Life and Death of Pushkin
"The first cinematic tribute to the sun of Russian poetry."
Plot
The film presents a chronological series of dramatic vignettes illustrating the most pivotal moments in the life of Russia's national poet, Alexander Pushkin. It begins with his childhood under the care of his beloved nanny, Arina Rodionovna, who instills in him a love for Russian folklore, and follows his education at the prestigious Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum where his genius is first recognized by the elder poet Derzhavin. The narrative progresses through his adult years of literary fame, his political exile to the south due to his provocative epigrams, and his eventual return to St. Petersburg society. The film culminates in the tragic events surrounding his marriage to Natalya Goncharova, leading to the fatal 1837 duel with Georges d'Anthès and the poet's poignant final moments.
Director
About the Production
Produced by the Moscow branch of the French Gaumont company, the film was part of a broader movement by early Russian filmmakers to adapt national literary classics to the screen. Director Vasiliy Goncharov, a pioneer of Russian cinema, utilized a 'tableau' style where each scene functioned as a living illustration of a historical event. The production faced the challenge of condensing a complex life into a short runtime, resulting in a series of static but emotionally charged scenes designed for an audience already deeply familiar with Pushkin's biography.
Historical Background
In 1910, the Russian Empire was experiencing a cultural 'Silver Age' and a burgeoning film industry that sought to establish its own identity separate from French and German imports. Adapting the life of Pushkin was a patriotic act, intended to elevate the 'low' medium of cinema by associating it with high literature. This was a time of social tension under Tsar Nicholas II, and Pushkin’s history of exile and rebellion against authority resonated with the pre-revolutionary public, even if the film itself avoided overt political commentary.
Why This Film Matters
This film marks the beginning of a long tradition of 'Pushkiniana' in Russian and Soviet cinema, establishing the visual tropes that would be used in dozens of subsequent adaptations. It demonstrated that cinema could serve as a pedagogical tool for national history. For modern film historians, it serves as a vital record of early 20th-century acting styles and the 'tableau' method of storytelling that preceded the development of modern film editing.
Making Of
Vasiliy Goncharov, who had previously worked on the first Russian feature 'The Defence of Sevastopol,' approached this project as a series of 'living pictures.' The production was rapid, typical of the era, focusing on iconic visual cues—such as the nanny's headscarf or the Lyceum uniform—to signal historical context to the viewer. Casting Vladimir Krivtsov as Pushkin was a strategic choice based on his physical resemblance to the poet's famous portraits. The film was shot primarily in a studio setting with painted backdrops, which was standard for the Gaumont Moscow branch at the time.
Visual Style
The cinematography by Alphonse Winkler is characterized by a static camera and deep-focus staging. The film uses 'tableau' compositions, where the action unfolds within a single wide shot for each scene, mimicking the experience of looking at a historical painting or a stage play. Lighting is flat and naturalistic, typical of early studio work.
Innovations
The film is notable for its use of authentic-looking costumes and its attempt to recreate specific historical events with visual accuracy based on 19th-century iconography. It was one of the earliest Russian films to use intertitles not just for dialogue, but to provide historical framing for the 'chapters' of the poet's life.
Music
As a silent film, it had no synchronized soundtrack. In 1910, it would have been accompanied by a live pianist (taper) or a small orchestra playing classical Russian pieces, likely by Tchaikovsky or Glinka, to enhance the emotional weight of the scenes.
Famous Quotes
Intertitle: 'Pushkin at the Lyceum - the awakening of talent.'
Intertitle: 'The fatal duel on the Black River.'
Memorable Scenes
- The scene where the young Pushkin listens to his nanny, Arina Rodionovna, which visually establishes the roots of his creative inspiration.
- The Lyceum examination scene where the elderly poet Derzhavin rises in excitement to embrace the young prodigy.
- The final duel scene, staged with dramatic tension despite the short runtime, showing the poet falling in the snow.
Did You Know?
- It is the first biographical film ever made about Alexander Pushkin.
- The film is the only early 'Pushkin series' silent film that has been preserved with its original Russian intertitles intact.
- Despite being a Russian production, it was produced by the Moscow branch of the French company Gaumont.
- Contemporary critics in 1910 were largely negative, calling the acting 'primitive' and the staging 'crude,' yet the film remained popular with audiences for a long time.
- The film features a recreation of the famous 1815 Lyceum exam where Pushkin recited poetry for Gavrila Derzhavin.
- The actress playing Natalya Goncharova, Aleksandra Goncharova, shared the same surname as Pushkin's real-life wife, though she was not a direct descendant.
- The film was released during a period of 'Pushkin-mania' in Russia, where the poet's life was being canonized as a national myth.
- The cinematography was handled by Alphonse Winkler, a French cameraman who worked extensively in early Russian cinema.
What Critics Said
At the time of its release, the 'Kino-Zhurnal' (Film Magazine) praised the attempt to bring Pushkin to life but noted the limitations of the short format. Later Soviet film historians viewed it as a 'primitive' but 'rare and valuable' artifact of pre-revolutionary cinema. Modern critics appreciate it more for its archival value and its role as a 'cinematic dictionary' of Pushkin's life than for its narrative complexity.
What Audiences Thought
The film was a commercial success, staying in theaters much longer than other shorts of the period. Audiences in 1910, many of whom were semi-literate, found the visual representation of the national poet's life deeply moving, as it allowed them to 'see' the stories they had only heard or read in fragments.
Film Connections
Influenced By
- The paintings of Ilya Repin
- Pushkin's own autobiographical writings
- 19th-century theater traditions
This Film Influenced
- The Poet and the Tsar (1927)
- The Poet's Youth (1937)
- Pushkin: The Last Duel (2006)
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Film Restoration
Preserved. The film is held in the Russian State Film Fund (Gosfilmofond) and is available in various archival collections.