chapaev

Today's film, Chapaev, was very simiular to the war and western movies that we are used to. It was almost like I have seen so many films like this before i could have guessed that Chapaev was going to die but his glory and beliefes would live on. This also the reason that he is so successful in winnning over the Russian public. He is brave, strong, and willing to work and fight for. It came really aparent that he was like that to me when he was in the rafters with Petka and Anka and tells them to leave and go on with out him. Earlier we see Chapaev get a little personal with the couple when he tells them what a great life they are going to have with eachother. Almost like he can relate, that he too had love in his life but maybe the military wouldn't allow love or he had to move on without her. Going back to the rafters he is very simpathetic and seems that he wants to live his yerning for love through the couple. Yet Petka cannot not let his teacher and guider fight alone so I think it was very brave and Chapaev like to send her off and go back and fight.
Comparing this movie to Battleship Potemkin I feel that this was by no means as byist or like a propaganda as B.P. was. It was more for entertainment and did not portray the enemy as harsh as B.P. did. The sound in the film also played a huge role in the development of the story. NO longer was sounds of instruments played but now sounds that the audience could relate to and were familiar with were now in harmony with what is on screen. I do not think that this film could be portrayed as inspirational without the sound. I Chapaev is not nearly the leader he would be if he was not able to speak his mind.
Overall it was definitly a very original film at the time that seems to have paved the way for films of the future. It would be interesting to see how many directors found inspiration from Chapaev.