1

SL7:SOVIETANDRUSSIANCINEMA

Courseconvenors2016-17

DrEmmaWiddis(ekw1000)andDr.SusanLarsen(sl545)

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ContentsofHandbook

1. Summary 3

2. TextsandPrimarySources 4

3. TopicOutlines 5

4. TeachingandLearningOutcomes 12

5. Lectureschedule(andcoreviewingforlectures) 13

6. Supervisionscheduleandessaytitles 15

7. Sampleexaminationpaper 27

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THEPAPER

ThiscourseinvestigatesthehistoryofSovietandRussiancinemafromitsbeginningsinthe

early20thcenturythroughthepresent:fromearlysilentcomediesandmelodramastothe

emergenceoftheavant-gardeinthe1920s;fromStalinistblockbustersofthe1930s

throughtheSoviet‘NewWave’ofthe1960s;fromthetumultuouschangesof

theglasnost’erathroughthepostmodernchallengesofthepresent.Thepaperencourages

studentstoexploretheworkofoneormoredirectorsindepth,butitalsoasksstudentsto

thinkcomparativelyabouttheevolutionoffilmmakingpractices,genresandthemesacross

historicalperiodsandchangesinpoliticalregime.

ThiscourseisopentostudentsinbothPartIBandPartII;itdoesnotassumeanypriorstudy

offilm,butitstudentswillbeexpectedtoreadawiderangeofcritical,historicaland

theoreticaltexts(inbothEnglishandRussian)asessentialcontextforthefilmsunder

discussion.

Topicsfor2015-16arethefollowing:

1.RevolutionaryFilmCulture:FromBoulevardtoAvant-Garde

2.FromSilencetoSound:Eisenstein,VertovandtheFactoryoftheEccentricActor

3.TheOtherSovietClassics:PopularCinemaintheStalinEra

4.SovietCinemaAfterStalin:RewritingthePast,ConfrontingthePresent

5.RussianCinemafromPerestroikatothePresent

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TEXTS

Filmsaretheprimarytextsforthiscourse,supplementedwithexcerpts(inRussian,but

oftenwithEnglishtranslations)fromfilmmakers'writingsandcontemporarycritics

responsestotheseworks.ManybutnotallfilmswillbeavailablewithEnglishorRussian

subtitles.Youmaywatchfilmsonline(byfollowingthelinksalreadypostedonMoodle)or

bycheckingdisksoutoftheMMLlibrary.Ifthereissignificantstudentinterest,wewill

arrangegroupscreeningsofthemostsignificantfilmsassignedforthecourse:watchingon

abigscreenalwaysgivesyouabettersenseofafilm'svisualcomposition.Insomeinstances

publishedscenariosorshootingscriptsareavailableforthefilmswewillstudy;thesewill

reducethelinguisticchallengethatworkingwithfilmmaypresent.Secondaryreadingwill

includecritical,historicalandtheoreticaltexts.

Eachtopicbelowisfollowedbyalistofthefilmsthatmaybediscussedinlecturesand

supervisions.YouareNOTexpectedtostudyeveryfilmlistedhere,butyouareexpectedto

watchatleast4ofthefilmsidentifiedas'coreviewing'foreachtopicinordertodevelopa

broadrangeofreferenceforthepaperasawhole.Trytowatchasmanyasyoucanover

thesummer:mostareavailableonyoutube,sometimesevenwithsubtitles(linksare

postedintherelevantfolderonMoodle).Browsingtherecommendedbackgroundand

secondaryreadingwillhelpyouselectwhichfilmsyoumostwant(andneed)towatch.

ESSENTIALBACKGROUNDREADING:

Bordwell,DavidandThompson,Kristin.FilmArt:AnIntroduction[skimtoacquireabasic

graspofthetechniquesandterminologyoffilmanalysis;manyveryinexpensive

usededitionsofthistextareavailableforsaleonlinefromplaceslikeamazon;any

editionisfineforourpurposes:theupdatessimplyusemorerecentfilmexamples.

Makesurethatyoupurchase‘FilmArt:AnIntroduction’,not‘FilmHistory:An

Introduction’]

Beumers,Birgit.AHistoryofRussianCinema[skimtogetabroadsenseoftheprincipal

developmentsanddebatesinRussianandSovietcinema]

ADDITIONALBACKGROUNDREADING(eachoftheseisakeyreferenceworkforatleast

oneofthefivetopics):

Beumers,Birgit,ed.,CompaniontoRussianCinema(WileyBlackwall,2016):thisisan

expensivebook,soshouldnotbebought,butyoumayfinditausefulpointof

referenceoverthecourse).

Tsivian,Yuri.EarlyCinemainRussiaandItsCulturalReceptionGillespie,David.EarlySovietCinema:Innovation,IdeologyandPropagandaWiddis,Emma.VisionsofaNewLand:SovietFilmfromtheRevolutiontotheSecondWorld

WarWoll,Josephine.RealImages:SovietCinemaandtheThawCondee,Nancy.TheImperialTrace:RecentRussianCinema

Ashortlistofadditionalrecommendedbackgroundreadingisappendedtothedescriptions

ofeachtopicbelow.

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TOPICS

1.REVOLUTIONARYFILMCULTURE:FROMBOULEVARDTOAVANT-GARDE

ThismodulefocusesonthewaysinwhichthefirstRussianfilmmakerssoughttoreconcile

populartasteswithpoliticalimperatives,bothbeforeandaftertherevolution.Itwill

addressquestionsofgenre,silentfilmform,earlyfilmperformancepractices,theinfluence

ofWesternmodelsandinnovationsinfilmeditingtechniques(i.e.montazh).[NotethatALLofthefilmstobestudiedforthistopicaresilentandmanyofthemareveryshort.]

Coreviewing:Bauer,Grezy(1915);Poslesmerti(1915).Zhizn'zazhizn'(ALifeforaLife,1916),Eisenstein,Stachka(Strike,1925);BronenosetsPotemkin(BattleshipPotemkin,1925)Protazanov,Aelita(1924)Kuleshov,NeobychainyeprikliucheniiamisteraVestavstranebol’shevikov(Extraordinary

AdventuresofMisterWestintheLandoftheBolsheviks,1924)

KozintsevandTrauberg,Shinel’(1926),Novyivavilon(NewBabylon,1929)Ermler,OblomokImperii(FragmentofanEmpire,1929)

Corereading:Eisenstein,'TheMontageofAttractions'(1923);'TheMontageofFilmAttractions'(1924)

Kuleshov'Americaniitis','ThePrinciplesofMontage';othershorttexts

Kozintsev,Traubergetal.,'TheEccentricManifesto(1922)

Additionalfilms:Barnet,DomnaTrubnoi(HouseonTrubnaiaStreet,1928)Bauer,Revoliutsioner(TheRevolutionary,1917);Umiraiushchiilebed'(TheDyingSwan,

1917))Pudovkin,Shakhmtnaiagoriachka(ChessFever,1925);Mat'(Mother,1926);KonetsSankt-

Peterburga(TheEndofSt.Petersburg,1927);PotomokChingizKhana(StormOver

Asia,1928)Room,Tret'iameshchanskaia(BedandSofa,1927)Slavinskii,Baryshniaikhuligan(TheYoungLadyandtheHooligan,1918)

Recommendedbackgroundreading:Christie,IanandTaylor,Richard(eds),TheFilmFactory:RussianandSovietCinemain

Documents,1896-1939.LondonandNY:Routledge,1994.Tsivian,Yuri.EarlyCinemainRussiaandItsCulturalReception.Chicago:UofChicagoP,

1998.

Youngblood,DeniseJ.TheMagicMirror:MoviemakinginRussia,1908-1918Youngblood,Denise.MoviesfortheMasses:PopularCinemaandSovietSocietyinthe1920sKeytheoreticalsources:

Doane,MaryAnn."Melodrama,Temporality,Recognition:AmericanandRussianSilent

Cinema."East-West:FilmJournal4.2(June1990):69-89.Gaines,Jane."RevolutionaryTheory/PrerevolutionaryMelodrama."Discourse17.3(Spring

1995):101-118.

Grieveson,Lee,andPeterKramer.TheSilentCinemaReader.1edition.Routledge,2003.

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Keybackgroundsourcesontheperiod:

Kapterev,Sergei.‘MezhdunovymIstarymsvetom.Nekotoryeproblemykul’turnogo

kontekstasovetskogonemogokino.’

http://pub.unibielefeld.de/luur/download?func=downloadFile&recordOId=2305017&fileOId

=2305058

Kenez,Peter.CinemaandSovietSociety,1917-1953.NY:CambridgeUP,1992.

Listov,Viktor."EarlySovietCinema:thespontaneousandtheplanned,1917-1924."

HistoricalJournalofFilm,RadioandTelevision11.2(1991):121-127.StockholmStudiesinRussianLiterature11.Stockholm:Almqvist&WiksellIntnl,

1979.237-263.

Taylor,RichardandIanChristie,eds.TheFilmFactory:RussianandSovietCinemainDocuments,1896-1939.Cambridge,MA:HarvardUP,1988.particularlydocuments

8-11,13,22,39-40.

Taylor,Richard."Agitation,PropagandaandtheCinema:TheSearchforNewSolutions,

1917-1921."Art,Society,Revolution:Russia,1917-1921.Ed.NilsAkeNilsson.

--."TheBirthoftheSovietCinema."BolshevikCulture:ExperimentandOrderintheRussianRevolution.Ed.AbbottGleason,PeterKenez,andRichardStites.Bloomington:

IndianaUP,1985.

Tsivian,Yuri.EarlyCinemainRussiaanditsCulturalReception.Tr.AlanBodger.Ed.Richard

Taylor.London:Routledge,1994.

--."EarlyRussianCinema:SomeObservations."InsidetheFilmFactory:NewApproachestoRussianandSovietCinema.Ed.RichardTaylorandIanChristie.London:Routledge,1991.

--ImmaterialBodies.CD-ROM(offersillustratedoverviewandanalysisofsilentcinema

actingandfilmingstyle.

Yangirov,Rashit."SovietCinemaintheTwenties:nationalalternatives."Trans.Richard

Taylor.HistoricalJournalofFilm,RadioandTelevision11.2(1991):129-139.Youngblood,DeniseJ.TheMagicMirror:MoviemakinginRussia,1908-1918.Univof

WisconsinPress,1999.Youngblood,DeniseJeanne.SovietCinemaintheSilentEra,1918-1935.UniversityofTexas

Press,1991.

OnBauer:

Boele,O.F.,O.F.Boele,1016510,andFaculteitderGeesteswetenschappen.“AfterDeath,

theMovie(1915)-IvanTurgenev,EvgeniiBauerandtheAestheticsofMorbidity.”

https://openaccess.leidenuniv.nl/handle/1887/16319.

DeBlasio,Alyssa.“ChoreographingSpace,Time,andDikovinkiintheFilmsofEvgeniiBauer.”

TheRussianReview66,no.4(2007):671–692.doi:10.1111/j.1467-9434.2007.00464.x.

Morley,Rachel.“GenderRelationsintheFilmsofEvgeniiBauer.”TheSlavonicandEastEuropeanReview81,no.1(January1,2003):32–69.doi:10.2307/4213623.

OnKuleshov:

Kepley,VanceJr."TheKuleshovWorkshop."L'EffetKoulechov/TheKuleshovEffect.Iris4.1(1986):5-24.

--."Mr.KuleshovintheLandoftheModernists."TheRedScreen:Politics,Society,ArtinSovietCinema.Ed.AnnaLawton.London:Routledge,1992.

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Kuleshov,Lev.KuleshovonFilm.Tr.RonaldLevaco.Berkeley:UofCAP,1974.

--.SelectedWorks:FifthYearsinFilms.Trans.DmitriAgrachovandNinaBelennkaya.

Moskva:Raduga,1987.

--.Osnovykinorezhissury.Moskva:Goskinoizdat,1941[repub:Moskva:VGIK,1995].

--.Sobraniesochineniivtrekhtomakh.[2volumespublished].Moskva:Iskusstvo,

1987-8.

Petric,Vlada."ASubtextualReadingofKuleshov'sSatireTheExtraordinaryAdventuresof

Mr.WestintheLandoftheBolsheviks(1924)."InsideSovietFilmSatire:LaughterwithaLash.Ed.AndrewHorton.NY:CambridgeUP,1993.

Sokolov,V.S."Kteoreticheskimistolkovaniiam'effektaKuleshova'."Kinovedcheskiezapiski.

6(1990):26-62.

Yampolsky,Mikhail."Kulesbov'sExperimentsandtheNewAnthropologyoftheActor."

SilentFilm.Ed.RichardAbel.NewBrunswick:RutgersUP,1996.

OnProtazanov:

Christie,Ian."DowntoEarth:AelitaRelocated."InsidetheFilmFactory:NewApproachestoRussianandSovietCinema.Ed.RichardTaylorandIanChristie.London:

Routledge,1991.

Christie,IanandJulianGraffy,eds.YakovProtazanovandtheContinuityofRussianCinema.London:BFI/NFT,1993.

Youngblood,Denise."IakovProtazanov,the'RussianGriffith'."MoviesfortheMasses:PopularCinemaandSovietSocietyinthe1920s.ByDeniseYoungblood.NY:Cambridge

UP,1992.

Zorkaia,Neia."IakovProtazanovisovetskoekinoiskusstvo20-khgodov."Voprosykinoiskusstva6(1962):165-91.

2.FROMSILENCETOSOUND:EISENSTEIN,VERTOVANDFEKS(THEFACTORYOFTHE

ECCENTRICACTOR)

ThismoduleexplorestheworkofSergeiEisensteinandtwoavant-garde‘collectives’:Dziga

Vertov’s‘FilmEye’group,andtheFactoryoftheEccentricActor(GrigoriiKozintsev,Leonid

Traubergandothers),focusingonthewaysinwhichtheynavigatedthetransitionfrom

silenttosoundcinema,andalsohoweachadaptedtothechangedpoliticalandartistic

constraintsofthe1930s.Filmswillbestudiedinthecontextofeachdirector'stheoretical

writingsandcontemporarycriticaldebates.

Coreviewing:Eisenstein,BronenosetsPotemkin(1925);IvanGroznyi,Parts1and2(IvantheTerrible,

1944-1946)

Vertov,Chelovekskinoapparatom(1929);Entuziasm(SimfoniiaDonbassa,1930);TripesnioLenin(1932)

KozintsevandTrauberg,Novyivavilon(NewBabylon,1929),Odna(Alone,1931)

Corereading:ShorttextsbyEisenstein,VertovandKozintsev(postedonMoodle

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Additionalfilms:Eisenstein,Oktiabr'(1927);General'naialiniia(TheGeneralLine,1929);AleksandrNevskii

(1938)

Vertov,Shestaiachast'mira(SixthPartoftheWorld,1926);Odinnadtsatyi(TheEleventhYear,1928);

Recommendedbackgroundreading:Bordwell,David.TheCinemaofEisensteinGillespie,David.EarlySovietCinema:Innovation,IdeologyandPropaganda.Hicks,Jeremy.DzigaVertov:DefiningDocumentaryFilm.

Nesbet,Anne.SavageJunctures:SergeiEisensteinandtheShapeofThinkingTaylor,Richard(ed.),ThePoeticsofCinemaLilyaKaganovsky,“TheVoiceofTechnologyandtheEndofSovietSilentFilm:Grigorii

KozintsevandLeonidTrauberg’sAlone’,StudiesInRussianAndSovietCinemaVol.1,Iss.3,2007

NeiaZorkaia,“’Odna’naperekrestakh,”Kinovedcheskiezapiski74:143-158.

3.THEOTHERSOVIETCLASSICS:POPULARCINEMAINTHESTALINERA

ThismodulelooksattheclassicsofSocialistRealistfilmmaking,focusingonpopulargenres:

themusical,theromanticcomedy,themelodramaandthewarfilm.Lectureswillexplore

thewaysinwhichthesefilmsbothconformtoanddeviatefromthenormsofclassical

Hollywoodnarrativecinema.Lectureswillalsoaddresstheconstructionofadistinctively

Sovietsubjectposition;genderednarratives;cinematicLeninsandStalins;laughterand

terror.

Coreviewing:AbramRoom,Strogiiiunosha(1936)Barnet,Okraina(1933)Vasil'evBrothers,Chapaev(1934)Aleksandrov,Volga-Volga(1938),Svetlyiput'(1940)Pyr’ev,Kubanskiekazaki(1949)Iudin,Devushkaskharakterom(1939)KheifitzandZarkhi,Chlenpravitel'stva(1939)Medvedkin,NovaiaMoskva(1938)Romm,Leninv1918g.(1939)Kalatozov,ValeriiChkalov(1939)Raizman,LetchikiI1935),Mashenka(1942)Ermler,Onazashchishchaetrodinu(1943)Timoshenko,Nebesnyitikhokhod(1945)Stolper,Povest'onastoiashchemcheloveke(1948)Chiaureli,PadenieBerlina(1949)

Corereading:Scriptsandexcerptsfromdebatesandreviewsoffilmslistedabove

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Additionalviewing:Savchenko,Garmon'(TheAccordion,1934)Aleksandrov,Veselyerebiata(1934),Vesna(1947)Barnet,Usamogosinegomoria(1936),PodvigRazvedchika(1948)Pyr'ev,Partiinyibilet(1936),;Traktoristy(1939),SvinarkaiPastukh(1941);Skazanieozemle

sibirskoi(1948)Donskoi,Kakzakalialas'stal'(1942);Raduga(TheRainbow,1944);Nepokorennye(1945)Romm,LeninvOktiabre(1938)

Recommendedbackgroundreading:Dobrenko,Evgenii.StalinistCinemaandtheProductionofHistory.Kaganovsky,Lilya.HowtheSovietManwasUnmade:CulturalFantasyandMaleSubjectivity

underStalin.Kenez,Peter,CinemaandSovietSociety,1917-1953Miller,Jamie.SovietCinema:PoliticsandPersuasionunderStalinTaylor,RichardandDerekSpring,eds.StalinismandSovietCinema.Widdis,Emma.VisionsofaNewLand:SovietFilmfromtheRevolutiontotheSecondWorld

War

4.SOVIETCINEMAAFTERSTALIN:REWRITINGTHEPAST,CONFRONTINGTHEPRESENT

ThistopicexaminesthewaysinwhichSovietfilmmakersrebelledagainsttheconstraintsof

theStalinerainboththeformandcontentoftheirwork.Itexploresrevisionistapproaches

tofamiliarplotsandtheemergenceofnewthemesandvisualstyles.Filmmakersonwhose

workstudentsmaywishtoconcentrateinclude:MikhailKalatozov,MarlenKhutsiev,Larisa

Shepitko,GrigoriiChukhrai,KiraMuratova,El'darRiazanov,orAndreiTarkovskii.

Alternatively,studentsmaychoosetoconcentrateonthemesorformalelementsthat

appearintheworkofseveralfilmmakers.Thesemayinclude,butarenotlimitedto:

revisionistapproachestohistoricalsubjects;experimentswithnarrativeform;gender

trouble;soundscapes;iconoclasticvisionsofcityand/orrurallife;generationalconflicts;

filmadaptationsofliterarytexts,etc.

Coreviewing:Riazanov,Karnaval'naianoch'(1956),Devushkabezadresa(1957)Khutsiev,Vesnanazarechnoiulitse(1957),Mne20let(Iam20,1962-5),Iul'skiidozhd',

1966)

Kalatozov,Letiatzhuravli(1957),Neotpravlennoepis'mo(TheUnsentLetter,1959)Chukhrai,Balladaosoldate(Balladofasoldier,1959);Chistoenebo(ClearSkies,1961)Romm,Deviat'dneiodnogogoda(Ninedaysofasingleyear,1961)Tarkovskii,Ivanovodetstvo(1962),AndreiRublev(1967/1971)Konchalovskii,Pervyiuchitel'(FirstTeacher,1965);IstoriiaAsiKliachinoi,kotoraialiubila,da

nevyshlazamuzh(1967)Shepit'ko,Kryl'ia(Wings,1966)

Muratova,Korotkievstrechi(1967),Dolgieprovody(1971)Askol'dov,Komissar(Commissar,1967)

Gaidai,Brilliantovaiaruka(TheDiamondArm,1968)

Motyl',Beloesolntsepustyni(WhiteSunoftheDesert,1970)

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Mikhalkov,Svoisredichuzhikh,chuzhoisredisvoikh(Athomeamongstrangers,Astrangerat

home,1974)

Abdrashitov,Slovodliazashchity(SpeechfortheDefense,1977)Corereading:Contemporaryresponsestofilmsfrom1950s-1970s;scripts;excerptsfromTarkovskii's

Zapechatlennoevremia.Additionalfilms:AlovandNaumov,PavelKorchagin(1956),Mirvkhodiashchemu(1961)Bondarchuk,Sud'bacheloveka(DestinyofaMan/FateofaMan,1959)

ChebotarevandKazanskii,Chelovek-amfibiia(AmphibianMan,1961)

Chukhrai,Sorokpervyi(TheForty-first,1956)Daneliia,IashagaiupoMoskve(1963)Mikhalkov,Rodnia(Kinfolk,1981)Riazanov,Beregis'avtomobilia(WatchoutfortheAutomobileORUncommonThief,1966)

Shepit'ko,Voskhozhdenie(TheAscent,1976)Shpalikov,Dolgaiaschastlivaiazhizn'(ALongHappyLife,1966)Tarkovskii,Zerkalo(Mirror,1974);Solaris(1972);Stalker(1979)

Recommendedbackgroundreading:Bird,Robert.AndreiRublev.BFI,2008.Bird,Robert.AndreiTarkovsky:ElementsofCinema.Reaktion,2008.Prokhorov,Alexander,ed.SpringtimeforSovietCinema:Re/Viewingthe1960s.Troianovskii,Vitalii,ed.Kinematografottepeli.Knigapervaia(1996);Kinematografottepeli.

Knigavtoraia(2002)Woll,Josephine.RealImages:SovietCinemaandtheThaw

5.RUSSIANCINEMAFROMPERESTROIKATOTHEPRESENT

ThistopicexaminestheprincipaltrendsandfiguresinRussianfilmmakingsincethe

introductionofperestroikaandglasnost.PrincipalfigureshereareNikitaMikhalkov,Kira

Muratova,AlekseiBalabanov,AleksandrSokurov,AlekseiGerman,Jr,AndreiZviagintsev

andtheyoungfilmmakersassociatedwiththe'Koktebel''group:AlekseiPopogrebskii,Boris

Khlebnikov,andVasiliiSigarev.Issuestobeaddressedinlecturesinclude:changesinthe

culturalinstitutionsandmarketconditionsthatregulatefilmproductionanddistribution;

therise,declineandresurrectionofchernukha;theinfluenceof'documentarystyle'on

featurefilmmaking;thequestfornewsettings,newstoriesandnewactingstyles.

Coreviewing:German,MoidrugIvanLapshin(MyFriendIvanLapshin,1984);Khrustalev,mashinu!

(Khrustalev,mycar!,1998);andpossiblyTrudnobyt'bogom(2013?2014?)

Abuladze,Pokaianie(Repentance,1985)Soloviev,Assa(1987)Nugmanov,Igla(TheNeedle,1988);Dikiivostok(TheWildEast,1993)

Pichul,Malen'kaiaVera(LittleVera,1988)

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Sokurov,Krugvtoroi(1990);Russkiikovcheg(RussianArk,2002);Telets(Taurus,2001)Rogozhkin,Chekist(1992),Osobennostinatsional'noiokhoty(1995)Livnev,Serpimolot(1994)Mikhalkov,Utomlennyesolntsem(BurntbytheSun,1994),12(2007)Khotinenko,Musul'manin(TheMuslim,1995)

Balabanov,Brat(Brother,1997)Zviagintsev,Vozvrashchenie(TheReturn,2003)Muratova,Nastroishchik(TheTuner,2004)Khlebnikov,Svobodnoeplavanie(FreeFloating,2006);possibly:Dolgaiaschastlivaiazhizn'

(ALongHappyLife,2013)

Todorovskii,Stiliagi(Hipsters,2008)Sigarev,Volchok(Wolfie,2009)

Mamuliia,Drugoenebo(Anothersky,2010)Loban,Shapito-Shou(Chapiteau-Show,2011)OTHERSTBC

Corereading:Contemporaryreviews,scripts,andinterviewswithfilmmakers.

Additionalviewing:Balabanov,Schastlivye(HappyDays,1991);Gruz200(Cargo200,2007;caution:contains

somegruesomeviolence);Iatozhekhochu(Metoo,2012)

Muratova,Astenicheskiisindrom(AesthenicSyndrome,1989);and(ifIcanfindacopy)

Vechnoevozvrashchenie(2012)Rogozhkin,Blokpost(Checkpoint,1998),Kukushka(Cuckoo,2002)Popogrebskii,Prostyeveshchi(Simplethings,2007);Kakiaproveletimletom(HowIEnded

LastSummer,2010)

Khlebnikov,Sumasshedshaiapomoshch'(InsaneAssistance,2009)Sigarev,Zhit'(Live,2012)Sokurov,Dnizatmeniiai(DaysofEclipse,1988),Otetsisyn(2003)

Recommendedbackgroundreading:Condee,Nancy.TheImperialTrace:RecentRussianCinema

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TEACHING:

Teachingwillcomprise16lectures,5revisionseminarsand10fortnightlysupervisionsover

thecourseofMichaelmas,EasterandLentterms.Thepaperwillconsistoffivetopics;three

lecturesandonerevisionseminarwillbedevotedtoeachtopic.Studentsarealsourgedto

attendthegenerallecturesonfilmanalysisthataregivenaspartofCS6inMichaelmasterm.

ASSESSMENT

StudentsinPartsIBandIIwillbeassessedbyexaminationattheendofEasterTerm.The

examconsistsoftwosections.Studentswillanswerthreequestions,atleastonefromeach

section.InSectionAcandidatesareaskedtocomparetheworksofasingledirector.

Questionsarephrasedsothattheymaybeansweredwithreferencetotheworksofmany

differentdirectorsstudiedinthecourse.InSectionBstudentsareaskedtocomparethe

worksoftwoormoredirectorswithreferencetoawiderangeofthematic,theoreticaland

historicalquestions.Thesequestionswillnotbelimitedtoasingletopicasoutlinedabove,

althoughitwillbepossibletoanswermostquestionswithreferenceonlytothefilmsand

issuesaddressedwithinasingletopic.Thecoursehasbeendeliberatelystructuredto

enablestudentstopursueanddeveloptheirindividualinterestsacrossgenres,periodsand

theoreticalquestions.AsampleexampaperisavailableontheMoodlesiteforthiscourse.

Students in Part 1Bmay choose to submit a portfolio of essays in lieuof sitting the final

examination,butshoulddiscusstheirplanstodosowiththeirsupervisoratthestartofthe

Michaelmasterm.StudentsinPartIImaychoosetosubmitanOptionalDissertationinlieu

of sitting a final examination; any students considering theOptional Dissertation should

consultwiththecourseconvenoroverthesummeraboutpreparatoryresearchandpossible

supervisors.

LEARNINGOUTCOMES

1.Historicalknowledgeandculturalawareness:Thispaperwillfamiliarizestudentswith

thedevelopmentofoneoftheworld'smostinfluentialcinematictraditionsinitshistorical

context.StudentswillalsoacquireadeeperandmorenuancedunderstandingofRussian,

Sovietandpost-Sovietculturalprocessesandsocialforcesfromthe1900sthroughthe

present.Attheendofthecoursetheyshouldbeabletoperceivebothsignificant

continuitiesanddifferencesacrossfivekeyhistoricalperiods.

2.Theoreticalandmethodologicalskills:Lectures,secondaryreadingsandsupervision

assignmentswilldevelopstudents'abilitiestothinkanalyticallyaboutvisualmaterialin

historicalandtheoreticalcontexts.

3.Russianlanguageskills:Workingintensivelywithfilmswillimprovestudents'listening

comprehensionandexpandtheirvocabularyinRussian.Studentswillalsodevelopreading

skillsandexpandtheirvocabularythroughthestudyoffilmmakers'manifestosandrelated

criticalwritinginRussian.

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LECTURESCHEDULE

Michaelmas

1. FromBoulevardtoAvant-Garde1:Pre-revolutionaryCinema(EKW)

Coreviewing:Poslesmerti(Bauer,1915),Zhizn’zazhizn’(Bauer,1915)

2. FromBoulevardtoAvant-Garde2:Kuleshov,AmericanismandMontage(EKW)

Coreviewing:NeobychainyeprikliucheniiaMisteraVestavstraneBol’shevikov(Kuleshov,1924),Stachka(Eisenstein,1924),Shinel’(KozintsevandTrauberg,1926)

3. FromBoulevardtoAvant-Garde3:TheRevolutionaryAvant-GardeandtheirOthers

(EKW)

Coreviewing:BronenosetsPotemkin(Eisenstein,1926),Oblomokimperii(Ermler,

1929),Aelita(Protazanov,1924)

4. FromSilencetoSound1:TheFactoryoftheEccentricActor(EKW)

CoreViewing:Novyivavilon(1929),Odna(1931)

5. FromSilencetoSound2:Eisenstein(SKL)

Coreviewing:BrononosetsPotemkin(1926),IvanGroznyi(PartsIandII)

6. FromSilencetoSound3:Vertov(EKW)

Coreviewing:Chelovekskinoapparatom(1929),TripesnioLenine

7. TheOtherSovietClassics1:TheShifttoSocialistRealism(EKW)

Coreviewing:Strogiiiunosha(1936),Okraina(Barnet,1933),Chapaev(Vasilievbrothers,1935)

8. TheOtherSovietClassics2:Musicals(EKW)

VolgaVolga(Aleksandrov,1938),Svetlyiput’(Aleksandrov,1938),Kubanskiekazaki(Pyr’ev,1939).

Lent

[FilmstobediscussedinLentlectureswillbedrawnfromlistofcoreviewingfortopics3,4,

and5.TitleswillbeannouncedbytheendofNovember.]

1. TheOtherSovietClassics3: StalinistRomances(SKL)

2. SovietCinemaAfterStalin1:RevisionistHistories,1956-1968(SKL)

3. SovietCinemaAfterStalin2:TheFemaleGaze(SKL)

4. SovietCinemaAfterStalin3: NarrativeExperiments(SKL)

5. RussianCinemafromPerestroikatothePresent1:Reviewingthe1930s(SKL)

6. RussianCinemafromPerestroikatothePresent2:GenderandGenre(SKL)

7. RussianCinemafromPerestroikatothePresent3:PostmodernisminthePutinEra

(SKL)

8. RevisionSeminar

14

Easter.

1.RevisionSeminar

2.RevisionSeminar

3.RevisionSeminar

4.RevisionSeminar

15

SUPERVISIONSCHEDULE

GENERALGUIDELINESFORESSAYS:

1500-2000 words. Provide a filmography and bibliography of works cited and consulted.

Citations may be parenthetical within the text, i.e. (Morley2002, 35) would refer to an

articleorbookbyMorley,publishedin2002,page35.Thebibliographymustcontainfull

publication informationforallworkscitedand/orconsulted. Ifyouonlyciteoneworkby

Morleyyoumayomittheyearofpublicationinyourparentheticalreference.

Asuccessfulessaywillofferaprecise,carefullystructuredandnarrowlyfocusedargument

that is basedondetailed analysis of oneor two films from the silent era. Remember to

avoidthepitfallsofplotsummaryinyouressays:alldescriptivestatementsshouldalsobe

analytic:WhenX(evidence)happens,itindicatesZ(claim),becauseY(youranalysis.).

Youneednot (indeed,youshouldnot) discuss everyaspectof the film(s)youchooseto

discussinyouressay. Instead,selectoneormorekeysequencesandanalyzetheminthe

contextofthefilmasawholeand/orthedirector’swritingsaboutfilm.Youmustprovide

visualevidencetosupportyourpoints,soyouwillneedtore-viewthefilmyouchooseto

analyze(atleastinpart)inordertomakeasufficientlydetailedargument.

*Forallsupervisions:

a)Pleaseletyoursupervisionpartnerknowwhichfilmsyouwillbediscussinginyouressay

assoonasyouselectthem,sothats/hewillhavetimetowatchatleastone(ifnotall)of

thembeforethesupervision.

b)Emailyoursupervisionpartneryouressaywhenitisfinished.Readandprepare

commentsonyourpartner’sessaywhenitarrives.

MICHAELMASTERMSUPERVISIONSCHEDULE

Supervisionone:FromAvant-gardetoBoulevard

YouressaymaycomparetheworkoftwodifferentdirectorsORtwoworksbyasingle

director,butyoushouldcometothesupervisionpreparedtodiscussatleastonepre-

revolutionaryandonepost-revolutionarysilentfilm.

Supervisionstwoandthree:FromSilencetoSound:FEKS,Eisenstein,Vertov

Foronesupervisionyoushouldfocusyouressayontheworkofasingledirectoror

collective.Fortheother,youmaywriteeitheracomparativeessayoranotheressay

examiningtheworkofasingledirector.Thisisnottheonlytopicthatisconducivetothe

studyofasingledirector'swork,butitisoneofthebestopportunitiesyouwillhavetothink

abouttheearlySovietfilmdirectorasauteur.Ineachessayyoushouldwriteaboutatleasttwofilmsinsomedetail,butyouwillwanttoframethemwithreferencetootherworks—

theoreticalwritingsand/orfilms—bythedirectorsyouchoosetostudy.

16

Supervisionfour:PopularCinemaintheStalinEra

Essaysandsupervisionsforthistopicshouldcomparefilmseitherwithinoracrossgenre

categories(i.e.musicals,warfilms,‘easterns’,biopics,romanticcomedies,melodramas)

LENTTERMSUPERVISIONSCHEDULE

Supervision1:Studentschooseoneofthefollowingoptions:

a)ContinueworkonTopic3,workingwithadifferentsetoffilmsandtheoretical

approachesthaninthefinalsupervisionofMichaelmas.

b)Writeacomparativeessay,examiningatleastonefilmmadebefore1953andone

madeafter1956.

c)MoveentirelyintoTopic4(seeessaytitlesbelow)andwriteanessaythat

analyzestwoThaw-erafilms.

Supervision2:EssayanalyzingatleasttwofilmssetforTopic4OR––ifyoudidnotselect

option(b)above––anessaycomparingatleastoneatleastonefilmmadebefore1953and

onemadeafter1956.

Supervision3:EssayanalyzingatleasttwofilmssetforTopic5.

Supervison4:First(of3)revisionsupervisions.Thissupervisionmaybepostponedthefinal

fewdaysofLenttermORweek0ofEaster,butitisbettertotrytodoitinLent.Itbecomes

verydifficulttofit3revisionsupervisionsintothe4weeksofEasterterm.

17

ESSAYTITLESLISTEDBYTOPIC

TOPICONE:GUIDELINESFORESSAYS

Thetitleslistedbelowaredeliberatelyopenandbroadlyformulated.Youshouldformulate

amuchNARROWERargumentaboutspecificworksthatengageswiththekeyconceptsof

eachtitle.Feelfreenotonlytopolemicizewiththetitle,butalsotoreformulateitinmore

specifictermsthatarerelevanttothefilmsandissuesyouchoosetodiscuss.

Topic1:EssayTitles

1. ‘Silentcinemabothassertsandchallengestheauthorityofvisionasasourceof

accurateknowledgeabouttheworld.’Discusswithreferencetoatleasttwofilmsfromthe

silentera.

2. Selectasinglemotifornarrativepatternintheworkofasinglefilmmakerand

analyzeitsuseandsignificanceinatleasttwofilms.

3. 'EventhemostseeminglyfrivolousRussianfilmsareimbuedwithpolitical

significanceafter1917.'Discusswithreferencetoatleasttwofilmsfromthesilentera.

4. ‘AestheticchoicesandpoliticalconvictionsarelinkedintheworkofmanyRussian

filmmakers.'Discusswithreferencetoatleasttwofilmsfromthesilentera.

5. Compareandcontrastthewaysinwhichsilentcinemamapssocialconflictsinterms

ofsexualdesireinatleasttwofilms,onemadebefore1917andonemadeafter.

Rememberthatyoumustaddressthistopicintermsofvisualdetail(i.e.donotrelyonplot

summaryalone.)

6. Compareandcontrastthefunctionofcross-cuttinginanytwofilmsofthesilentera.

7. ‘Everyformalparallelmarksbothacontrastandasimilarity.’Discusswithreference

toatleasttwofilmsfromthesilentera.

8. ‘Melodramainscribesthebodyindistresswithmeaning.’Discusswithreferenceto

atleasttwofilmsfromthesilentera.

9. ‘EarlySovietcinemarejectedboththeformalandthethematicfociofitspre-

revolutionarypredecessors.’'Discusswithreferencetotheworkofatleastonepre-

revolutionaryandonepost-revolutionaryfilmmaker.(Toanswerthisquestionsuccessfully,

youwillneedtolimityourdiscussiontodetailedanalysisofasingleclusterofcloselyrelated

formalandthematicfeatures)

10. 'Everychangeinfilmhistoryimpliesachangeinitsaddresstothespectator,and

eachperiodconstructsitsspectatorinanewway.'Discusswithreferencetotheworkofat

leastonepre-revolutionaryandonepost-revolutionaryfilmmaker.

18

11. 'Spectacleandnarrative–thatis,showingandtelling,astonishingandinforming–are

oftenatoddsinthecinemaofthesilentera.'Discusswithreferencetoatleasttwofilms.

12. 'Theoriginsofavant-gardecinematicpracticesarediscernibleinthepopularcinema

ofthepre-revolutionaryperiod.'Discusswithreferencetotheworkofatleastonepre-

revolutionaryandonepost-revolutionaryfilmmaker.

13. 'Objectsspeakmoreloudlythanwordsinthecinemaofthesilentera.'Discusswith

referencetoatleasttwofilms.

14. ‘Meaningisproducednotwithintheshot,butinthejuxtapositionofoneshotwith

another.’Discusswithreferencetoatleasttwofilmsfromthesilentera.

19

TOPICTWO:GUIDELINESFORESSAYS

Keyissuestoconsiderasyouthinkthroughtheworkofthesethreedirectors/collectivesare

thefollowing:

a)Howdoestheirworkevolveovertime:whichimages,issues,visualstrategiespersist?

whichareabandoned?howdoesthelaterworkdiffermostdistinctivelyfromtheearlier

work?

b)Howdoeseachnegotiatetheshiftfromsilenttosoundcinema?Howdotheyimagine

theshiftwilltakeplace?Howdotheysubsequentlyimplementitintheirwork?

c)Howdoeseachrespondtopoliticalpressures,historicalchangeand/orculturalfashionin

hiswork?

d)Howdotheyrespondtooneanother'swork––bothexplicitlyandimplicitly?

e)Howdoestheir'theory'matchwiththeir'practice'?

Topic2:EssayTitles

Pleasenote:Asthistopicisintendedtoallowyoutofocusindepthontheworkofasingle

director/collective,youareencouragedtocraftyourownessaytitleforatleastoneofthe

supervisions.Youarenotrequiredtodoso,buttheexperienceofformulatingyourown

topicandargument,ratherthanrelyingononeofthetitlesprovidedisgoodpreparationfor

theexam.Inanyevent,youshouldbesuretoarticulateyourOWNideasinyourresponse.

1. SelectakeytheoreticalconceptfromthewritingsofEisensteinorVertov;analyzeit

anddiscussitssignificancefortwoormoreoftheirworks.Ifyouwish,youmaychooseto

contrastthemwithoneanotherORwithFEKSinrelationtothisconcept.

2. 'Themarkoftheauteurishisorherrelianceonostranenie.'Discusswithreferencetoatleasttwofilms.(bearinginmindShklovsky'sdiscussionofostraneniein'ArtasDevice').

3. 'Filmsrewritehistorynotonlyintheirspokendialogueandintertitles,butalsoin

theircameraworkandeditingchoices.’Discusswithreferencetoatleasttwofilms.

4. ‘Sounddoesnotexpandafilm’sexpressiverange;itlimitsit.’Discusswithreference

toatleasttwofilms.

5. 'Theformalinnovationsofavant-gardefilmmakersinthe1920swerebasedin

theoriesaboutthenatureofhumanperception.'Discusswithreferencetoatleasttwo

films.

20

6. 'Inthe1920sSovietfilmmakersbasedtheirpracticeontheoriesthattheywere

compelledtomodifyordiscardentirelyinthe1930s.'Discusswithreferencetoatleasttwo

films.

7. HowdoVertov'sfilms"expose"(or,inFormalistterms,'barethedevice'of)

cinematictechnologies?TowhatextentdohisfilmssupportVertov'scontentionthat"the

Cine-Eye"is"moreperfectthanthehumaneyeforexaminingthechaosofvisual

phenomena"andthatthe"Cine-Eye....perceivesandfixesitsimpressionsinacompletely

differentwayfromthatofthehumaneye"?

8. Compareandcontrastthetheoryandpracticeofmontageinatleasttwofilms.You

maychoosetoworkwithfilmsfromtheearlyandlaterworkofasinglefilmmakerORwith

worksbydifferentfilmmakersworkingatroughlythesametime.

9. CompareandcontrastthewaysinwhichanytwoormorefilmsbyVertov,

EisensteinorFEKSnarratethepast.Makesureyouressayaddressesthespecifically

cinematicmeansbywhichthefilmsyouchooseapproachthepast.YoumayfindHayden

White’sessayon‘historiophoty’ofinteresthere(ornot).

10. ‘Cinemaistheartoforganizingmovingobjectsinspace.’Discusswithreferenceto

atleasttwofilms.

11. Whatchangesandwhatremainsthesameintheworkthatfilmmakersproduce

beforeandafter1932?Discusswithreferencetoatleasttwofilms.Bearinmindthatyou

cannotdiscusseverythinginyouressay.Selectasingleaspect--technological,political,

narrative—andfocusonit.

12. Howdofilmmakersconstructrelationshipsbetweenthe‘old’andthe‘new’in

visualterms?Discusswithreferencetoatleasttwofilms.Donotwritea‘list’or

‘catalogue’:makeanarrowlyfocusedargument.

13. ‘Allviolenceisallegorical’.Discusswithreferencetoatleasttwofilms.

14. ‘Propagandaeducatesandtransforms;agitationmobilizes.Forthisreasonfilm–

propagandaandfilm-agitationdeployverydifferentvisualandnarrativestrategies.’Discuss

withreferencetoatleasttwofilms.

15. Compareandcontrastthewaysinwhichanytwoofthesefilmmakersmadethe

transitionfromsilencetosound.

21

TOPICTHREE:GUIDELINESFORESSAYS

Thelistofsuggestedfilmsbeloworganizesfilmsyoumightwanttodiscussforthistopicby

genre(notethatsomeappearinseveralcategories).Theseclassificationsareintended

primarilytogiveyouasenseofwhichfilmsyoumightwanttowatchandthekindof

theoreticalreadingonwhichyoumightchoosetofocus.Pleasenotethatnotallofthese

filmswerereleasedtouniversalacclaim.YoushouldaimEITHERtowatchseveralfilmsfrom

asinglecategoryORatleastonefromeach.Filmswithasingleasteriskarethosethe

courseconvenersconsidermostcentraltothistopic,butyouarefreetowatchandwrite

aboutanyfilmsonthislist,asteriskedornot.Filmswithadoubleasteriskareparticularly

usefulifyouwanttothinkabouttheconstructionofgenderinthisperiod.

Historical-Revolutionary/Biopics:

*Vasil'evBrothers,Chapaev(1934)KozintsevandTrauberg,����������(TheYouthofMaksim,1935)**KheifitzandZarkhi,Chlenpravitel'stva(AMemberoftheGovernment,1939);

*Romm,Leninv1918g.(1939,Leninin1918);LeninvOktiabre(LenininOctober,1937)Kalatozov,ValeriiChkalov(1939)*KheifitzandZarkhi,Chlenpravitel'stva(AMemberoftheGovernment,1939)

Donskoi,Kakzakalialas'stal'(1942)**Stolper,Povest'onastoiashchemcheloveke(TaleaboutaRealMan,1948)

*Chiaureli,PadenieBerlina(1949,FallofBerlin)Raizman,Kaval'erzolotoizvezdy(1950)

Musicals:

Aleksandrov,Veselyerebiata(JollyFellows,1934);Tsirk(Circus,1936),Svetlyiput'(BrightPath,1938),*Volga-Volga(1938),**Vesna(Spring,1947)

Pyr'ev,*/**Traktoristy(TractorDrivers,1939);SvinarkaiPastukh(TheSwinemaidandthe

Shepherd,1941);*Skazanieozemlesibirskoi(TaleoftheSiberianLands,1948);KubanskieKazaki(CossacksoftheKuban,1950);

Romanticdramasandcomedies:**Room,Strogiiionosha(AStrictYouth,1934)Barnet,Usamogosinegomoria(ByTheBluestSea,1936)**Raizman,Letchiki(Pilots,1935);Mashen'ka(1942);**Poezdidetnavostok(1947)Medvedkin,NovaiaMoskva(NewMoscow,1938)

*/**Iudin,Devushkaskharakterom(AGirlwithCharacter,1939)*/**Timoshenko,Nebesnyitikhokhod(CelestialSlowpoke,1945)

Melodramas(thisisatrickyclassfication):

*Ekk,Putevkavzhizn'(RoadtoLife,1931)Vasil'evBrothers,Chapaev(1934)**Room,Strogiiionosha(AStrictYouth,1934)Pyr'ev,Partiinyibilet(PartyCard,1936);Donskoi,Kakzakalialas'stal'(1942);Ermler,Onazashchishchaetrodinu(ShedefendstheMotherland,1943)

*Stolper,Povest'onastoiashchemcheloveke(TaleaboutaRealMan,1948)

22

Warfilms:

*Barnet,Okraina(Outskirts,1933);Vasil'evBrothers,Chapaev(1934)Raizman,Mashen'ka(1942);*Ermler,Onazashchishchaetrodinu(ShedefendstheMotherland,1943)

Donskoi,Kakzakalialas'stal'(1942);Nepokorennye(TheUndefeated,1945)**Timoshenko,Nebesnyitikhokhod(CelestialSlowpoke,1945)Stolper,Povest'onastoiashchemcheloveke(TaleaboutaRealMan,1948)

*Chiaureli,PadenieBerlina(1949,FallofBerlin)

'Easterns'

Romm,Trinadtsat'(Thirteen,1936)Iudin,Smelyeliudi(Daringpeople,1950)

Detective/spyfilms

Pyr'ev,Partiinyibilet(PartyCard,1936);Macheret,OshibkainzheneraKochina(EngineerKochin'sMistake,1939)

Aleksandrov,VstrechanaEl'be(MeetingontheElba,1949)

Topic3:EssayTitles:

1. ‘Stalinistcinemawasneitherpure“entertainment”normere“propaganda”.’Discuss

withreferencetoRussianand/orSovietcinema;makesureyouprovideaveryclear

definitionofhowyouunderstandthekeytermsofthistopic.Youmaychoosetoground

yourdiscussioninhistoricaland/ortheoreticalreferences.

2. ‘Theconventionsofpopularfilmgenres–whethermelodrama,musical,detective,

cowboy--werereadilyadaptedtotheideologicalaimsofSovietand/orpost-Soviet

filmmakers.’DiscusswithreferencetoRussianand/orSovietcinema.‘

3. 'Melodramainscribesthebodyindistresswithmeaning.'Discusswithreferenceto

Russianand/orSovietcinema.‘DiscusswithreferencetoRussianand/orSovietcinema.You

willfindPeterBrooks’essayonmelodramainfilm(onMoodle)usefulinthinkingaboutthis

topic.

4. ‘AnalyzetwoStalin-eramusicalswithreferencetoEITHERRichardDyer’stheoryof

utopiaandentertainmentORRickAltman’sdiscussionofthemusicalasdual-focus

narrative’.[KeyextractsfromtheirwritingonthistopicarepostedonMoodle].

5. ‘CompareandcontrastthewaysinwhichStalin-eraBildungsfilmspresenttheformationofa“new”Sovietsubjectivity.Youmaywishtoapproachthistopicfromthe

prismofsocialorigin,genderdifferenceorgeneration.

6. ‘CinemaintheStalineraemulatedtheWestinordertocritiqueitsvalues.’

7. Плохтоткоммунист,которыйлишенспособностимечтать.Мечтакоммуниста

—неестьотлетотземного,аполетвбудущее',[LUNACHARSKII]

23

TOPICFOUR:GUIDELINESFORESSAYS

Thisisatopicthatlendsitselfeithertocomparativeanalysisofmultiplefilmsalongthematic

lines(history,gender,subjectivity,generationalconflict)ORtotheexaminationofworkbya

singlefilmmaker(Khutsiev,Muratova,Tarkovskiiarethemostlogicalchoices,butothersare

possible).PleasewritetoDr.Larsenforspecificsuggestionsoftitlesthatmightmeetyour

interests.YoumaychooseEITHERanyquestionfromSectionAofthesampleexampaper

(postedonMoodle)ORanyofthefollowingORyoumaymakeupyourOWNessaytitleona

topicthatinterestsyou(butconsultmeaboutitfirst).

Topic4:EssayTitles.

Discussanyoneofthefollowingwithreferencetoatleasttwofilmsmadebefore1985.If

youexpecttopreparethistopic

1. ‘Alllaughterissubversive.’

2. 'Filmsrewritehistorynotonlyintheirplots(fabula)anddialogue,butalsointheircameraworkandeditingchoices.’

3. ‘After1953Sovietfilmmakersattemptedtocreateasenseofiskrennost’throughinnovationsinthevisualformandnarrativestructureoftheirworks.’

4. ‘GenderroleswerearticulatedinverydifferentformsinRussiancinemaafter1956.’

5. ‘ThevoicesandvisionsthatappearonSovietscreensafter1956differfromthoseof

theStalineraintheirresistancetoinstantlegibilityandeasyreplication.’Discuss.

6. ‘SovietcinemaduringtheThawreconfiguresthepossibilitiesforSovietdesire.’

Discuss.

7. 'Torevealideologyasfalseislesspowerfulthan

torevealitasmeaningless.’Discusswithreferencetopost-Stalinistcinema.

8. 'CinemaoftheThaweraconceptualizedthepassageoftimeinwaysthatdiffered

significantlyfromthetemporalitiesofStalinistcinema.’

9. ‘Thereturnofsubjectivityisthedefiningfeatureofpost-Stalinistculture.’Discuss

withreferencetocinemaoftheThawera.

10. ‘Somehistoriesaresuchthattheycannotbenamedinwordsorrepresentedon

screen.’

11. ‘Cinemaofthepost-Stalinperiodoftenborrowstheiconographyand/orrhetoric

ofSovietmasscultureinordertodeconstructit.'

24

12. 'Theworkofmanylate-Sovietandpost-Sovietfilmmakersattemptstopreservea

visionoftheSovietpastthatisinvisibleinofficialartoftheSovietperiod.’

13. 'Late-Sovietandpost-SovietcinemaisdominatedbyanattempttoreshapeboththememoriesoftheSovietpastandtheformsinwhichthatpastmaybecommemorated.'

Discuss.

14. ‘‘ThelookofSovietcinemaafter1953ismeaningfulpreciselybecauseofthewaysin

whichitdiffersfromthatoftheStalinera.’

15. ‘SovietcinemaintheThaweraaimsforgreaterauthenticitybyforegroundingthe

artificeinherentinallculturalproduction.’

25

TOPICFOUR:GUIDELINESFORESSAYS

(ifyouhaveaninterestthatisnotaddressedhere,youarewelcometoformulateyourowntitle,butconsultmefirstandmakesureyoudiscussatleast2filmsinyouressay.Fortheexamyoushouldpreparemorethan2foranygiventopic.YoumayalsochoosetouseanysuitableessaytitlesetforTopic4,asitisoftenpossibletoanswerquestionsfortheThawtopicwiththefilmssetforthistopic)

Topic4:EssayTitles

1. ‘SovietandRussiancinemaafter1984appropriatestheiconographyofSoviet

masscultureinordertodeconstructit.'Discuss.

2. ‘SovietandRussiancinemaafter1984isdominatedbyanattempttoreshape

memoriesoftheSovietpastandtoreconceivetheformsinwhichthatpastmaybe

commemorated.'Discuss.

3. ‘Cinematicversionsofчернухаandгламурappearradicallyopposedintheiroriginsandaspirations,butinmanyinstancestheyemergefromacommonimpulse.'Discuss.

4. ‘Experimentswith narrative, poetic, and visual form in Soviet and Russian cinema

after 1984 signal a corresponding shift in ideas about how or whether the past can be

known.’Discuss.

5. ‘SovietandRussiancinemaafter1984mistrustslanguage;itsmeaningsare

producedindirectly,inthegapsbetweenwordsandtheexperiencestheyseemintendedto

articulate.'Discuss.

6. ‘Soviet and Russian cinema after 1984 is simultaneously enamoured of and

estrangedfromthepast.’Discuss.

7. 'SovietandRussiancinemaafter1945mapsculturalconflictsonthehumanbody.’

Discuss.

8. ‘Soviet and Russian cinema after 1984 playswithHollywood genre conventions in

ordertocritiquethe(Western)culturethatproducedthem.’Discuss.

9. ‘The dominant mode of Soviet and Russian cinema after 1984 is pastiche; in its

approach to existing narrative, genre, historical and/or cultural codes it is imitative, not

transformative.’Discuss.[CamtoolshasexcerptsfromtextsbyHutcheonandJamesonthat

willhelpyouapproachthequestionofpastiche].

10. ‘Even when they seem furthest from their Soviet past, contemporary Russian

filmmakersremainindialoguewithit.’

11. ‘SovietandRussiancinemaafter1984portraysbodiesindistressinordertoconvey

communal,ratherthanindividuallosses.’Discuss.

26

12. ‘EveryindividualidentitycrisisportrayedinSovietandRussiancinemaafter1984is,

almostinevitably,acrisisofnationalidentity.’Discuss.

13. ‘TheexperienceorfearoflossshapesboththeformandthecontentofSovietand

Russiancinemaafter1984.’Discuss.

14. ‘SovietandRussianfilmmakingafter1984ischaracterizedbyrecurrentidentity

crises.’

15. ‘SovietandRussiancinemaafter1984isshapedbylossesthatitcannotmourn.’

27

MODERNANDMEDIEVALLANGUAGESTRIPOSPartIBandPartII

PaperRu.2

SOVIETANDRUSSIANCINEMA[SPECIMENEXAM]

Answerthreequestions,atleastonefromeachsection.Candidatesforthispapermaynotdrawsubstantiallyonmaterialfromtheirdissertationsormaterialwhichtheyhaveusedorintendtouseinanotherscheduledpaper.Candidatesmaynotdrawsubstantiallyonthesamematerialinmorethanonequestiononthesamepaper.

STATIONERYREQUIREMENTS

20PageAnswerBookx1 Roughworkpad

Youmaynotstarttoreadthequestionsprintedonthe

subsequentpagesofthisquestionpaperuntilinstructed

thatyoumaydosobytheInvigilator

28

SECTIONA

RefertoatleasttwofilmsbyasingleRussianorSovietfilmmakerinyouranswerstothese

questions.

1 ‘Aneventoradetailgainsmeaningby itsrepetition,which isboththerecallofan

earliermomentandavariationofit.’Discuss.

2 'Soviet avant-garde filmmakers constructed their works as if they were poems.'

Discuss.

3 'Themarkoftheauteurishisorherrelianceonostranenie.'Discuss.

4 'Filmsrewritehistorynotonlyintheirspokendialogueandintertitles,butalsoin

theircameraworkandeditingchoices.’Discuss.

5` ‘Melodramainscribesthebodyindistresswithmeaning.’Discuss.

6 ‘Sounddoesnotexpandafilm’sexpressiverange;itlimitsit.’Discuss.

7 ‘Allviolenceisallegorical.’Discuss.

SECTIONB

DiscussthefollowingwithreferencetoRussianand/orSovietcinema.Refertotheworkof

atleasttwoRussianorSovietfilmmakersinyouranswerstothesequestions.

1 Either (a) 'Eventhemostseemingly frivolousRussian filmsare imbuedwithpolitical

significanceafter1917.'

or (b) ‘Aesthetic choices and political convictions are linked in thework of many

Russianfilmmakers.'

2 Either(a)'Theformalinnovationsofavant-gardefilmmakersinthe1920swerebased

intheoriesaboutthenatureofhumanperception.'Discuss.

or (b) 'In the 1920s Soviet filmmakers based their practice on theories that they

werecompelledtomodifyordiscardentirelyinthe1930s.'Discuss.

3 Either (a) ‘Stalinist cinema was a unique phenomenon that was neither pure

“entertainment”normere“propaganda”.’

.

or (b) ‘Cinema in the Stalin era was unrealistic, conservative and above all

sentimental.’

29

4 Either (a) ‘After1953Sovietfilmmakersattemptedtocreateasenseof ‘iskrennost’

throughinnovationsinthevisualformandnarrativestructureoftheirworks.’

or(b)‘Intheirexperimentswithnarrativestructureandvisualformafter1953,Soviet

filmmakersresistednotonlythe“what”,butalsothe“how”ofStalinistculture.’

5 Either (a) ‘Contemporary Russian filmmakers are simultaneously enamoured of and

estrangedfromthepast.’

or(b)‘EvenwhentheyseemfurthestfromtheirSovietpast,contemporaryRussian

filmmakersremainindialoguewithit.’

6 ‘Theconventionsofpopularfilmgenres–whethermelodrama,musical,orWestern–

werereadilyadaptedtotheideologicalaimsofSovietand/orpost-Sovietfilmmakers.’

Discuss.

7 ‘EveryrevolutioninSovietfilmformwasfueledbyideologicalconflict.’Discuss.

8 “Alllaughterissubversive.’DiscusswithreferencetoRussianand/orSovietcinema.‘

9 ‘Women’srolesinRussiancinemachangedradicallyafter1956.’

10 ‘Russianfilmmakersportraybodiesindistressinordertoconveycommunal,rather

thanindividuallosses.

11 'Filmsrewritehistorynotonlyintheirspokendialogueandintertitles,butalsoin

theircameraworkandeditingchoices.’Discuss.

ENDOFPAPER