Torn Boots (1933)
Working with children led Barskaya to create superb direct sound and an inspired style of shooting. Don’t look for conventional cinematic syntax here. The film is chaotic in the way that Soviet films still knew how to be, and Langlois couldn’t help but be seduced by its rebellious spirit, its anarchy and love of children, comparable to Vigo’s Zero de conduite. As well as being a film made with and for children, it offers a complex take on Western society. Pre-Nazi Germany is not named as such but is carefully reconstructed, possibly under advice from Karl Radek, and children offer a playful reflection of class struggle – doubly excluded, as proletarians and as minors. “They play in the same way that they live”, one intertitle says. The interaction between their comical games and the yet more ludicrous ones played by adults is developed on several levels.
Cast
- Mikhail Klimov - Pastor
- Ivan Novoseltsev - Valter's father
- Varvara Alyokhina - School teacher
- Klavdiya Polovikova - Blind woman
- Vladimir Uralskiy - Police agent
- Lev Losev
- Nikolay Losev
- Anna Chekulaeva - Valter's mother
- Natalia Sadovskaya
- Olga Bazanova - (uncredited)
Screenplay
Keywords
labor strike, woman director, anti-fascism
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Torn Boots about?
- Working with children led Barskaya to create superb direct sound and an inspired style of shooting. Don’t look for conventional cinematic syntax here. The film is chaotic in the way that Soviet films still knew how to be, and Langlois couldn’t help but be seduced by its rebellious spirit, its anarchy and love of children, comparable to Vigo’s Zero de conduite. As well as being a film made with and for children, it offers a complex take on Western society. Pre-Nazi Germany is not named as such but is carefully reconstructed, possibly under advice from Karl Radek, and children offer a playful reflection of class struggle – doubly excluded, as proletarians and as minors. “They play in the same way that they live”, one intertitle says. The interaction between their comical games and the yet more ludicrous ones played by adults is developed on several levels.
- Who directed Torn Boots?
- Torn Boots was directed by Margarita Barskaya.
- Who stars in Torn Boots?
- Torn Boots stars Mikhail Klimov, Ivan Novoseltsev, Varvara Alyokhina, Klavdiya Polovikova, Vladimir Uralskiy, Lev Losev.
- How long is Torn Boots?
- Torn Boots has a runtime of 1h 25m (85 minutes).
- What genre is Torn Boots?
- Torn Boots is a Drama film.
- Where was Torn Boots produced?
- Torn Boots was produced in Soviet Union.