RUSS 157 - A Revolutionary Apocalypse: Russian Civil War in Film

0.5 unit(s)

The Russian Revolution of 1917, rather bloodless at its initial stages, resulted in an all out war waged from 1918 into the early 1920s. Numerous factions (Reds, Whites, “Greens,” Anarchists, nationalists and the rest, all the way down to mere adventurers and bandits) and also invading foreign armies (German, British, American, French, Polish, and many others) fought at the vast expanses of the former Russian Empire. Our course examines the legacy of the Civil War in Russian film. We cover Eisenstein’s propaganda masterpieces (The Battleship Potemkin, October), early works of Socialist Realism and also the complex body of cinematic texts of the later Soviet years in a variety of genres from high tragedy to the ironic “Eastern.” We conclude with recent revisionist takes on the topic produced during the post-Soviet period. Dan Ungurianu.

Second six-week course.

Two 75-minute periods accompanied by film screenings.

Not offered in 2019/20.

Course Format: CLS