This is another Russian film about peasants. It's far more focused on the lives of agrarian people's of the Soviet Union than previous Soviet films like Strike or Storm Over Asia. I did not like it as much as I thought I would. The story is somewhat boring however the cinematography is great and is very similar to Storm over Asia for its use of real locations and landscape photography to heighten the natural beauty within the film. The film lives in the same legacy of Potemkin as a piece of propaganda utilizing highly charged associative editing to make your blood boil and support the Revolution. All Russian films serve some political purpose it seems. And this film really pushes that agenda.
You can see films serving the role of politics with the Soviet Union having blatantly more political films than America given the fact that funding came from the State rather than private firms. Foreign films in the 30’s seem to be pushing the envelope as American films of this period seem to be receding from challenging social norms.