Ditya bolshogo goroda (1914)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Yevgeni Bauer

Writer:

Yevgeni Bauer (writer)

Release Date:

5 March 1914 (Russia)

Genre:

Drama | Short

Plot:

Seamstress Mary dreams of a better life in luxury instead of her badly paid job in a sweatshop. Her dreams come true...

Plot Keywords:

Three Word Title

Cast

Yelena Smirnova	...	Manetschka / Mary
Nina Kosljaninowa	...	Manetschka as child
Michael Salarow	...	Viktor Krawzow
Arseniy Bibikov	...	Kramskoi, his friend
Emma Bauer	...	The dancer
Leonid Jost	...	The lackey
Lidiya Tridenskaya	...	The washerwoman

Also Known As:

Child of the Big City (USA)
The Girl from the Street (International: English title)

Runtime:

37 min

Country:

Russia

Language:

Russian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Draped in Theatre

This is early in the short film-making career of Yevgeni Bauer, perhaps the greatest director of the 1910s, even when considering D.W. Griffith. Bauer quickly mastered the medium, with films such as 'After Death' (1915) and 'The Dying Swan' (1917). That, however, is not visible here. 'Child of the Big City' isn't very different from other films of the time. The storytelling is rather traditional, although the content might seem especially despairing to one not familiar with such Russian preferences. The end is starkly to the point, but Bauer doesn't accomplish such in the rest of the film.

Bauer's direction isn't very advanced, although it remains impressive compared to many contemporaries. The camera is mostly stationary, with long takes. There are some exceptions in camera placement, such as the overhead angled shots. There are some moments of fine continuity editing, but Bauer seems to have mostly concentrated on filling scenes with props. I noticed two dolly shots, but the one of the dancer contains jump cuts. Additionally, the low-key lighting in one scene creates a silhouette of Vicktor.

What I found most interesting, however, were the shots through windows, doors, and archways, but especially through drapery. Bauer hung drapery in the bedroom of the most impressive scenes in 'Twilight of a Woman's Soul' (1913). In 'Child of the Big City,' it's a reminder of the theatricality of the film. How the characters remove the curtains during some scenes seems artificial, as well.