Brook K
Senior HTF Member
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2000
- Messages
- 9,467
Another of the giants of Soviet silent cinema, I have only seen 2 of this Ukrainian director's films; both of which are tremendous. Particularly Earth, which displays perhaps the greatest artistry and beauty of any silent Russian film I've seen. Dovzhenko would go on to teach at the legendary Russian film school, VGIK, where his most famous student was Sergei Parajanov.
1. Earth - A (Commissioned as part of the effort to move Russian peasants from individual farms to collectives, director Alexsandr Dozhenko went beyond the simple strictures of movie storytelling to create a film of feelings, mood, images, and ideology; where what the characters say and do is the least important thing the audience experiences. Harshly criticized and condemned by Stalin as decadent and too intellectual, we are fortunate the film was preserved. It is one of the greats of silent cinema.)
2. Arsenal - A- (This film about an uprising in Ukraine is incredibly dense and filled with symbolism, while also breathtakingly edited and includes powerful battle sequences.)
1. Earth - A (Commissioned as part of the effort to move Russian peasants from individual farms to collectives, director Alexsandr Dozhenko went beyond the simple strictures of movie storytelling to create a film of feelings, mood, images, and ideology; where what the characters say and do is the least important thing the audience experiences. Harshly criticized and condemned by Stalin as decadent and too intellectual, we are fortunate the film was preserved. It is one of the greats of silent cinema.)
2. Arsenal - A- (This film about an uprising in Ukraine is incredibly dense and filled with symbolism, while also breathtakingly edited and includes powerful battle sequences.)
