Wings of a Serf (1926)
This SovKino production was a major early experiment in Soviet historical film about the oprichnina period of Muscovite history, combining the costumed drama and Gothic thrills of the genre with historical materialist commentary on the dialectical collision of scientific progress and patriarchal religious tyranny under Tsar Ivan the Terrible. It follows a self-taught inventor from the serf class Nikishka, whose efforts to build a flying machine incite accusations of witchcraft. Nikishka and his beloved Fima are persecuted by the feudal lord Kurlyatev, who took their village in a petty land squabble. They’re rescued when Kurlyatev’s lands are taken by the Tsar in his autocratic campaign against the feudal system. Ivan puts Nikishka to work in his linen mill, where the young serf is coveted by Tsarina Maria Temryukovna, who the Tsar’s been ignoring in favor of his cupbearer Feodor. A series of harrowing intrigues wind a bloody dance through bedchamber, feast hall, cathedral and dungeon.
Cast
- Ivan Klyukvin - Nikishka
- Leonid Leonidov - Tsar Ivan the Terrible
- Safiyat Askarova - Maria Temriukovna
- Vladimir Korsh - Tsarevich Ivan
- Nikolai Prozorovsky - Feodor Basmanov
- Sofya Garrel - Fima
- Aleksandr Zhukov - Vaska Gryaznov
- Lev Ivanov - Guard (uncredited)
- Konstantin Efimov - Metropolitan
- Ivan Kachalov - Malyuta Skuratov
Screenplay
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Wings of a Serf about?
- This SovKino production was a major early experiment in Soviet historical film about the oprichnina period of Muscovite history, combining the costumed drama and Gothic thrills of the genre with historical materialist commentary on the dialectical collision of scientific progress and patriarchal religious tyranny under Tsar Ivan the Terrible. It follows a self-taught inventor from the serf class Nikishka, whose efforts to build a flying machine incite accusations of witchcraft. Nikishka and his beloved Fima are persecuted by the feudal lord Kurlyatev, who took their village in a petty land squabble. They’re rescued when Kurlyatev’s lands are taken by the Tsar in his autocratic campaign against the feudal system. Ivan puts Nikishka to work in his linen mill, where the young serf is coveted by Tsarina Maria Temryukovna, who the Tsar’s been ignoring in favor of his cupbearer Feodor. A series of harrowing intrigues wind a bloody dance through bedchamber, feast hall, cathedral and dungeon.
- Who directed Wings of a Serf?
- Wings of a Serf was directed by Yuri Tarich, Leonid Leonidov.
- Who stars in Wings of a Serf?
- Wings of a Serf stars Ivan Klyukvin, Leonid Leonidov, Safiyat Askarova, Vladimir Korsh, Nikolai Prozorovsky, Sofya Garrel.
- How long is Wings of a Serf?
- Wings of a Serf has a runtime of 1h 13m (73 minutes).
- What genre is Wings of a Serf?
- Wings of a Serf is a Drama, History film.
- Where was Wings of a Serf produced?
- Wings of a Serf was produced in Soviet Union.