The New Babylon (1929)
"Novyy Vavilon" (original title)

In the beginning of the industrial revolution, the Paris Commune was established in 1871 against the rich and the powerful, and violently repressed by the army that remained faithful to a ... See full summary »

Directors:

Grigori Kozintsev, Leonid Trauberg

Writers:

Grigori Kozintsev, Leonid Trauberg

Stars:

David Gutman, Yelena Kuzmina, Andrei Kostrichkin

Cast

Credited cast:
David Gutman	...	Owner of the 'New Babylon' shop
Yelena Kuzmina	...	Louise Poirier, the shop-assistant
Andrei Kostrichkin	...	The main shop-assistant
Sofiya Magarill	...	An actress
A. Arnold	...	Commune's Central Committee member
Sergei Gerasimov	...	Lutro, the journalist
Yevgeni Chervyakov	...	National Guard's officer
Pyotr Sobolevsky	...	Jean, the soldier
Yanina Zhejmo	...	Therese, a seamstress
Oleg Zhakov	...	National Guard's soldier
Vsevolod Pudovkin	...	Police intendent
Lyudmila Semyonova	...	Can-can dancer
A. Glushkova	...	Washerwoman
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Emil Gal	...	Bourgeois
S. Gusev	...	Poirier, an old man

Storyline

In the beginning of the industrial revolution, the Paris Commune was established in 1871 against the rich and the powerful, and violently repressed by the army that remained faithful to a tamer form of Republicanism. How could the love story between a young sales girl and a soldier unable to decide if he was pro or against the radical fashion? Two short months were needed for the answer to be found - in blood and tears, and under rain that washes all past memories. Any day, a New Babylon shop will open with frilly things for the bourgeois girls. The washerwomen will be there to wash them.

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Plot Keywords:

revolution | soldier | commune | army | paris commune | 

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Genres:

Drama | History

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Details

Country:

Soviet Union

Language:

Russian

Release Date:

30 November 1929 (USA)

Also Known As:

Shturm neba

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sovkino

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min 93 min (2004th restored Version) 75 min (TV premiere) 80 min (Cinemateca Portuguesa) 102 min (cut)

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

A few weeks before the premiere in March 1929, Soviet censors cut several scenes. This led to Shostakovich's score being dropped entirely, perhaps because it no longer matched the edited film, or because his music was considered too radical.

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Connections

Edited into Histoire(s) du cinéma: Une histoire seule (1989)

User Reviews

Vive la Commune

Shown during the Wellington movie festival 2001 with the original music played by a synphonic orchestra. A rare opportunity and a good surprise.

One may argue that the movie is a dead piece of communist propaganda. Others may see it as a certain vision (Marxist indeed) of a historical event that still haunts French political life more than a century later.

In fact the movie could have been American, the distinction between good and evil is so clear and the treatment of a deep subject rather superficial.

The inspiration from Zola is evident in the course of the story as is the music by Shostakowich punctuated with themes borrowed from French revolutionary songs and Offenbach operas. They were then known to all good Soviet citizens... Only one song is apparently and surprisingly missing, The International.

Nevermind this mystery (I can't see here a mistake) the whole show is really entertaining.