No, really – it’s weird. It’s not odd that this one still paid no attention. The strange thing is that it was. It was officially, and deliberately, not afraid of the word – totally. In the sense that it differed not one Soviet film Studio, film Studio and all the land of the Soviets. Including, of course, and the so-called national Soviet cinema. Well, judge for yourself.
What country was this – the USSR? It was a country where power was seized by the Bolshevik-Communists. And established his total dictatorship.
But for what? But this time somehow more forgettable. And the power the Communists have taken over and made its dictatorship (which they somewhat euphemistically called the “dictatorship of the proletariat”) in order to build and still build communism. Communism – from the point of view of the Communists is the future of mankind.
Okay, I’m not talking about the fact that the Communists all the way claimed that communism is the most happy society, but everywhere they have seized power not only in our country, by the way – they built the most horrible society. Now, in the framework of the topic, not so much. Although not so minor. But I about another. I’m talking about the Soviet cinema.
So, what do we have from a cinematic point of view in the context of the main goal of the Communists? And we see that the film was some clear sabotage. And this despite the fact that Vladimir Ilyich Lenin argued that for them, for the Communists, cinema is the most important of the arts (as well as wine and dominoes, as we already know, and without prompting).
So, what is the future? I mean – what is the future from the point of view of cinema?
Who said “fiction”? Well done. It’s a good bet. Exactly! The future from the point of view of cinema is fantastic. If you have seized power in a separate country and want to build a happy future, always tell the conquered people about this future, shot or thrown into concentration camps, we all know that the future does not believe, and also have total control of the film industry in the country, as if by itself suggests the idea that it is necessary to remove as many sci-Fi films, which you the happiest future will show people.
Logical? And not just logically, but it’s actually almost a law of nature. Yet no one has articulated the fourth law of thermodynamics: Want to build a future and want to convince people that this future will be beautiful and happy – shoot a bunch of fantastic movies, in which you the future will show. That is to say – the goods. Not about the old farts from the regional committees and courageous proletarians movie shoot, and about the future – that is, fiction. I mean this fool is clear.
I read somewhere that in the USSR the share of sci-Fi films from the total number of Soviet film production was a measly 1.4 percent. Or something like that. As did the author of this statistics I don’t know. But intuitively I’m somewhere solidarities with these data. No, well, maybe it wasn’t 1.4%, and as much as 1.9 percent. And some two percent. But obviously not anymore.
No, well how many of you immediately think of the Soviet sci-Fi films? Yes, in the entire history of postwar Soviet cinema well, if a dozen typed. Well, no, even if you take the Comedy of the type “This merry planet”, well, let it be eleven.
A scene from the Soviet Comedy “This merry planet” (1973, dir.Yu.Saakov).
Well, let have a couple of fantastic Soviet films that were filmed, but were forgotten. And that’s all.
And here in this huge oddity. A country which was building communism, that is a happy society of the future, almost did not make any films about the future – that is, a science fiction movie.
And those that were filmed there about what kind of future?
In the 60’s when we can say, there was a Soviet kinofantastike, something about the Communist future appeared.
Well, at least the same “Andromeda”. Interesting story about how the zvezdoletchiki got on iron planet and they found an alien spaceship, from which went to dirtiest. By the way, I sincerely do not rule out that Ridley Scott saw this film and eventually gave birth to his stunning “Alien”.
On the photo: the working time of the filming of the movie “Alien” (1979, dir.R.Scott)
Well, no, “Alien” for coloring “Andromeda” of course. But in “Andromeda” in the mood for its time to escalate well. So, the story about the problems of the earth starship was constantly perimasali some staff about life on earth. And although the film is clearly not approved – set to something like communism.
Well, for example, the frame of the earth like communism.
A scene from the movie “Andromeda” (1967, dir.E.Sherstobitov)
A kind of visual pushlock to the film “Elusive Avengers”. How would he and how would the Buba Kastorsky in the Communist future. Well, at least something. A strange future, but at least in pictures. You can see and check out.
What else? For example if the basis of Soviet science fiction to the film “planet of storms” (1961), it’s not like it’s about communism. About the future, Yes, but not about communism.
Frame from the film “planet of storms” (1961, dir.P.Klushantsev).
The film “planet of storms”, by the way, often like to remember the other citizens that tell you what wonderful effects were in the Soviet kinofantastike. I’m not talking about special effects. But if caught on the tongue. Somehow the citizens do not want to answer – if in 1961, did such a wonderful for that time the movie, what prevents to consolidate the success and to the 1979 to outdo Ridley Scott? And in General, know whether the “experts” that Pavel Klushantsev – who directed “Planet of storms” is the Director of documentary educational films. And it was his only science-fiction film? Okay, so, in passing. Now I about another.
Well, what else comes to mind? Well, of course, already in the 70s – “Teens in the universe” (and, of course, “Moscow–Cassiopeia”), “Big space travel”. What else, then? And, “Through thorns to the stars”. Of Course, “The Adventures Of Electronics”. All? Yes, it seems that all. And already 80-e – series “guest from the future”.
This movie is fantastic. But, strictly speaking, about the kind of how the Communist future would be listed only in the “Guest from the future”. Where the hero actually falls in the future, which although obviously not called Communist, but it seems like. Which, incidentally, is quite strange – communism children decided to show in color when all the communism has put the instrument. Including the first secretaries of the various regional committees of the party. But whatever it was.
And “Youths”–”Cassiopeia”? And there the action starts almost in the present. Well, technically more advanced, but certainly not Communist. “Electronics” is actually specific the USSR in the late 70’s. No Communist future is not even close. Very specific “here and now”. Only with the robot.
Shot from a film “adventures electronics” (1980, dir.To.Bromberg).
“More space” – the same story. The plot like fiction. But not too fantastic. In General, also not very distant future. Not communism.
Can only “Through thorns to the stars” begins in society that if you have the imagination can be described as Communist. But actually, it is not very visible. Show basically just a house on the land, and then the entire GOP-company send to dirty the planet.
Well, what else? What else Soviet fiction movies I remembered? So, the campaign, the figure of 1.4 per cent – supposedly share kinofantastiki in the total volume of Soviet film production is probably inflated figure.
Did not like Communists kinofantastike.
And why? And all because they knew that in the Soviet science fiction film we have to show the happy Communist society of the future that they are people all the way brains composted. But to show something and nothing. The Communists themselves could not figure out what should be the society.
To show how this society of the future built in the present – then Soviet cinema every year ahead of the schedule for the shaft. What testimonies are numerous and often sad little more than full Soviet films on the production theme. That’s this good on Soviet film studios was shot so much that if all the tape to pull in one line, then perhaps this tape to Jupiter would be reached.
But to show that the Communist tomorrow – here, I’m sorry. Did not the Communists. And do not want, frankly. Because it’s one thing to lie to the people, and quite another to show their product. At least even in the movie.
That’s why Soviet cinema and produced so few sci-Fi films. Because – it is a dangerous thing. Ideologically dangerous.
That was the oddity of the Soviet cinema, with which I began this post. Although, actually it wasn’t really strange – and a complete pattern of Communist theory and practice. What would be really there nor had fantasies about movie V. I. Lenin.
Thank you for your attention.
Savely Kramarov in the Soviet Comedy “This merry planet” (1973)
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