Baltic Deputy (1937) User Reviews

A Fresh Take on Soviet Film

[joemargolies · 7/10 · 1 March 2013]

Baltic Deputy affords a largely unseen perspective on the 1917 Revolution: that of Dmitri Polezhaev, a scientist who–exceptionally–publicly advocated the Soviet ideal during the early days of Lenin's revolution. Although the plot of the film is often confusing, it is on the whole a very interesting and fresh portrayal of the struggle for communism against adversity. At no point in the film is its Soviet agenda unclear; Polezhaev is the clear protagonist–with science, truth, and the common man's best interests at heart. His adherents are kind and intelligent, and no visual or dialogue even so much as implies a clear motive for the actions of his detractors. Unlike many Soviet films, however, Baltic Deputy does not portray a group of underdogs or a simple folk hero, but rather an esteemed scientist and professor–a character who would usually appear as a villain–who must struggle against the group of intellectual elites to which he belongs. The central conflict, therefore, is not between the people and their monolithic, alien enemy, but between a man and his former colleagues. Its uniqueness gives Baltic Deputy interest. Like much other Soviet media, it champions working for the good of the people, condemns the bourgeois elite, and glorifies the work of revolutionaries, but it does so in a new way.

Baltic Deputy, however, is not perfect. The plot is often difficult to follow due to its convention of giving equal time and emphasis to all events, whether crucial or merely supportive and emotion is concentrated at awkward moments to force the party line. Polezhaev's call from Lenin, and his impassioned speech to the Petrograd Soviet are examples of critical scenes that emphasize the Soviet message, but are framed inadequately by emotionally dull transitions. Even considering its cinematic shortcomings, however, Baltic Deputy portrays a side of Soviet film that is often unseen, and worthy of recognition.

Original perspective, but lacks depth

[dminkin · 6/10 · 4 March 2013]

Some surprising differences between Baltic Deputy and its Soviet contemporaries focusing on the revolution is where the battle between the proponents of revolution and those against it is staged, and who the combatants are. While war rages abroad, and gunfire erupts in the streets, there is yet more conflict in an unlikely place: the home of one Professor Polezhayev, a distinguished man specializing in plant physiology. While he is finishing his book on subject, he writes an article to the papers expressing a pro-Bolshevik viewpoint. From there on, he is antagonized by his students, abandoned by his friends, and even hindered in the publication of his book by his pupil of fifteen years. All from the immediate negative reaction from the one article.

Thus the battle is between intellectuals. Intellectuals are not considered the backbone of the party, and are ever mistrusted, and yet the film does find a place for Polezhayev (who is not a Bolshevik) to serve the needs of the party by extending his knowledge and discourse to the ears of the Proletariat. That such an idea should separate Polezhayev from the rest of the caste of intellectuals and in turn separate Bolsheviks from the Mensheviks or any other political affiliation is a preposterously shallow notion to put forth. It is unfathomable that some of the men and women who devote their lives to the attainment and dissemination of knowledge only do so with a mind to limit their potential audience to those who they can address as a "sir". Polezhayev's "narrow-minded" pupil, however, takes on the role of such a person. He cannot help but sneer at the thought of Polezhayev giving a lecture to sailors, refusing to do so himself. Additionally, Vorobyov makes every effort to block the publication of Polezhayev's book. There's no reason for this. A book on plant physiology cannot possibly support any political party.

Vorobyov only believes Polezhayev betrayed his principles when writing an article for the papers. In fact at the beginning of the film he had thought it high time the book was to be published before he read the article. Such inaccurate portrayals of the "enemy" made for a very cheap victory for Polezhayev and for the film's central thesis. Even the relationship between the sailors and Polezhayev the film tried to cultivate through the use of the motif of a "deputy", where Misha's assistant (a "deputy" of sorts) elects Polezhayev as the "deputy" representing the Baltic sailors at the Petrograd Soviet, falls flat as the two had very little interconnectivity throughout the film.