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Trotsky: Rise and Fall of a Revolutionary

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This one has me stumped. I mean I was not sure whether to review the documentary or not. My quandary was whether in recommending this hour long documentary I was aiding in bringing the younger generation, who may not be familiar with the great Russian revolutionary and 20th century leftist icon, Leon Trotsky, more misconceptions about his role in history, the role of the Russian revolution in history, and the role of the Bolshevik Party in bringing that revolution about than clarity. The documentary has a fair number of those misconceptions, especially around the always controversial subjects of the seizure of power, the original sin, by the Bolsheviks in November 1917, Trotsky's role in the Kronstadt uprising in 1921, and of Stalin as the "legitimate" continuator of the Leninist traditions, among others. I think that the comment of one of the Russian "talking heads" near the end of the presentation kind of summed up the whole piece-Yes, Trotsky was a great revolutionary, a great thinker, and great organizer but he was a fanatic (like the rest of the Bolsheviks) and the whole "experiment" was doomed to failure. Conclusion: Trotsky got caught up with great historic forces consciously and so he, basically, got what he deserved.

I have reviewed many books and films on Leon Trotsky and on the Bolshevik revolution, some of them, frankly, even less forthright that this effect so, in the end, I decided to review this one in the interest of completeness. And I will just add the proviso that further study is mandatory after viewing this one. Another factor pulling at me, as well, was that, political perspective and other faults aside, this is a very quick overview of Trotsky's life and can at least serve at a primer for the highlights of his biography, and a glimmer of light on the issues that surrounded that life, including his theory of permanent revolution, his notions of socialist society-building and his fight, to the end, to save the honor of the Russian revolution.

One virtue of this film is that it presents a fair amount of film footage (some which I had not seem before) of Trotsky's rise as revolutionary from his chairmanship of the Petrograd Soviet in the 1905 revolution, his various exiles in the aftermath of that event, his return to Russia in 1917 , his organization of the November revolution, his role as War Commissar in the Civil War against the Whites, his role in founding the Communist International, his fights inside the Bolshevik Party against Stalin in the early 1920s, his political defeats at the hands of Stalin in the late 1920s, his expulsion from the Soviet Union and further exiles abroad, and finally his assassination at the hands of a Stalinist agent in Mexico in 1940. Just that short list is enough to keep one going for a while. So watch this one. Then grab Isaac Deutscher's definitive three volume Trotsky biography (The Prophet series) to fill in the many blanks of his life left out of the film, and, finally, read Trotsky's own History Of The Russian Revolution to get his take on that action. In any case don't stop with this film documentary.

Note: Much has been made of Trotsky as an orator. Unfortunately, in his oratorical heyday film had no audio component so we can't get a sense of what virtually every on the spot commentator has described as a mesmerizing presentation. Of course that was an age, or at least more of an age, when oratory, especially political oratory, was prized for its entertainment as well as educational value. Frankly, off his later voice presentation, in some of the footage later in the 1930s he sounds more like Hollywood's image of a mad, exiled East European professor than a revolutionary leader.

My educated guess is it is by far the best English language documentary of Trotsky. The historic videos and photographs were satisfying, and most of commentary was careful and knowlegeable. But after Trotsky was murdered the only thing offered was summary denunciation of Trotsky. Don't this film's makers understand that Trotsky fought courageously for fifteen years against Stalin, first during the Left Opposition, then the United Opposition, finally in exile. He fought the battle as a Soviet leader and as an exile, and he wrote books from the 'Stalin School of Falsification' to 'The Revolution Betrayed' against Stalin's Totalitarianism, tyranny and counterrevolution. He was for the idea, and I would guess most Bolsheviks would agree with him, that people always have the right to disagree with their rulers, and not be put to death because they do. He also believed people general (outside the party also) can make valuable contributions.

One other thing, if we want condemn violence, what about the horrible violence of world War I. WWI was fought for patriotic capitalism but against any notion that workers should not fight for their countries, but oppose the war and unite as the working class. The Bolshevik's complete opposition to WWI and belief as Marxists that the working people should unit helped define Bolsheviks. Patriotic socialists were no longer Marxists, and not really socialists. After the Bolsheviks October Revolution The WWI allies intervened in Russia and armed the White Armies and have most of the blame for the horrible and violent Civil War and the famine that followed. without the intervention, millions of people would not otherwise have perished. The way Trotsky is blamed for Stalin, because he 'believed in force', we as easily claim the Capitalist West caused and are equal to the Nazis and Fascists. Most of them have always believed in force. That either the Capitalists were equal to Nazis and Fascists or Trotsky (and leaders like Lenin) were equal to Stalin is nonsense in both cases.

Trotsky was not perfect, but no one is. He was a foe of great inequality. He had thoughts to the effect that ruling classes take good idea such as liberty, equality, and justice and and claim to embody them in their system, where these things mostly apply to the ruling class (the ones who have the resources or other means to to claim them, and also,these never apply to slaves, peons, sometimes women, selected nationalities, conquered and the most exploited people, all around the world). When it comes to people who challenge their system, they deny them all of these 'rights' while proclaiming even more about the capitalist systems embodiment of these 'rights'.

I do not claim this is a complete analysis, just a good one. Since the end of World War II billions of people have fought for and gained vital rights. These are great victories. I am sure Trotsky would argue these rights, largely by race, nationality questions(often race influenced), sex, and now sexual orientation) in most cases have been partially cancelled by class. A minority of every group makes the upper class,
and everyone else is in the upper class. These gains are good but the big problem remains.

Since I got into this philosophical discussion, related to Trotsky, I want to mention a very complicated question. The Russians had a Revolution as did the Chinese, but not forever. I have not read enough about a fair justice system that established rights and due process.I believe these are great and important. I do not believe that having a Revolution automatically gives these rights. The People who believe in these kind of rights (probably have to be in the Revolution) and have to fight for them, and fight to protect them and extend them.

After watching it was clear to me the movie was done by people who never lived or visited Russia or for this matter cared to give us a message about Russian attemp in communism. Not many remember the name, especially in US, so with movie like this message is more important than anything else. The main point in Trotsky life was his exile and, consequentially, assasination by same comrades he made revolution with, he never understood it was not an accident but logical event for revolutionaries all over the world and as recent examples China and Cuba are perfect. The minimum punishment for being not happy in communistic paradise is exile and if you open your mouth to say something you will never talk again. Brrr, and I complain about US every day having more than I need and at one point contemplated moving back to Russia. Some never learn.