General Suvorov

A truly magnificent biopic co-directed by Pudovkin and Doller who had previously worked together on 'The end of St. Petersburg' fifteen years earlier. The subject of this is the brilliant military commander who served under Catherine the Great and her blockhead of a son Paul and achieved the rare feat of never having lost a battle. This inspirational figure is portrayed by Nicolay P. Cherkasov with Aleksandr Khanov as his second-in command, both of whom are excellent. By far the most effective scenes are those in the Swiss Alps. Pudovkin's preferred cinematographers Golovniya and Lobova have captured extraordinarily majestic and beautiful images whilst the editing by V. Sukhova of the taking of the Gotthard Pass and Devil's Bridge is breathtaking. This editor alas only worked on three films as far as I'm aware. Also effective is the scene where Suvorov addresses his weary, hungry and battle-scarred veterans known as the 'gentleman cavaliers' who proudly declare that they have never retreated in forty years. After his successful Italian campaign against the French, Suvorov was prevented by 'politics' from marching on Paris. Interesting to speculate how history would have changed had he been allowed to press on. As a postscript, within six months of this morale-boosting film being released Russia was attacked by Nazi Germany.

Unfortunately Vsevolod Pudovkin, the director of "Mother(Mat)"(1926) and "The end of St.Petersberh"(1927) is now usually mentioned as a master of "Soviet montage school" outdated after the commercial and artistic triumph of full-talkie movies. We, living outside Russia and the other countries that were a part of USSR, know very limited information about films like "Suvorov".

This film is a clear manifestation of the famous director's skill and talent not limited by the technology of silent era.

It was made in the first period of WW 2,apparently for raising patriotic pathos in the nation ( and 5 months after its release the German army attacked USSR). But how it was made!

Top level actors' performance, accurately clear and tight composition(unlike recent Hollywood dull lengthy "blockbusters"), Anatoli Golovnya's shooting on risky high mountains, and the masterful control over all of those elements by Pudovkin (though credit title tells it's co-directed with Mikhail Doller ,I think that was only some kind of formal excuse for Soviet authorities disliking "formalism"of montage school). "Suvorov" convinced me again that Pudovkin was not only an interesting theorist of cinema, but also a master of film art.

It's very sad that such a brilliant film,like many films during WW 2 made in other countries than USA and France (which represent 2 "mainstreams"of academic film studies ) now attract little attention of foreign film fans.

Before watching it looked 5-hour documentary about the Suvorov and ordered his book "Science of Victory" ... I look forward to :) In school we learned a lot about Suvorov, like everything, everything on the fly, casual, required us to remember some bare facts. Disclosure of the identity of Suvorov and transformed me. Positive! Education has made it a lifetime highly motivated, highly spiritual leader, the commander of which he dreamed and dreams can be said every soldier. The film is perfectly chosen the right actor, and in appearance, and facial expression, and speech. Let it squandered all the battles and left only a trek through the Alps, however, the cancellation Crescendo! It is better that his short line segment his life is done, most likely, will not, that approach to the movie is constantly changing ... Quite a motivating speech late on Soviets way. The film was shown in the 40s, right during the Second World War, he must have a positive impact on the morale and patriotism of the people, as well as Alexander Nevsky. I liked it very much to their charge and morality.