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Earth (dir. Dovzhenko, 1930)

This film tells the story of the coming of collectivization to a Ukrainian village. It is, admitedly, a difficult film, not the least because the video itself is made from a film that was considerably deteriorated, making it quite difficult to see. It is especially difficult to keep track of who is who, and for this reason I will offer here a fuller plot summary than in previous weeks, as well as a list of characters. PLEASE read the Gillespie article before you watch the film. It will make it a lot easier to follow.

Cast of Characters:

Plot Summary:

Basil (Vasil, in the original Ukrainian) is a committed, young Communist in this village. His father is initially against collectivization, but comes to see the sense in it and the improvement it promises to bring to the peasants' lives. The arrival of the tractor is a long-awaited and transformative moment in village life. Basil earns the ire of the village's wealthy peasants who, for obvious reasons, oppose collectivization. One of these wealthy peasants, or kulaks, named Tom (Khoma in Ukrainian) is driven to murder Basil one night. Tom seems to get away with his crime at first, but is driven to confession when he witnesses the outpouring of grief and the celebration of communist ideals at Basil's funeral. As Basil's father grieves at his funeral, his mother gives birth to a new son, a member of a new generation of Soviet citizens who will adhere without question to the values for which Basil was martyred.

Study questions: