Chapaev- A Film by the Vasilev Brothers

The film Chapaev by the Vasilev Brothers was quite a different film than the ones watched in class so far. It is a creation of the era of Soviet Realism, the time of which creativity was stifled by the oppressive Soviet government. The only works that were permitted to be produced were ones that were pro-Soviet. Chapaev is an example of this; the main character General Vasilly Ivanovich Chapaev being a real individual in history. However, due to the restrictions placed upon the directors of the film, they were forced to tool Chapaev's story to fit their needs. After the film was finished and had been seen by the Russian populous, it became quite famous. The Russian people found Chapaev to give the image of the valiant "Reds," fighting against the cowardly "Whites." This image gave the Soviet people something to look forward to in their time of darkness; gave them hope as to what the Soviet Union would one day become. The film also benefited from advances in cinematic technology; the ability for sound to be recorded in synchronization with the video. Unlike its silent predecessors, Chapaev was able to grab the viewer's attention with the tonality of their voices, rather than over exaggerated acting. The main factor that made me appreciate Chapaev however is the fact that it adheres to the strict ideals of Soviet Realism; I find this extremely interesting as to how the Vasilev Brothers were able to take the story of a real man and turn it into what would become a Russian blockbuster while following such strict criterion. All together, Chapaev has been one of the best films we have watched so far and I would enjoy watching films of a similar caliber in the future.