DuetosomecommoninterestsbetweenGermanandRussianaristocracy(theRussiansevenhadaristocratsintheirpastnottomentiontheyhadanEmpresscalledCatherinetheGreat,asgreatasthisGermancount'sheiresses…),itisnotstrangethatthisTeutoniccounthasunderstoodandevenenjoyedHerrS.M.Eisenstein's"StaroyeINovoye".
ItisnotveryusualthatforthearistocracytoenjoyBolshevistfilmsfullofproletariandemandsthatputprivatepropertyatriskorasithappensinthiscase,afilmabouttheCommunistParty'spolicyonthesubjectofthecollectivizationoftheSovietagriculture.NormallythiswouldbeperfectgibberishforthisGermancount,butthankstoHerrEisenstein'sgreatnessanddirectorialtalent,thehardshipsoftheheroineofthefilm,DameMarfa(DameMarfaLapkina)breachedeventhethickaristocraticSchlosswalls.
Andthat'soneofthefirstremarkableaspectsofthisoeuvreinspiteofthepoliticalsubjectofthefilm,thepowerfulimagesandlyricism(astonishingandbeautifulshotcompositions),especiallyduringthefirstpartofthemovie,preservetheartisticmeritsentirelywhileservingapropagandapurpose.Thesecondremarkableaspectofthefilmisthedichotomybetweentheoldandnew,thefighttoimprovethelotofDameMarfaandhercountrymen.TherearemanydiscussionsbecauseitisnoteasyeveninRussiatochangeancientandconservativecustoms.Therearesuperbmetaphorsandsocialcriticism(illiteracy,bureaucracy,religiosity)whichperfectlyfitthefilm,andlastbutnotleast,"StaroyeINovoye",isakindofarchaicdocumentaryaboutancientcustomsestablisheddeeplyinoldRussia,thoseonesthatourheroinemustfightagainst.Andthereisalsoalotaboutagriculture(veryenlighteningforthisGermancount),especiallyaboutharvestingandhowtofattenRussiancowsorpigs(literally,nopunhere…).
HerrEisensteinhadtobearduringthelasteraofhisfilmcareer,unbelievablecensorshipandmutilationofhiswork,ashappenswith"StaroyeINovoye".ThefilmwasreeditedandEisensteinaccusedofsympathizingwithTrostky'spoliciesbutfortunatelythefilmwasrestoredandshowedbytheGerman-frenchifiedt.v.channel"ARTE",natürlich!,includinganevocativemusicscorebyHerrTarasBujewski,thatfitssuperblyHerrEisensteinprimalartisticinterests.
Andnow,ifyou'llallowme,ImusttemporarilytakemyleavebecausethisGermanCountmustbuyatractorforoneofhisTeutonicheiress.