Evgeny Dobrenko
Lucidly written, vibrant, insightful, elegant and imaginative, these essays lead the reader - advanced as well as newcomer - into the depths of the best Russian and Soviet films and provide fascinating reading. Birgit Beumers has gathered in this volume the leading scholars who are working currently in the field. Using the most powerful images encoded in this cinema, the authors enable us not only to experience Russian and Soviet values and sensibilities but also to take part in the process of reconceptualisation of these great movies that are so finely analyzed in this volume.
Evgeny Dobrenko,, University of Sheffield
Nancy Condee
Ranging from silent cinema to musical comedy, from art film to animation and blockbuster, the films under discussion here provide 24 diverse and compelling answers to the question "What is Russian cinema?" Carefully chosen and meticulously researched by leading scholars, these essays cover both familiar classics and lesser-known films that have played a pivotal role in cultural politics from imperial Russia through the Soviet period - including films of the socialist republics - to today's post-socialist reality. The volume is an invaluable companion to any exploration, in the classroom or on one's own, of Russo-Soviet culture over the last century
Nancy Condee,, University of Pittsburgh