Arsenal (1929)

A soldier returns to Kiev after surviving a train crash and encounters clashes between nationalists and collectivists.

Director:

Aleksandr Dovzhenko

Writer:

Aleksandr Dovzhenko

Stars:

Semyon Svashenko, Georgi Khorkov, Amvrosi Buchma

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview:
Semyon Svashenko	...	Timosh, the Ukrainian (as S. Svashenko)
Georgi Khorkov	...	A Red Army Soldier (as G. Khorkov)
Amvrosi Buchma	...	Laughing-Gassed German Soldier (as A. Buchma)
Dmitri Erdman	...	A German Officer (as D. Erdman)
Sergey Petrov	...	A German Soldier (as S. Petrov)
M. Mikhajlovsky	...	A Nationalist (as Mikhajlovsky)
Aleksandr Evdakov	...	Tsar Nikolas II (as A. Evdakov)

Storyline

Set in the bleak aftermath and devastation of the World War I, a recently demobbed soldier, Timosh, returns to his hometown Kiev, after having survived a train wreck. His arrival coincides with a national celebration of Ukrainian freedom, but the festivities are not to last as a disenchanted.

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Plot Keywords:

silent film | soviet union | 1910s | communist revolution | revolution | 

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Goofs

In a scene early in the film, a soldier lies dead, covered with sand, but the sand can be seen to rise and fall with the actor's breathing.

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Connections

Referenced in Historia del cine: Epoca muda (1983)

User Reviews

Brilliant, multi-layered masterpiece

For several years I had a decent quality print on video and was always fascinated by this film. Very few motion pictures are as visually striking and intense, but little of the story came through. I just purchased the DVD and the audio commentary track by Vance Kepley really illuminated "Arsenal". Undoubtedly the finest commentary I've yet heard. If this classic movie isn't your cup of tea, get the DVD anyway. Dovzhenko was an artist like few others. His work really deserves rediscovery; hopefully future releases of "Zvenigora", "Earth" and "Aerograd" will have Kepley's commentary as well. But even as they are, Dovzhenko's films are truly essential.

Details

Country:

Soviet Union

Language:

None Russian

Release Date:

9 November 1929 (USA)

Also Known As:

Арсенал

Filming Locations:

Odessa Film Studio, Odessa, Ukraine

Company Credits

Production Co:

Vseukrainske Foto Kino Upravlinnia (VUFKU)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min (Copy with French subtitles at Brussels Musée du Cinéma)

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1