|
|
|||
|
|
1926. De Mille
Pictures. Released by Producers Distributing Company. 11 reels.
A Cecil B. De Mille Production. THE VOLGA BOATMAN. A Story by Lenore Coffee. Adapted from the novel by Konrad Bercovici. Copyrighted MCMXXVI by Cinema Corporation of America. Released by Producer's Releasing Corporation. Directed by CECIL B. DE MILLE. Member of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors Association of America. Will H. Hays, President. Assistant Director, Frank Urson. Art Direction, Mitchell Leisen, Anton Grot and Max Parker. Photographers, Arthur Miller, Peverell Marley. Film Editor, Anne Bauchens. Gowns by Adrian. (De Mille Productions logo) Passed by the
National Board of Review.
Cast: William Boyd, Elinor Fair, Robert Edeson, Victor Varconi, Julia Faye, Theodore Kosloff, Arthur Rankin. |
If you want a thoughtful, serious treatment
of the causes of the Russian revolution, then you have the wrong director
and the wrong film. With The Volga Boatman director Cecil B. DeMille
managed to make a film about a clash of ideologies without taking sides,
or even explaining much of the difference between the sides. The story
is about the idea of Russia and of revolution, not the historic events,
and is really a triangle drama with a prince (Victor Varconi), a lady (Elinor
Fair) and a Volga boatman (William Boyd).
In previous films such as Male and Female, DeMille had focused on the problems of the well dressed, moneyed aristocracy. Here he presents the Russian revolution as between the oppressed and the well dressed, triggered by petty humiliations more than major inequities. An introductory title apologizes for ignoring the real situation of the revolution, and the setting is just a backdrop for pretty gowns, costumes and settings. This is a gorgeous production with beautifully designed sets, and lit so that you can see every piece of furniture. DeMille seldom went for full fledged realism in his work and in The Volga Boatman the gowns, cars, hair all speak of 1926, not 1917. While DeMille wanted to play it right down the middle and present both sides with positive and negative attributes, the result is that you don't really identify with either or care which side wins. It is clear that DeMille's focus is not on the revolution but on the attraction between the romantic leads William Boyd and Elinor Fair. So the story is more about sexual politics than revolutionary politics and could easily have been transposed to a crime drama with the fiancee of the police chief falling for a gangster. The plot is straightforward. Engaged to Victor Varconi, Elinor Fair is entranced by the song of the Volga Boatman. When she goes to find the source of the mournful singing, she is clearly sexually attracted to Boyd, while Varconi reacts by humiliating him. William Boyd becomes a revolutionary leader, and ordered to execute Fair, he escapes with her. They are captured by the other side (led by Victor Varconi), and Fair is mistaken for a red. She is stripped and about to be raped by the troops of the white Russians when Varconi saves her. The plot continues with the back and forth reversals of power. From this plot, you would think the underlying purpose of the revolution was over which side managed to get the other side's women! The film was preserved by the George Eastman House film archive from DeMille's personal nitrate print. The image quality of the Image Entertainment laserdisc and Kino on Video VHS release is very good. The slight mottling in the last reel serves as a reminder of the importance of film preservation. The piano score by Philip Carli is based on the original cue sheets, and is especially effective when contrasting the old and new Russia. (Review © 1997 David Pierce) |
|
Send additions, suggestions, comments or questions to David Pierce, prizma@onetel.com
© 1997 David Pierce