Happy 70K Members, comrades!

In time to celebrate, I’ve finished subbing another Soviet film.

This is Sergei Yutkevich’s 1940 film, Yakov Sverdlov: Pages From the Biography.

This film is a biographical drama that sheds light on a key revolutionary of the early days of the Bolsheviks and the Revolution, Yakov Sverdlov.

Sverdlov was a young and early supporter of the Bolsheviks, joining the RSDLP in 1902 and aligning with Lenin and the Bolsheviks. He was a key agitator and organizer that was subjected to constant imprisonment and exile, and played a key role in the revolutionary government during the Russian Civil War when he was appointed in 1917 as Chairman of the Central Executive Committee of the All-Russian Congress of the Soviets, working as the Head of Government ministries and later Chairman of the Secretariat of the Communist Party in 1918.

Sverdlov died on March 16th, 1919 at age 33 after contracting Spanish flu on a trip to Ukraine. He worked until the last 2 days of his life.

Sadly, I can only find the 1965 version that removed all Stalin scenes. But it is still a good watch nonetheless.

Here’s one of my favorite scenes, the portrayal of dissolving the Russian Constituent Assembly after it refused to recognize the authority of the Soviets.

Watch the full film on YouTube below

Yakov Sverdlov (1940) Eng Sub (1965 Revision)

I recently got put onto this movie by the YouTuber “NightmareMovies”, and was pretty blown away. This is a shot-on-video horror/thriller film that was made as a proof of concept for a bigger production that never came to be, and was mysteriously uploaded in full on YouTube many years later (you can watch it for free right now). The story follows a bored librarian named Jane, who discovers an envelope addressed to her with 50 dollars, and an invitation to play a game, signed by “The Master of Games”. She solves the riddle, leading her to another envelope, with more money, and another riddle to solve. This begins a journey of obsession, sadism, and paranoia as Jane gets pulled deeper and deeper into the world of her new master.

Out the gate, one of the most intriguing aspects is how the film was made. Because it was never intended for public consumption, the overall quality of the film is rough, but it only contributes to the cursed, sinister atmosphere. The film is shot in grainy black and white, on video which gives it a voyeuristic feeling. Sometimes it’s hard to even make out what you are seeing on screen, keeping you on edge. There is also next to no music, and there is minimal foley work. The dialogue and acting can be hit or miss, but lead actress Kim Garrett really carries the show with a mesmerizing performance. I think this overall lack of polish really creates a unique viewing experience, and captures a gritty bleakness at the start of the new century in America.

Why it’s relevant here is because the film seems to be dealing with themes of commodification and fetishization. Jane receives money in exchange for her autonomy. As her will is molded, it becomes less about the financial gains, and more a form of complacency, like a rat trapped in a wheel, desperate to find meaning in the endless pursuit. I’d love to hear if anyone else who’s seen the film were picking up on any of these themes!

If you haven’t seen the movie, but are interested in obscure media, or psychological horrors, I’d highly recommend it! I think if you can appreciate the film’s rough edges, and the uncanny vibe that they create, there’s a lot to be enjoyed.

TRIGGER WARNING: the movie isn’t too explicitly violent but themes about violating consent, sexual exploitation and assault are pervasive

the movie portreys all muslims as complicit in rape of European women where the protagonist takes matter into his own hands and kills a family of muslims who conveniently claim they did it because of the Quran.

the producer is Uwe Boll, who is of german origin, so no surprise there. but whats shocking is that the lead actor, Armand Douglas Hammer, is an ashkanazi jew. somehow it was lost on him the possible outcome of the demonization of minorities that his ancestors famously experienced.

The film has not been put on the "Index", making it legal to own or sell to adults.

now imagine if the film was made about epstein, framing all jews as complicit based on their religious texts. would that producer ever be able to work again? would the lead actor be treated the same way as the kid who sent an email saying he doesn't want to work for a jew? or do some people have less worth than others?

https://www.thewrap.com/industry-news/tech/google-a24-investment-ai-research/

Full guide here: https://writebraintv.com/