The Volga Boatman

Even in his early days, DeMille was a technological wizard who applied the credo "more is better" to his movies. In his silent epic, The Volga Boatman, he certainly employed all the cinematic devices available to him to paint a picture of the Bolshevik revolution, not so much on a sweeping political scale, as on a personal level, that of a peasant and a princess.

The imagery in this movie is DeMille at his most visually expressive: the Volga boatmen, the human mules of Russia, in their rags contrasting with the richly dressed aristocrats, particularly Princess Vera whose gowns were designed by Adrian; the clock in the background inexorably ticking away the minutes of Vera's life as she plays the brave aristocrat, defying Feodor, the steely-eyed boatman/Bolshevik leader, not to love her; and the grand ballroom scene where the cream of Russian society dances while Mother Russia convulses in political upheaval.

Imagery conveys meaning in silent movies more so than the dialog, however, the dialog in The Volga Boatman is studded with acerbic lines emphasizing the disparity between classes and adding to the overall atmosphere of cultural inequality. Unfortunately, we only read one of the best lines of dialog ever written. Despite the fact that Bill Boyd's (Feodor's) rich baritone voice was a generous mixture of northern Oklahoma and north Hollywood accents, I enjoy imagining what he could have done with the line: "We've waited 500 years for freedom, you can wait five minutes to die."

As a devoted fan of the movies, particularly movies having some historical content, The Volga Boatman remains a highly appealing and "watchable" film for me because it focuses on timeless human relationships and not the stale political tracts which can be supplanted. In addition, DeMille's technical craftsmanship is most ably demonstrated in the beautiful composition of each scene. Mr. DeMille went on to direct Technicolor extravaganza's but this hand-tinted, silent classic is one that stands out as an example of DeMille at his cinematic best.

William Boyd (as Feodor) is a Volga river boatman "whose broad breast and ringing voice never tired because he dreamed a dream of freedom." Elinor Fair (as Princess Vera) is "in that delightful feminine state of intending to say 'yes' but acting 'no'" to Victor Varconi (as Prince Dimitri Orloff), "an Officer of the Czar's Guard" who is "just a man waiting for a woman's 'yes' or 'no'." Ms. Fair and Mr. Varconi become engaged, but the Princess falls in love with the un-Princely Mr. Boyd. Their entanglements are played out against the Russian Revolution.

Nice looking film by Cecil B. DeMille, J. Peverell Marley, and others. The performances begin well; especially future "Hopalong Cassidy" star Boyd - in his scene meeting Fair and Varconi, Boyd intensely shows anger, lust, and disgust. Unfortunately, the film peaks there. If you make it through the running time, you should watch for the scene when Boyd gives Fair five minutes say her prayers, before he means to kill her - she rips her dress a little to mark her upper chest with an "X" for his targeting convenience! There are some additional titillating strip scenes (which don't titillate, by the way).

"The Volga Boatman" is as slow moving and predictable as its protagonist. Theodore Kosloff, Julia Faye, and Robert Edeson try to liven things up among the Red Russians. White Russian Varconi makes a wise decision at the end. Off-screen, Boyd and Fair would marry; surprisingly, there is noting very extraordinary about their on-screen romance - they look better with Faye and Varconi...

***** The Volga Boatman (1926) Cecil B. DeMille ~ William Boyd, Elinor Fair, Victor Varconi

I thought Volga boatmen were workers on boats that traveled on the Volga river. I was shocked and pained to see they were human beasts of burden. C.B. DeMille got his message through to me - loud & clear. He set a very high production & story telling standard for his contemporaries and all those who would follow him. William Boyd's eyes pierce your soul. He is very exotic looking. He did an excellent job portraying an idealistic Bolshevik leader. It was interesting viewing to watch him struggle with the challenges he encountered while battling for freedom. (If I were Princess Vera, I wouldn't be able to give him up either.) The Silent movies you have to sit down, watch and concentrate. This film, its' story and William Boyd are unforgettable.

Given what it aimed to do, which is to provide interesting entertainment, Cecil B. DeMille's lavish production of "The Volga Boatman" succeeds pretty well. It makes quite an interesting contrast with the films made on the Russian Revolution by the great Soviet-era film-makers such as Eisenstein, Dovzhenko, and Pudovkin, yet it would be rather unfair to compare it directly with movies that had a much different goal.

DeMille's feature primarily uses the 1917 setting in Hollywood fashion, simply as a fascinating background to the main human-interest story of loyalty and love. Yet the relative lack of bias is quite apparent, with both admirable characters and scoundrels being found both among the Whites and among the Reds. DeMille even unexpectedly tries his hand at comedy on a few occasions, and it usually works well enough.

The two main characters are very interesting, and they are brought to life effectively. As Princess Vera, Elinor Fair believably portrays her aristocratic poise and haughtiness, while successfully showing how she could also sympathize with and admire the boatman Feodor, in spite of her beliefs. As Feodor, William Boyd keeps it simple but convincing, making his Red hero one-dimensional in personality but complex in his sense of right and wrong. The third main character, Prince Dimitri, is much more straightforward, but Victor Varconi does well enough in bringing out the coldness that belies the weaknesses inside him.

Though the story emphasizes the complicated ways that these three are brought together in the course of events, it does provide some interesting glimpses into the historical setting as well. DeMille was in his element in re-creating the Volga setting along the banks of the Sacramento River, and that and all of the settings are used effectively. The constant use of the "boatmen" and their painful lot in life is an effective image for the condition of the majority of Russians under tsarist rule. All in all, as long as you don't compare it with the great Russian film classics about the same era, "The Volga Boatman" is an enjoyable movie to watch.

"The Volga Boatman" is an interesting film if only for a better idea of the capabilities of William Boyd, an actor known to most only as "Hopalong Cassidy". Boyd, as a DeMille discovery and contract player was in many of DeMille's films for his own studio, after Paramount and before his 3 year stint at M.G.M. DeMille loved Russian affectations at the time, even to wearing Cossack shirts when on his country home called "The Paradise Ranch". The long-standing tradition of eschewing accurate wardrobe in order to appeal to a more contemporary audience is very noticeable in this film. The designer, Adrian, chose (or was directed to choose) decidedly late 1920's fashions for this film. These are not the high waisted hobble skirts of the period, and do not resemble photographs of the women of the Russian royal family whose fashion sense seemed to be closer to the turn of the century rather than 1914-1918. The scenes in which the upper class men and women are pulling the wagons through the mud in their evening clothes reveals the short hemlines and t-strap high heeled shoes so popular in the nineteen-twenties. That the women's clothes are beautiful is beside the point. DeMille was a populist and rather liked being in the forefront of fashion so that the "Volga" wardrobe doesn't contribute to the realism of the film.