{"id":73304,"date":"2021-06-25T00:03:19","date_gmt":"2021-06-25T07:03:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=73304"},"modified":"2023-07-15T20:45:36","modified_gmt":"2023-07-16T03:45:36","slug":"arsenal-1929","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=73304","title":{"rendered":"Arsenal (1929)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;Hurry up, brothers &#8212; Arsenal is dying!&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Poster.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Poster-210x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"210\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-73305\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Poster-210x300.png 210w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Poster-90x128.png 90w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Poster-189x270.png 189w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Poster.png 583w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 210px) 100vw, 210px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nA Ukranian soldier (Semyon Svashenko) returns home from World War I to participate in the Kiev Arsenal January Uprising.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Revolutionaries<\/li>\n<li>Russian Films<\/li>\n<li>Silent Films<\/li>\n<li>World War I<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Response to Peary\u2019s Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nPeary asserts that this &#8220;beautifully photographed, poetic silent film by Alexander Dovzhenko&#8221; exalts &#8220;the revolutionary spirit of Russia&#8217;s farmers, workers, and soldiers.&#8221; He notes that it takes place near the end of World War I, which &#8220;is causing misery throughout Russia,&#8221; with &#8220;poverty and hunger&#8230; widespread and women mourn[ing] the fathers and sons being killed in combat&#8221; &#8212; a time when &#8220;the seeds for armed insurrection against the Czar have been planted, but for now the bourgeois Social Democrats, the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/White_movement\">White Russians<\/a> who would eventually support <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Russian_Provisional_Government\">Kerensky&#8217;s provisional government<\/a>, try to crush the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bolsheviks\">Bolsheviks<\/a>.&#8221; Meanwhile, &#8220;we stand firmly behind the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kiev_Arsenal_January_Uprising\">arsenal workers in Kiev who go on strike<\/a> and the common men of Ukrainia who bravely stand up to the guns of the counterrevolutionaries.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p>One should be forgiven for not immediately understanding the nuances of this very-specific slice of time, which is likely not well known to anyone other than Russian history buffs &#8212; but suffice it to say that this second of three films in Dovzhenko&#8217;s &#8220;Ukraine Trilogy&#8221; does indeed have a &#8220;story [that] is hard to follow at times&#8221; (most of the time!) while also containing &#8220;a succession of images (many used symbolically) [which] have amazing force.&#8221; Peary calls out a number of especially memorable scenes, including &#8220;a one-armed farmer standing in the field with his skinny horse&#8221;: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Man-Horse.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Man-Horse.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"528\" height=\"400\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-73323\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Man-Horse.png 528w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Man-Horse-300x227.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Man-Horse-128x97.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Man-Horse-356x270.png 356w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 528px) 100vw, 528px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; &#8220;a funeral procession in the snow&#8221;: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Funeral.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Funeral.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"528\" height=\"400\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-73324\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Funeral.png 528w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Funeral-300x227.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Funeral-128x97.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Funeral-356x270.png 356w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 528px) 100vw, 528px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; &#8220;the bourgeois reacting with fear when the motors of the arsenal come to a halt&#8221;: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Horror.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Horror.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"528\" height=\"400\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-73327\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Horror.png 528w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Horror-300x227.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Horror-128x97.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Horror-356x270.png 356w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 528px) 100vw, 528px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; &#8220;the portrait of a revolutionary leader, Shevtshenko, coming to life&#8221;: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Portrait.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Portrait.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"528\" height=\"400\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-73325\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Portrait.png 528w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Portrait-300x227.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Portrait-128x97.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Portrait-356x270.png 356w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 528px) 100vw, 528px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; &#8220;and, in an uplifting final shot, our own hero&#8230; standing firm&#8221;: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Hero.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Hero.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"528\" height=\"400\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-73326\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Hero.png 528w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Hero-300x227.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Hero-128x97.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Hero-356x270.png 356w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 528px) 100vw, 528px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; though Peary surprisingly leaves out an impactful early sequence in which a bald, bespectacled German soldier becomes insane from laughing gas: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Insane.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Insane.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"528\" height=\"400\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-73329\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Insane.png 528w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Insane-300x227.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Insane-128x97.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Insane-356x270.png 356w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 528px) 100vw, 528px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, the film&#8217;s lack of narrative clarity &#8212; coupled with our overall ignorance of the specifics of what&#8217;s going on &#8212; make for a frustrating viewing experience; this one isn&#8217;t must-see other than for fans of early Soviet cinema. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Many powerful, disturbing images<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Grinning.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Grinning.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"528\" height=\"400\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-73310\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Grinning.png 528w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Grinning-300x227.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Grinning-128x97.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Grinning-356x270.png 356w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 528px) 100vw, 528px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Crying.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Crying.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"528\" height=\"400\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-73311\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Crying.png 528w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Crying-300x227.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Crying-128x97.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Crying-356x270.png 356w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 528px) 100vw, 528px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Bodies.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Bodies.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"528\" height=\"400\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-73308\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Bodies.png 528w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Bodies-300x227.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Bodies-128x97.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Bodies-356x270.png 356w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 528px) 100vw, 528px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Danyl Demutskyi&#8217;s cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Cinematography.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Cinematography.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"528\" height=\"400\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-73309\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Cinematography.png 528w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Cinematography-300x227.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Cinematography-128x97.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Cinematography-356x270.png 356w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 528px) 100vw, 528px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Imagery.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Imagery.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"528\" height=\"400\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-73307\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Imagery.png 528w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Imagery-300x227.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Imagery-128x97.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Arsenal-Imagery-356x270.png 356w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 528px) 100vw, 528px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNo, unless you&#8217;re particularly interested in early Soviet cinema. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0019649\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cinematicthreads.com\/review.php?id=3941&#038;ltr=A\">Cinematic Threads Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1929\/11\/11\/archives\/the-screen-the-masqueraders-russian-symbolism.html\">NY Times Original Review (scroll down)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Hurry up, brothers &#8212; Arsenal is dying!&#8221; Synopsis: A Ukranian soldier (Semyon Svashenko) returns home from World War I to participate in the Kiev Arsenal January Uprising. Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Revolutionaries Russian Films Silent Films World War I Response to Peary\u2019s Review: Peary asserts that this &#8220;beautifully photographed, poetic silent film by Alexander Dovzhenko&#8221; exalts &#8220;the revolutionary spirit of Russia&#8217;s farmers, workers, and soldiers.&#8221; He notes that it takes place near the end of World War I, which&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=73304\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-73304","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-responses-to-peary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73304","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=73304"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73304\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":90917,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73304\/revisions\/90917"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=73304"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=73304"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=73304"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}