Real Images: Soviet Cinemas and the Thaw (Kino - The Russian Cinema) [Paperback]

Josephine Woll (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 7, 2000 | ISBN-10: 186064550X | ISBN-13: 978-1860645501

During "the thaw" from Stalin’s death in 1953 to the late 1960s and Khrushchev’s rule, Soviet society experienced major transformations. So did films. In this first comprehensive account of the relationship between politics and cinema in this period, Josephine Woll skillfully interweaves cultural history with film analysis to explore how movies at once responded to the changes around them and helped engender them. She considers dozens of individual films within the context of Khrushchev’s policies and the artistic foment they inspired.

Editorial Reviews

Review

". . . both a history and a critical survey. Its coverage of the political and cultural background is impressive!"--Jane A. Taubman, The Slavic and East European Journal

"Woll's book constitutes an impressive contribution to Soviet film history."-- Slavic Review

About the Author

Josephine Woll is Professor of German and Russian at Howard University, Washington D.C.

Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: I. B. Tauris (July 7, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 186064550X
• ISBN-13: 978-1860645501
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,440,720 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Much Needed Book, June 17, 2002

By 

Michael Samerdyke (Big Stone Gap, VA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Real Images: Soviet Cinemas and the Thaw (Kino - The Russian Cinema) (Paperback)

REAL IMAGES is a very interesting look at Soviet Cinema from 1953 to 1967. I can't think of another book that deals with the films of this era so completely. It is the book to turn to when one has finished Peter Kenez's history of Soviet Cinema to 1953.

What makes the book so interesting is that the author has investigated the background to each film, such as the controversy that projects such as "Carnival Night," "Nine Days of One Year" and "Ilich's Gate/I Am Twenty" generated before and during filming. These critical responses are tied to the political shifts of the Khrushchev era.

If there are any drawbacks, it is that the book opens slow, but then the interesting films didn't really start appearing until 1956. Also, the Shakespeare films of Soviet directors aren't really covered, but I can understand why the author made that choice.

Still, the positive features far outweigh any criticism. The book gives new perspective on directors such as Mikhail Romm, and shows the start of the careers of directors such as Eldar Riazonov and Elim Klimov. It adds flesh and spirit to the overviews of "Thaw" era Soviet cinema that appeared in The Most Important Art and other books.

Strongly recommended to anyone with an interest in Soviet cinema in general or European film of the Fifties and Sixties.