La madre

In wintry 1905 Russia, "Mother" Vera Baranovskaya (as the Mother) toils over housework, while son Nikolai Batalov (as the Son) sleeps. Hard-working husband and father Aleksandr Chistyakov (as the Father) arrives home to drunkenly slap his wife around. In the opening minutes, these three characters are clearly drawn. The younger man represents collective (striking) workers while his father sides with the (oppressive) establishment. "Mother" Russia must balance love and duty. Her final decision should come as no surprise. This film highly regarded but sometimes difficult to follow. Director Vsevolod Pudovkin moves the story effectively, with quick shots. This should help you stick with it for the excellent final thirty minutes.

******* Mat (10/11/26) Vsevolod Pudovkin ~ Vera Baranovskaya, Nikolai Batalov, Aleksandr Chistyakov, Ivan Koval-Samborsky

Pudovkin's Mother is a strong film that refused to be bound by the limitations of its time and should remain interesting to contemporary audiences. The plot of the film is simply outstanding. While some would say it was to be expected since the film is based off of a novel by Maxim Gorky, it should be noted that good source material does not guarantee cinematic success. The film follows a mother and her revolutionist son, Pavel, as they navigate a series of difficulties resulting from her son's allegiance.

With no speech, a major challenge for silent films is the creation of multidimensional characters. Pudovkin overcomes this challenge by being able to capture the emotions of the characters. I thought the mother, was exceptionally interesting. Her struggle did not only represent that of a loving mother, but also that of a movement. Pudovkin make great use of the camera, whether it was a side profile emphasizing the pensiveness of the character or a well-timed frontal close-up, he facilitates our ride on this emotional roller-coaster.

For the most part, I really enjoyed the pacing of the film. While the pacing did vary in tempo, it was always well within its own "groove." Even in the extremely exciting conclusion, one did not get to feel the extremely fast-paced tempo of a Battleship Potemkin, which I believe speaks to the differences between the directors. On that note, it was interesting to see how Pudovkin's use of montage differed. His cuts were far more gradual and subtle when compared to Eisenstein's in Battleship which contributed to the stability of the film.

All in all, Mother was a good watch and one of the stronger films that we have seen.

This is one of the classic Soviet silent films. The story is about a family torn apart by a worker's strike. At first, the mother wants to protect her family from the troublemakers, but eventually she realizes that her son is right and the workers should strike. The plot is similar to other Soviet films of the era but does focus more on the individual than some of Eisenstein's films. The mother and son do represent the collective but they are also strong characters on their own.

The best part of the film is the editing. It is always sharp and quick. When there is action, the edits are fast and give the viewer a sense of chaos. The Soviets were masters of montage and this film is a prime example. The acting is also better than in most silent films. It is clear that the actors come from the serious stage and not Vaudeville. The cinematography is somewhat average, though, and the film feels a little flat at times. It is not perfect, but it is worth seeing for all and essential viewing for those interested in Russian film or montage.

The top three directors of Soviet Era during the Silent Era were Sergei Eisenstein, Alexander Dovzhenko, and Vesevolod Pudovkin. While Eisenstein is still readily available in quality home video offerings, the same could not be said of the other two. All three were previously issued on DVD by Kino back around the turn of the century and this Flicker Alley edition is an upgraded version of those releases. While MOTHER and THE END OF SAINT PETERSBURG are virtually the same, STORM OVER ASIA has improved sonic and picture quality thanks to a digital restoration.

MOTHER (1926) was Pudovkin's first feature film and it follows the fate of a poor Russian woman who is married to a drunken, brutal husband and whose son hopes for a better life. The setting is 1905, the date of the aborted first Russian uprising and it pits father against son. Both work at the same factory but take different sides in the conflict. Finally the mother becomes involved in the conflict with tragic results. Pudovkin's use of faces and especially his montage editing (inspired by D. W. Griffith's INTOLERANCE) create a powerful drama with the proper pro-Soviet viewpoint.

THE END OF SAINT PETERSBURG (1927), which was made to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution, is more abstract in style following the example of Sergei Eisenstein in his films STRIKE and BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN. It focuses on two Russian peasants who go to St Petersburg in search of work only to wind up fighting in World War I before getting caught up in the Revolution. While the imagery, especially those of trench warfare is astonishing, the story is very persuasive Soviet propaganda. The trademark use of montage editing is really utilized in the film's finale.

The crown jewel of the set as far as I am concerned is STORM OVER ASIA (1928) which should have kept its original title of THE HEIR TO GENGHIS KHAN. This story of a young Mongolian nomad who is believed to be descended from Genghis Khan is far less a polemic than a character study not only of him but of the Mongolian people. The film records an authentic Buddhist ceremony that still has the power to astound and enthrall over 90 years later. We follow the main character from nomad to Soviet fighter to a potential pawn of the British Empire as a puppet king. The so-called "storm" doesn't occur until the very end. Bonuses include a 16 page booklet, audio commentary, features on montage editing, and Pudovkin's short comedy CHESS FEVER...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.

Set in Russia during the harsh winter of 1905. A mother finds herself caught in emotional conflict between her husband and son when they find themselves on opposite sides of a worker's strike. The son is a supporter of the workers but the father has been blackmailed into supporting the bosses and blacklegs. Despite the grief which follows the mother gradually comes to support the strikers and eventually is prepared to risk everything in standing up to police and Cossak troops in a demonstration endangering both herself and her precious son.