Peasant Women

Plot

In the collective farms of the Volga region during the Soviet era, a group of determined women decide to form the first all-female fishing brigade to challenge the traditional gender roles in their community. Varvara Kladova, a hardworking and meticulous woman who suffers in silence from her husband Stepan's infidelity, is chosen to lead this pioneering team. Despite facing initial skepticism, technical difficulties, and resistance from the male-dominated fishing community, the women's brigade perseveres through determination and solidarity. Their success eventually surpasses the men's fishing brigade, catching more fish and proving their capability in this traditionally male occupation. This achievement forces Stepan to reevaluate his relationship with his wife, seeing her not just as a wronged spouse but as a capable leader and equal partner, leading to a transformation in their personal relationship and the community's perception of women's roles.

Historical Background

'Peasant Women' was produced during a pivotal moment in Soviet history, just before the devastating impact of World War II would reach the Soviet Union in 1941. The film emerged from the Stalinist era of the late 1930s, when Soviet cinema was strictly controlled to promote socialist ideology and the achievements of the collective farming system. This period saw the consolidation of Stalin's power and the implementation of the second Five-Year Plan, which emphasized industrialization and agricultural collectivization. The film's themes of gender equality and women's empowerment in the workplace reflected the Soviet state's official position on women's liberation, while also serving as propaganda for the collective farming system. The timing of its release in April 1940 meant it was one of the last major cultural productions before the Soviet Union was thrust into the Great Patriotic War, making it a significant artifact of pre-war Soviet cultural policy and social ideals.

Making Of

The production of 'Peasant Women' was a significant undertaking for Mosfilm Studios in 1939-1940. Director Vladimir Batalov, who came from a family of actors and was deeply committed to the principles of socialist realism, spent months researching the lives of collective farmers in the Volga region. The cast underwent extensive preparation, with Alla Tarasova spending time with actual women from fishing collectives to understand their daily struggles and triumphs. The filming on location at the Volga River presented numerous challenges, including unpredictable weather and the need to coordinate large group scenes with both professional actors and local collective farm members. The relationship between Tarasova and Abrikosov's characters was made more compelling by the fact that Abrikosov and Tsesarskaya were a real-life married couple, though Tsesarskaya played a different character. The film's emphasis on authentic fishing techniques required the involvement of technical consultants from the Soviet fishing industry, ensuring that the portrayal of the women's work was both realistic and educational for audiences.

Visual Style

The cinematography of 'Peasant Women' was handled by Yuri Rozkov, who employed the visual language of socialist realism to create both intimate character moments and epic collective scenes. The film makes striking use of the Volga River landscape, with wide shots emphasizing the scale of the fishing operations and the connection between the workers and their environment. The camera work during the fishing sequences was particularly innovative for its time, using both static and moving shots to convey the physical labor and technical skill involved. The visual contrast between the cramped, domestic spaces where Varvara suffers in silence and the expansive, open waters where she finds liberation and leadership serves as a powerful visual metaphor for the film's themes. The lighting technique follows the Soviet realist tradition of bathing scenes in optimistic, bright light during moments of collective achievement, while using more somber tones for scenes of personal struggle.

Innovations

For its time, 'Peasant Women' featured several technical innovations in Soviet cinema. The filming of the extensive fishing sequences required the development of new camera mounting techniques to capture action both on water and from moving boats. The production team designed specialized waterproof camera housings to film in the challenging conditions of the Volga River. The film's sound recording was particularly notable for its ability to capture both dialogue and ambient sounds of the fishing environment, a technical challenge for Soviet studios of the era. The editing techniques employed in the montage sequences showing the women's progress and eventual success over the men's brigade were innovative in their use of cross-cutting and rhythmic editing to build dramatic tension. The film also featured advanced makeup techniques for the 1940s Soviet film industry, particularly in showing the physical transformation of the characters through their labor.

Music

The musical score for 'Peasant Women' was composed by Vano Muradeli, a prominent Soviet composer who would later face political persecution during the Zhdanovshchina period. The soundtrack combines traditional Russian folk melodies with orchestral arrangements that reflect the optimistic spirit of socialist construction. The music swells during scenes of collective achievement, particularly when the women's fishing brigade proves successful, using major keys and triumphant brass arrangements. For intimate moments, especially those involving Varvara's personal struggles, the score employs more subdued string arrangements and traditional folk instruments. The film includes several diegetic musical elements, including work songs sung by the collective farmers during their labor, which were based on authentic fishing songs from the Volga region. The soundtrack was recorded using the latest sound technology available in Soviet studios in 1940, representing the technical capabilities of Mosfilm at the time.

Memorable Scenes

• The climactic sequence where the women's fishing brigade, led by Varvara, brings in their record catch while the men's brigade looks on in disbelief, set against the dramatic backdrop of the Volga at sunset
• The intimate scene where Varvara silently mends fishing nets alone at night, symbolizing both her domestic role and her growing expertise in the traditionally male work
• The confrontation scene where Stepan first recognizes his wife's leadership abilities, filmed with subtle camera movements that emphasize his changing perspective
• The opening montage showing the collective farm awakening to a new day, with women beginning their work before sunrise, establishing the film's visual language
• The scene where the women first launch their fishing boats, choreographed to show their determination and solidarity in the face of male skepticism

What Critics Said

Contemporary Soviet critics praised 'Peasant Women' for its faithful representation of socialist realist principles and its uplifting portrayal of women's role in building socialism. Pravda, the official newspaper of the Communist Party, commended the film for showing how 'the Soviet woman has achieved complete equality with man in all spheres of socialist construction.' Western critics, when they had access to the film during the Cold War, often viewed it through a political lens, noting its propagandistic elements while acknowledging its technical merits. Modern film historians have reassessed the work as an important document of its time, appreciating its artistic qualities within the constraints of Soviet censorship. The performances, particularly Alla Tarasova's portrayal of Varvara, have been consistently praised across different eras for their emotional depth and authenticity within the socialist realist framework.

What Audiences Thought

The film was well-received by Soviet audiences upon its release in 1940, particularly among rural viewers who recognized elements of their own experiences in the collective farming system. The story of women overcoming traditional gender barriers resonated with the Soviet public's growing acceptance of gender equality in the workplace. Audience letters preserved in the Gosfilmofond archives indicate that many viewers, especially women, found the film inspiring and relatable. The film's success at the domestic box office led to extended runs in major Soviet cities. During the war years, the film was frequently shown to troops and in evacuation centers, where its themes of perseverance and collective effort took on new meaning. In the post-war period, the film continued to be shown in workers' clubs and educational institutions as an example of pre-war Soviet cinema's achievements.

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