The Soviet era of Russia is known for its radical changes in the not only the political, but also social lives of everyday comrades. The film industry under the Soviet Union took a surprising turn under the direction of the new chairman, Boris Shumiatskii. Shumiatskii changed the role of film from a vehicle to promote official values to a more entertaining and enjoyable experience.
One example of such a film was the wildly popular Happy-Go-Lucky Fellows. http://www.soviethistory.org/bigScreenVideo.php?SubjectID=1934film&Year=1934&navi=byYear This clip from the musical directed by Grigorii Aleksandrov shows a much more jovial side of film. Unlike the film, Bed and Sofa, which we viewed in class, the new Soviet film doesn’t include deep or heavy themes. The musical includes a band who begins playing and descends into a comical routine in which they have a large fight amongst the entire group. It is very similar to The 3 Stooges in its dimwitted humor and childish violence. It seems as if it’s purely made for the enjoyment of the masses. In an article written by Shumiatskii, he fawns over Happy-Go-Lucky Fellows. He loves that it is “an optimistic film sprinkled with joy, laughter and merriment.” He also says “the film is a marvvelous relaxation and audiences that have seen The Happy-Go-Lucky Fellows will find it easier to work afterwards.” (B. Z. Shumiatskii, Kinematografiia millionov (Moscow, 1935))
Sources:
B. Z. Shumiatskii, Kinematografiia millionov (Moscow, 1935)
Geldern, James Von. Seventeen Moments in Soviet History. http://www.soviethistory.org/index.php?page=subject&SubjectID=1934film&Year=1934&navi=byYear
http://www.soviethistory.org/bigScreenVideo.php?SubjectID=1934film&Year=1934&navi=byYear
I absolutely love that you focused on something that is positive from this time period! I know that this film is from 1934, but it was right before his Great Purges, some of the most atrocious crimes against humanity that the world has ever seen and it’s so refreshing to see a film that’s so light-hearted and silly. It really shows that Russia was determined to move on from the past and find a new, brighter future.
I blogged about Russian opera this week, and it was quite sad to read about the negative consequences that occurred simply because they were using their creative talent. It is nice to see that the Russian people were able to enjoy comedic movies in a tough time!
Like Leah’s post on Socialist Realism in film and literature (http://blogs.lt.vt.edu/leahw93/2013/10/10/the-richest-in-ideas/) this post does a great job highlighting the importance of optimism to popular appeal in the mass culture of the thirties. “Happy go Lucky Guys” are not the first thing that come to mind when you think of the Soviet Union in this period, but they sure played in important role in the culture of the time!
Taraki was a great sympathizer to the communist and Soviet cause. He aimed for secular education, equal rights for women and land reforms very similar to changes made in Soviet Central Asia. Taraki’s popularity amongst Soviet leadership did not translate back to the people. Islamic resistance formed due to their dissent of the former leader’s many reforms and became known as the “mujahideen.” These rebels were also incensed about the current leader, Hazifullah Amin’s attempt to westernize Afghanistan and his departure from Muslim tradition.
On Christmas of 1979, Russian troops landed in the capital of Afghanistan and arrested thousands of Muslim leaders while others fled to the mountains. These leaders were joined by thousands of other Afghan Muslims who declared a jihad on the supporters of the Amin. The mujahideen were incredibly successful and Mikhail Gorbachev took Russia out of Afghanistan after he realized that Russia had no chance of winning the war and the economy was being crippled by this conflict.
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I absolutely love that you focused on something that is positive from this time period! Thanks
It is nice to see that the Russian people were able to enjoy comedic movies in a tough time!
Thank you for sharing such a information
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