Chapayev (1934)
"Chapaev" (original title)

This film is based on the book about Vasili Ivanovich Chapaev (1887 - 1919) who was in real life the Commander of the 25th Division of the Red Army. Chapaev is an uneducated peasant and a ... See full summary »

Directors:

Georgi Vasilyev, Sergei Vasilyev

Writers:

Anna Furmanov, Dimitri Furmanov (novel),

Stars:

Boris Babochkin, Leonid Kmit, Varvara Myasnikova

1 win.

Cast

Credited cast:
Boris Babochkin	...	Chapayev
Leonid Kmit	...	Petka
Varvara Myasnikova	...	Anka
Boris Blinov	...	Furmanov
Illarion Pevtsov	...	Colonel Borozdin
Stepan Shkurat	...	Borozdin's striker
Vyacheslav Volkov	...	Yelan
Nikolai Simonov	...	Zhikharev
Boris Chirkov	...	Peasant
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Emil Gal	...	Tall veterinary sergeon
Mikhail Gipsi	...	A red soldier
Konstantin Nazarenko	...	The Lanky Fellow
Mikhail Rostovtsev	...	Short veterinary sergeon
Georgi Vasilyev	...	A white officer
Victor Yablonsky	...	Cossack

Storyline

This film is based on the book about Vasili Ivanovich Chapaev (1887 - 1919) who was in real life the Commander of the 25th Division of the Red Army. Chapaev is an uneducated peasant and a decorated hero in the World War I and later in the Russian Civil War, that followed the Russian revolution. This man of action is fighting on the side of the poor people. His troops consist of peasants, just like him. Unable to write, he can brilliantly demonstrate various battle tactics by moving potatoes on the table. He is street smart. He never lost a battle against the experienced Generals of the Tzar's Army.

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Plot Keywords:

russian revolution | red army | russian civil war | bolshevik | cult film | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | History | War

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Details

Country:

Soviet Union

Language:

Russian

Release Date:

14 January 1935 (USA)

Also Known As:

Chapayev

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lenfilm Studio

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

P.S. Chapaev and his assistants Petka and Anka are the popular characters of hundreds of Russian jokes.

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Connections

Featured in La société du spectacle (1973)

User Reviews

A Russian classic

The film is based on the diaries of Commissioner Furmanov, Chapayev's right-hand man and one of the heroes of the film. It tells the story of Vassiliy Ivanovich Chapayev, a Red Army hero during the Russian Civil War (1918-1922). The illiterate chief of a gang of marauding cavalry men is portrayed as a noble protector of the common folk and a brave soldier, a menace to the evil White Army. Interestingly enough, this 1930s war epic is mostly famous not for its Communist propaganda (nothing else can really be expected from Soviet movies of that period) or its realistic portrayal of the Civil War battles, but for a countless number of jokes and anecdotes about the movie heroes. In that sense Chapayev has become a huge part of the Russian street folklore and one of the most famous Soviet movies ever made. Vassiliy Ivanovich, Petka, Anka (the last two's romance is an interesting subplot in the film) and even the stoic Furmanov are laughed at by millions and millions of Russians for God knows how long now. As for the movie itself, it is far from a comedy although there are some light-hearted moments, mainly dealing with Chapayev's illiteracy and Petka's flirt with Anka. It may not be 100% true to history or to Furmanov's accounts (for example, the real-life Petka died a much more gruesome death than his movie counterpart) but it is an interesting look at the Civil War and one of its most legendary figures.