Great Citizen

Plot

Great Citizen is a two-part Soviet biographical drama that chronicles the life and political career of Bolshevik leader Pyotr Shakhov, a character based on Sergey Kirov. The film follows Shakhov's revolutionary activities, his rise through the Communist Party ranks, and his dedicated service as a regional party secretary who fights against corruption and bureaucratic inefficiency. The narrative showcases his commitment to socialist ideals and his connection with the common workers, while depicting his conflicts with party members who oppose his reforms. The story culminates in his assassination, which is portrayed as a tragic loss to the Soviet people and the revolutionary cause. The film serves as both a tribute to Kirov's legacy and a justification for the subsequent political purges in the Soviet Union.

Historical Background

Great Citizen was produced during the height of Stalin's Great Purge (1936-1938), a period of intense political repression in the Soviet Union. The film was made four years after the assassination of Sergey Kirov in 1934, an event that Stalin used as justification for initiating the purges. The film's creation served multiple political purposes: it honored Kirov's memory, reinforced the narrative of enemies within the party, and justified the ongoing repression. The late 1930s saw the consolidation of socialist realism as the only approved artistic style in the USSR, and Great Citizen exemplifies this aesthetic with its heroic portrayal of party leaders and clear moral dichotomies. The film was released just before World War II, when the Soviet Union was preparing for what it saw as inevitable conflict with capitalist nations.

Making Of

The production of Great Citizen occurred during one of the most turbulent periods in Soviet history, the Great Purge. Director Fridrikh Ermler faced enormous pressure to create a film that would serve both as entertainment and political propaganda. The casting of Nikolai Bogolyubov was deliberate, as he was known for his portrayals of ideal Soviet heroes. The film's script went through multiple revisions by party officials to ensure it conveyed the correct political message. During filming, several crew members were arrested by the NKVD, creating an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty. Ermler himself was briefly detained but was released after Stalin personally intervened, recognizing the film's propaganda value. The production utilized real factories and workers as extras to enhance authenticity, and many scenes were shot on location in actual Soviet industrial centers.

Visual Style

The cinematography by Yuri Yekelchik and Vladimir Rapoport employed the dramatic lighting and composition characteristic of socialist realism. The film used high-contrast lighting to create heroic silhouettes of the main characters, particularly in scenes depicting Shakhov's leadership. Industrial scenes were shot with wide angles to emphasize the scale of Soviet achievements, while intimate political conversations used close-ups to highlight the actors' expressions. The camera work often employed low angles when filming Shakhov to reinforce his heroic stature. The film's visual style deliberately echoed Soviet propaganda posters, with carefully composed group scenes that emphasized unity and purpose.

Innovations

Great Citizen was notable for its sophisticated use of sound recording in an era when many Soviet films still suffered from poor audio quality. The production employed innovative microphone techniques to capture dialogue in large industrial settings. The film's editing, particularly in the montage sequences showing Soviet industrial progress, was considered technically advanced for its time. The production also pioneered new techniques in crowd scene management, effectively coordinating hundreds of extras in complex political rally sequences. The film's special effects, while modest by modern standards, were innovative for Soviet cinema of the 1930s, particularly in the recreation of historical events.

Music

The musical score was composed by Gavriil Popov, one of the prominent Soviet composers of the period. The soundtrack features sweeping orchestral arrangements that underscore the film's epic scope and emotional moments. Popov incorporated elements of Russian folk music and revolutionary songs to create a distinctly Soviet sound. The music swells dramatically during key political speeches and tragic moments, reinforcing the film's emotional impact. The score includes a recurring leitmotif associated with Shakhov that evolves throughout the film to reflect his character's journey. The soundtrack was later released on records and became popular in its own right in the Soviet Union.

Memorable Scenes

• The assassination scene in the Smolny Institute, where Shakhov is gunned down in a corridor, creating one of Soviet cinema's most powerful moments of political martyrdom
• The factory floor speech where Shakhov addresses workers, using dramatic camera angles to emphasize his connection to the common people
• The climactic party meeting scene where Shakhov confronts corrupt officials, showcasing the film's themes of political struggle
• The opening montage sequence depicting Soviet industrial achievements, set to rousing revolutionary music

What Critics Said

Upon its release, Great Citizen received unanimous praise from Soviet critics, who hailed it as a masterpiece of socialist realism. Pravda and other official newspapers published extensive reviews praising the film's ideological clarity and artistic merit. International critics at the Venice Film Festival noted the film's technical sophistication while recognizing its propagandistic nature. In later decades, Soviet film historians continued to cite it as a classic of the genre. Modern Western critics view the film as a fascinating artifact of Stalinist propaganda, noting its technical competence while criticizing its historical distortions. Film scholars today study it as an example of how cinema was used to construct political narratives and legitimize state power.

What Audiences Thought

Great Citizen was enormously popular with Soviet audiences upon its release, drawing large crowds in major cities across the USSR. The film resonated particularly with party members and industrial workers, who saw in Shakhov/Kirov an ideal leader who understood their concerns. Many viewers reported being moved to tears by the assassination scene, which was designed to evoke strong emotional responses. The film became required viewing in factories, collective farms, and party organizations throughout the Soviet Union. In the decades following its release, it continued to be shown on Soviet television and in retrospactive film festivals, maintaining its status as a beloved classic of Soviet cinema among older generations.

You Might Also Like