11. Pudovkin 1

Readings

Zabel: “Revolutionary Awakening”

Discussion:

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Film

Pudovkin: Storm Over Asia (1928)

A Mongolian herdsman named Bair who turns out to be the descendant of Genghis Khan joins in the Soviet fight during the Russian Civil War. When he is captured by the British afterwards, they try to use him as a puppet head of their regime. However, Bair turns on the British, and leads the Mongolian soldiers in a charge against the foreigners.

The film was received by critics, both within the Soviet Union and abroad, as ultimately silly and schematic in its ending, although the imagery and construction of the rest of the film was widely praised. It was successful abroad, except for an intervention by the British government which mandated that all subtitles referring to the British be changed to the White Russian Army.

Director: Vsevolod Pudovkin

Writers: Osip Brik, I. Novokshenov

Cast: Valery Inkijinoff, I. Dedintsev, Aleksandr Chistyakov

Year: 1928

Production Company: Mezhrabpom-film