Liberation

Plot

Liberation (1940) is a wartime documentary directed by Oleksandr Dovzhenko that documents the Soviet annexation of Western Ukrainian territories in 1939 following the invasion of Poland. The film portrays the Soviet military advance as a genuine liberation of Ukrainian populations from Polish oppression, featuring carefully staged footage of local residents welcoming Soviet troops with apparent enthusiasm. Through a combination of actual documentary footage and staged scenes, the film showcases the supposed joy of reunification with the Ukrainian SSR, including ceremonies celebrating the incorporation of these territories into the Soviet Union. The documentary serves as both historical documentation and political propaganda, emphasizing the narrative of voluntary reunification while masking the military occupation aspect of the Soviet advance.

Historical Background

Liberation was created in the immediate aftermath of the Soviet invasion of Eastern Poland in September 1939, following the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. This period saw the rapid annexation of territories with significant Ukrainian populations into the Ukrainian SSR, dramatically expanding Soviet Ukraine's borders. The film was produced during a time when the Soviet Union was engaged in aggressive territorial expansion while simultaneously preparing for the eventual conflict with Nazi Germany. 1940 was also a year of intense political repression within the Soviet Union, though the focus had shifted from the Great Purge to consolidating control over newly acquired territories. The film serves as a historical artifact documenting how the Soviet regime attempted to legitimize its territorial acquisitions through carefully crafted propaganda, presenting military conquest as liberation and reunification of Ukrainian peoples.

Making Of

The making of Liberation occurred during a particularly tense period in Soviet history, as Stalin's regime was consolidating control over newly acquired territories. Dovzhenko, who had previously faced criticism for his artistic independence, was under pressure to create works that aligned with official Soviet narratives. The production team had to work quickly to capture footage in the newly annexed regions while the events were still fresh, often filming under difficult conditions with limited equipment. Many local residents were coerced or paid to participate in the staged welcome scenes, creating the illusion of spontaneous celebration. Dovzhenko struggled to balance his artistic integrity with the demands of Soviet propaganda, resulting in a film that technically demonstrates his documentary skills while serving clear political purposes. The collaboration with his wife Yulia Solntseva was particularly significant, as she brought her own cinematographic expertise to the project and helped navigate the complex political requirements.

Visual Style

The cinematography in Liberation combines authentic documentary footage with carefully composed staged scenes, reflecting Dovzhenko's mastery of visual storytelling. The film employs both handheld camera work for supposed spontaneous moments and more formal compositions for staged celebrations, creating a visual language that blurs the line between reality and propaganda. The use of wide shots to show crowds welcoming Soviet troops contrasts with intimate close-ups of individual faces expressing supposed joy and relief. The black and white photography emphasizes the dramatic contrast between the old Polish administration and the new Soviet order, with careful attention to lighting that creates an almost mythic quality to the liberation narrative. The camera work demonstrates Dovzhenko's background in poetic cinema, even within the constraints of documentary propaganda filmmaking.

Innovations

Liberation demonstrated significant technical achievements in documentary filmmaking for its time, particularly in its combination of location footage and staged narrative elements. The film employed innovative editing techniques that seamlessly blended authentic documentary material with carefully constructed propaganda scenes. Dovzhenko and his team developed methods for filming quickly in unstable political conditions while maintaining high visual quality. The production overcame significant logistical challenges in transporting equipment to the newly annexed territories and filming under difficult conditions. The film's use of both wide-angle shots and intimate close-ups created a comprehensive visual record that served both documentary and propaganda purposes. These technical innovations influenced later Soviet documentary filmmaking, particularly in the realm of political documentaries.

Music

The film's soundtrack combines traditional Ukrainian folk music with Soviet patriotic songs, creating an audio landscape that reinforces the narrative of Ukrainian reunification under Soviet leadership. The musical score was likely composed by one of the regular collaborators at Kiev Film Studio, though specific credits are difficult to verify. The film uses both diegetic sound from the actual events and non-diegetic music to enhance emotional impact, particularly during scenes of supposed spontaneous celebrations. Voice-over narration guides the audience through the events, providing the official Soviet interpretation of the historical moment. The audio design emphasizes the contrast between the supposed oppression under Polish rule and the freedom brought by Soviet liberation, using music and sound to reinforce this political message.

Memorable Scenes

• The staged sequence where Soviet troops are welcomed by crowds waving flowers and singing traditional Ukrainian songs
• The ceremonial raising of the Soviet flag over formerly Polish government buildings
• The emotional reunification of families supposedly separated by the previous border
• The mass meeting where local leaders pledge allegiance to the Soviet government

What Critics Said

Contemporary Soviet critics praised Liberation as a triumph of documentary filmmaking that accurately captured the historical moment of Ukrainian reunification. Official reviews in Soviet publications like Pravda and Iskusstvo Kino emphasized the film's authenticity and emotional power in portraying the joy of liberation. However, Western critics had limited access to the film, and those who did see it recognized it primarily as Soviet propaganda. Modern film historians view Liberation as a fascinating but problematic work, acknowledging Dovzhenko's technical skill while critiquing its role in promoting Soviet expansionism. Current scholarship often analyzes the film within the context of Dovzhenko's broader career and the constraints faced by artists under Stalin's regime. Ukrainian film scholars have a particularly complex relationship with the work, recognizing its artistic merits while questioning its political message and historical accuracy.

What Audiences Thought

Within the Soviet Union, Liberation was received as confirmation of the official narrative about the liberation of Western Ukraine, with audiences in Kiev and other major cities reportedly responding positively to the film's message of Ukrainian unification. The film was shown extensively in schools, factories, and collective farms as part of political education programs. In the newly annexed territories themselves, reactions were more complex, as many viewers recognized the staged nature of some scenes while others genuinely supported the Soviet takeover. The film was not widely distributed internationally, limiting its audience reception outside the Eastern Bloc. Modern audiences, particularly in independent Ukraine, view the film with a more critical eye, recognizing it as an artifact of Soviet propaganda while acknowledging its historical significance as a document of its time.

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