The End of Saint Petersburg / Deserter

Rating:
Summary: A Great Russian Drama
Review: One of the early Russian film directors, Pudovkin, presents an excellent depiction of a peasants life during the time leading up to and during the October revolution, or more accurately, the events leading to the fall of the Czar, the Capitalist takeover, and the subsequent workers revolution. The Russian films of this period were considered to be the height of film art, and this silent film presents one directors vision of how great editing can make a film. This work is a good contrast to the style of another great Russian director of the period, Eisenstien, in that it works to gain the viewers sympathy and understanding of the main characters through emotion rather than Eisentsteins method of the use of intellect and heavy symbolism. The film pits the working class against capitalism and the ruling class in a struggle for survival. It has all the elements of classical Hollywood screenwriting with a main plot of the peasant struggle against the rulers and a subplot of tensions between individual characters. You can also observe the use of character arc for the main character, a peasant who goes from the selfish act of turning in a fellow worker to get a job for himself, to being fully committed to the cause of the working class and the overthrow of the rulers.

If you are at all interested in viewing silent film, this is a choice movie.