The General Line

Plot

The General Line follows Marfa Lapkina, a poor peasant woman who initially resists collectivization but gradually becomes an enthusiastic supporter of collective farming. The film depicts her transformation from an individual farmer struggling with outdated methods to a leader in the collective farm movement, embracing modern agricultural machinery and socialist ideals. Through a series of episodic vignettes, the film contrasts the backwardness of individual farming with the progress promised by collectivization, showing the construction of cream separators, tractors, and other modern equipment. The narrative culminates in a celebratory sequence where the collective farm achieves unprecedented success, demonstrating the superiority of collective labor over individual farming methods. The film serves as both a personal story of transformation and a propaganda piece promoting Soviet agricultural policy.

Historical Background

The General Line was produced during a critical period in Soviet history when Stalin's First Five-Year Plan was being implemented and forced collectivization of agriculture was underway. The film was commissioned as part of a massive propaganda campaign to convince skeptical peasants of the benefits of collective farming. This was a time of tremendous social upheaval, as traditional rural life was being forcibly transformed into collectivized agriculture. The film's production coincided with the beginning of widespread peasant resistance to collectivization, including violent uprisings and the destruction of livestock by farmers opposed to the policy. The film's optimistic portrayal of collectivization contrasted sharply with the reality of famine and hardship that would soon follow in many agricultural regions. Eisenstein's work was thus not merely artistic expression but an active participant in one of the most controversial and transformative social experiments of the 20th century.

Making Of

The production of The General Line was marked by intense political pressure and artistic compromise. Eisenstein, working under the watchful eye of Soviet cultural authorities, struggled to create a film that was both artistically innovative and ideologically correct. The casting of Marfa Lapkina, a non-professional actress, was both a practical decision and an ideological statement about the 'new Soviet person.' The film's elaborate machinery sequences required unprecedented technical coordination, with Eisenstein pioneering techniques for capturing industrial processes on film. Production was frequently halted as Eisenstein was forced to consult with Party officials about the film's political messaging. The most challenging aspect was the famous milk separator sequence, which involved complex camera movements and timing to create the desired rhythmic effect. Eisenstein's original cut was significantly longer and more artistically experimental, but was heavily edited to meet political requirements before its official release.

Visual Style

The cinematography by Eduard Tisse and Vasili Khvostov represents some of the most innovative work of the silent era. The film features pioneering use of close-ups on machinery, creating an almost erotic celebration of industrial progress. The famous milk separator sequence uses complex camera movements and rapid editing to create a rhythmic, almost musical effect. The film employs dramatic contrasts between dark, cramped individual farm spaces and bright, open collective fields. Eisenstein and his cinematographers developed new techniques for filming machinery in motion, using multiple cameras and innovative lighting to capture the beauty of industrial processes. The visual style emphasizes geometric patterns and mechanical rhythms, creating a visual language that equates technological progress with social advancement. The film's use of montage is particularly sophisticated, with Eisenstein creating intellectual and emotional associations through rapid cutting between images.

Innovations

The General Line pioneered several technical innovations in filmmaking. The film's complex machinery sequences required the development of new camera mounting techniques to capture moving industrial equipment. Eisenstein and his team created specialized rigs for filming inside machinery, allowing for unprecedented close-ups of mechanical processes. The milk separator sequence involved synchronized multiple camera movements that were technically revolutionary for the time. The film also innovated in its use of location shooting, taking cameras into real collective farms and factories rather than relying entirely on studio sets. The editing techniques developed for this film, particularly the rhythmic cutting of machinery sequences, influenced film editing for decades. The production also overcame significant challenges in lighting large outdoor agricultural scenes, developing new techniques for natural lighting that would influence documentary filmmaking.

Music

As a silent film, The General Line originally had no recorded soundtrack but was accompanied by live musical performances during screenings. The original score was composed by Vladimir Shcherbachov and performed by orchestras in major Soviet theaters. The music was designed to enhance the film's emotional and ideological impact, with triumphant themes accompanying collective farming scenes and more somber melodies for individual farming sequences. Modern restorations have been scored by various composers, including attempts to recreate the original Soviet-style music. Some contemporary versions feature experimental electronic scores that emphasize the film's mechanical themes. The absence of dialogue forces viewers to focus entirely on the visual narrative, making the film's montage techniques particularly effective.

Memorable Scenes

• The milk separator sequence - a complex montage of machinery, milk, and workers creating a rhythmic celebration of industrial progress
• Marfa's transformation scene - where she embraces collective farming and becomes a true Soviet woman
• The tractor arrival sequence - depicting the arrival of modern machinery to the collective farm
• The final celebration scene - showing the success of the collective farm with abundant harvests and happy workers
• The cream processing sequence - another innovative machinery montage demonstrating agricultural modernization

What Critics Said

Contemporary Soviet critics praised the film's ideological clarity while some privately criticized its artistic compromises. Western critics at the time were largely unaware of the film due to limited distribution. Modern film scholars recognize The General Line as a technically brilliant but politically problematic work. Many view it as an example of how even great artists can be co-opted by political systems. The film is now studied primarily for its innovative editing techniques and its historical value as propaganda. Some critics argue that the film's artistic merits are overshadowed by its role in promoting a disastrous agricultural policy. Others maintain that it represents Eisenstein's most sophisticated use of montage to create emotional and ideological impact. The film's reputation has evolved over time from political tool to historical document to artistic achievement, reflecting changing perspectives on both Eisenstein and the Soviet experiment.

What Audiences Thought

Initial Soviet audiences, particularly rural viewers, reportedly found the film inspiring and motivational, though many peasants remained skeptical of collectivization despite the film's message. The film was shown extensively in collective farms and factories as part of educational programs. Urban audiences generally responded positively to the film's technical sophistication and optimistic message. International audiences had limited exposure to the film due to political restrictions and its specifically Soviet content. Modern audiences viewing the film in retrospectives often find it technically impressive but ideologically disturbing. The film's reception today varies widely depending on the viewer's knowledge of Soviet history and their perspective on propaganda art. Some contemporary viewers appreciate it as a masterpiece of silent cinema, while others focus on its role in promoting a historically disastrous policy.

You Might Also Like