collapse of the Soviet Union• Are still making movies

Page 10: Cinema of the Soviet Union

For your viewing pleasure…• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLEE2UL_N7Q The B. P.• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVSOnvNYU-8 Boris G• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SVC_9V8K5Y Yes, they did kill

horses… and probably actors too for all I know• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Tob56MebI8 Solaris

Page 11: Cinema of the Soviet Union

Works Cited• Sieglebaum, Lewis, Khrushchev’s Secret Speech, Seventeen Moments in Soviet

History, http: //www.soviethistory.org/index.php?page=subject&SubjectID=19 56secret&Year=1956

• Cinema of the Soviet Union, WorldLingo, http://www.worldlingo.com/ma/en_wiki/ en/Cinema_of_the_Soviet_Union.

• Federal Cinema: The Soviet Film Industry, 1924-1932, Kepley, Vance Jr.; Indiana University Press, Indiana, 1996.

• Film Propaganda in Soviet Russia and Nazi Germany, Taylor, Richard; St. Marten’s Press, New York, 1979.