A tale of generations, Earth begins with the death of a grandfather in an orchard, surrounded by his family and loved ones. This peaceful death gives way to tumultuous times for his son Opanas and grandson Vasily. Kulaks, a class of wealthy landowners, begin appropriating the land of unbounded farmers. Influenced by communism, Vasily leads a youth movement to form collectivized farming in Ukraine, coming in conflict with his rival Khoma. In its embrace of death as a process of change, Earth endows a spiritual vision on the end of a way of life.
Since its release, Earth has remained Alexander Dovzhenko’s most famous work. Its overwhelming visual beauty and complex editing convey a sensual celebration of life. A vital influence on the films of Andrei Tarkovsky, Earth is regarded as one of the greatest films ever made.
"A stunning achievement by turns beautiful, poignant and silently subversive" - Film4
Awards: National Board of Review, USA (1930) – Won, Top Foreign Film / Venice Film Festival, (1932) – Nominated, Audience Award
Cast & Crew: Directed by Alexander Dovzhenko / Cinematography by Daniil Demutsky / Stepan Shkurat / Semyon Svashenko / Yuliya Sointseva / Yelena Maksimova / Nikolai Nademsky / Ivan Franko
Technical: 1930 / 78 minutes / Russian with English subtitles / Mono audio (orchestral score) / 1.33:1 Black & White / PG / DVD PAL Multi Region / MRBDVD025
Licensed from Mosfilm.
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