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