Soviet Cinematography, 1918-1991

Book excerpt: With a historical sweep that recent events have made definitive, the authors examine the influence of official ideology on the presentation of social reality by Soviet cinema. The order of the study follows the chronology of the social history of the Soviet Union, from the October Revolution to the final days of glasnost. Within the framework of an introduction that lays out the conceptual terminology used to describe that shifting ideological landscape, the authors analyze both the social groups appearing in the films and the relations of film directors and other film makers to state censorship and ideological control. For film students used to the aesthetic categories and philosophical assumptions of the West, the Shlapentokhs' book will provide a compelling new perspective. With its vast array of hard-to-obtain source materials, this is a much-needed reference work for anyone interested in Soviet film making.