"Mother Russia Calls"

I recently finished watching The End of St. Petersburg and I found it to be a really wonderful and beautiful film. The beginning I found to be a bit dull but as the social and political struggles became more intense I was entranced by this silent film. I began to take notes about midway through the film and I will share some things that I noticed. ( These are taken directly from my notebook)

There are obvious class separations. The farmer, the proletariat-worker, the stock-holders, the bourgeois

I found it to be very strange and disturbing that at the beginning of the film the man who lives in the country becomes aware of his wife’s terminal condition then continues with plowing the field. He then immediately leaves the rest of his family to go to the city.
Does this mean that even in the country people are losing touch with general human nature and care for their fellow man?

Many reoccurrences of water and the ocean in contrast to images of the workers in a factory setting
Peacefulness and calmness versus violence and brutality
The occurrences of the image of the baby (crying or sleeping) may also have something to do with this contrast

Architecture has iron-like texture and quality
Homes are simple

Reappearance of the statues and looking up at them rather than looking down at them seems to be an apparent theme. Never looking straight at the statue – seeing eye to eye

Mobs/ large groups of people (where the people all look the same) adorning bowler hats – mixed up, fighting, working together in the end – stock people, workers on strike, army – always looking down at mob – reading newspapers chaos – eventually the hats are taken off

Very little presence of women at the beginning – later however only women are the ones to make the farmer feel regret and shame for informing the government of where the proletariat was

None of the characters have names but are characterized by their features or by their class (the proletariat, the boy, the bald one etc.)

All characters seem to have little or no emotion then they act out with extreme emotion

The farm boy seems to gradually lose his innocence as he becomes more and more mixed up with “progress” – unresponsive then violently aggressive.

Terrifying still image of the simple seemingly peaceful farmer sought with rage which was implanted in him by capitalism or some other corruption from progress
The image has chilling clear eyes and a violently angry expression. Tears are streaming down his face making him seem more human-like.

In this fight scene “progressive things” are broken: telephone, lamp, type writer

Image of the statue shown to give the sense of authority

Everyone seems to be disenchanted by life and the head of the police department seems bored of another “common” criminal

Government believed that war would prevent revolution

Water a very common comparison – Army tank guns pointed at the city and interesting image of the guns “crushing” the city

The same iron statue was adorned with flowers – possibly a symbol of femininity or an attempt to make “things” more pleasant.

Extreme nationalism – detest the Germans and German- made products – Smashing of German top-hat and snapping walking stick – Hat meaning leader literally the “head” and walking stick phallic symbol for power.

Iron statue with flowers is show crying: sadness or joy?


Strange crucifix shown with 1917 as the date
They are martyrs for their country.

Women showing aggressiveness – fighting for bread

Baby is shown once again wailing – Fast images - not clear as to whether the baby is nursing or just nude or maybe both

Cannons and Guns dripping – similar to the statue that was “crying”

The war was almost like a performance –the thunderous applause – trying to please the people

My favorite scene – shoot the traitors and they shoot the government men – excellent cinematography execution bringing intensity

Proletariat’s wife crossing fallen soldiers and sharing bread with them
Woman nurturing and building their government again

Woman goes into the Winter Palace? Comparison between ornate building and beaten broken pail of bread carrying nutrients



Interesting/Repeated Quotes:

"Mother Russia Calls" – Repeated

“In the name of Tsar, fatherland and money”

“What are we dying for”? – “Three years and we don’t know what we are fighting for”

“Transaction completed when both parties are satisfied”

“A Coalition Government”

“The government puts itself under the protection of the people and the army”
Government doesn’t protect itself – puts its trust in those that they are supposed to protect.

“The proletariat has risen and is waiting for you”

“Long live the city of Lenin”