Arsenal (1928)

Watched on DVD 6/6/09
Directed by Aleksandr Dovzhenko

Ask any casual moviegoer about the history of cinema and the response will no doubt include silent, black & white and colour. Some will add things like aspect ratios and digital projection or 3-D films but all responses will include the first three. The use of the term of "silent cinema" indicates that sound plays no part in the enjoyment or appreciation of the film. The reality couldn't be further from the truth. Live renditions of the musical score were features of early cinema. Films such as Everlasting Moments pay homage to this. Arguably, the score was more important in silent features than in contemporary movies.

Every introductory text on film history mentions the Soviet directors of the 1920s as trendsetters and innovators who progressed the medium of cinema to what we know it as today. The Battleship Potemkin by Eisenstein is the work cited most and is the only other Soviet film of this era that I have seen. Arsenal is a propaganda film detailing the heroism of Ukrainian revolutionaries.

Modern Hollywood film tends to make elaborate use of establishing shots. You know the sort: city view; street view; building shot; usually followed by a zoom into a room. Either that or a subtitled location and time will be displayed. Dovzhenko doesn't use this mechanism and coupled with the large cast I didn't quite follow the linkage between scenes at certain points. This, I'm sure, has to do with me watching a film 80 years after it was made, the audience of the day would not experience the same difficulty.

In truth, this difficulty is easily overcome because the plot revolves around key scenes of bravery and idealised collective action. The merchants and army officers are portrayed as weak hideous men ruled by avarice, the hard working officers noble and strong-willed. Exciting kinetic energy is wonderfully illustrated in two extended sequences. First, we experience a high speed train derailment with actors jumping from the moving train. Then, a high speed cavalry races along to bury a fallen comrade. The one truly recognisable character is a handsome, strong actor who leads the proletariat in revolt. One can't help but think that Che Guevera must have modeled some of his image on him.

Overall Rating - 64/100