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The Appropriate Tune: "Stranger in Moscow", by Michael Jackson
The plan was always to feature a film from the Soviet Union this year, but originally that film was the infamous 1985 war film Come and See. Given that film’s reputation however and given my rather dour mood at the time I decided that I was in the mood for some lighter fare. Really the whole final 10 needed a bit of brightening up, Mondo Cane tries but much like the Man Show went the way of the comedy dinosaurs decades ago, and Ong Bak is a bit too heavy. I needed something that wasn’t cynical, something to bring the spirits up, and when I came across the name of today’s film I figured I had found what I was looking for. Plus it apparently had cowboys in it, and if Revenge hadn’t come through I needed a backup. Also think two steps ahead kids.
Released in 1924 through Goskino, The Extraordinary Adventures of Mr. West in the Land of the Bolsheviks (current record holder of the longest film title in Thunderblog history) was the debut film of Lev Kuleshov, written by Nikolai Aseyev and Vsevolod Pudovkin. Porfiry Podobed plays John West, an American man who alongside his cowboy bodyguard Jeddy decides to take a journey to the Land of the Bolsheviks, to see for himself all the horrors talked about in the various New York magazines. However things go awry as soon as they touch down at the capital; Not only is West’s handbag stolen by a child but West and Jeddy are quickly separated, with several instances of cowboy-themed grand theft auto committed in the interim. Separated by his six-shooting guardian John West is officially a stranger in a land, and it’s about that time that a gang of crooks set their sights upon him. They’ve got their hands on West’s bag you see, containing some of those New York magazines, and they’ve got a plan to take him for everything he’s worth. Has John West doomed himself in his pursuit of knowledge, or does an extraordinary adventure yet await him? You’d have to watch to find out, of course.
As a comedy The Extraordinary Adventures… is not dissimilar from the films you saw in the West at the time, your Keaton and Chaplin vehicles. Primarily visual comedy, slapstick, but the way that it incorporates the satirical and fantastical elements into an otherwise realistic setting gives it an incredibly surreal atmosphere. Much of the first act of this film is dedicated to Jeddy’s long, complicated run from the police, which was predicated on Jeddy lassoing a random passerby at threatening him at gunpoint for some reason, as an example. Then there is the strange fixation on fights;There are about four or five times throughout this movie where characters, mainly villainous ones, break out into fist fights. An opportunity for more slapstick obviously, but what surprised me is the physicality of these fights. People are jumping on each other, they’re getting shoved into the floor, I would not be surprised if someone didn’t bust their ass during the making of this movie. It’s genuinely madcap in a way you don’t see much in films these days, and sometimes even in cartoons, a dedication to being silly.that brings to mind the heartfelt worldview of a child.
Much of the bizarre nature of silent films, at least from our modern tastes is in the actors, and The Extraordinary Adventures… doesn’t disappoint in that regard. A tip of the hat to Podobed, whose goggle-eyed expressions are a treat, but the gang of crooks are definitely the biggest weirdos of the movie, which makes sense as they’re explosively violent, malicious perverts and that’s not the kind of behavior you want to support. Another big tip of the hat there to Aleksandra Khohkhlova as The Countess von Saks, who is one of the creepier looking characters in silent film with no effort whatsoever. If you ever wondered what Catherine O’Hara would look like as a sleep paralysis demon, look no further than this movie.
There’s no such thing as an unbiased opinion. All art is a reflection of the background, the culture, the ideology of the artist, and that goes for the Soviet Union just as it does everywhere else in the world. What I find interesting however is just how differently the propaganda is approached. In American media Soviets were almost akin to the boogeyman; Shady figures working for shadowy overlords using tricks and subterfuge to bring about the fall of ‘western civilization’, or miserable thralls to said overlords. In The Extraordinary Adventures… however, while it doesn’t hide its opinion towards the American establishment, it doesn’t paint the American people with the same brush. While John West is a bit absent-minded he is also shown to be a forthright person, even courageous when the situation calls for it, and Jeddy is no different. They’re good people who just didn’t know better, and when they figure things out they are quick to rectify their mistake. The primary antagonists of the film are in fact internal; Remnants of the deposed empire like The Countess and those who have dropped out of society in order to prey upon others, certainly an issue for a fledgling state just starting out. There’s no need for fear-mongering in The Extraordinary Adventures… because Kuleshov and the crew aren’t afraid, and that relaxed confidence is admirable. Certainly so when compared to the more paranoid Western fare.
The film does have an issue with pacing. The nature of films in the silent era meant frequent cuts to exposition cards, but the amount of times Kuleshov cuts a scene in order to introduce new characters (which also serves as a cast list) ends up feeling excessive, especially when some characters who aren’t that important to the story get one. There’s also an attempt at a romance subplot with Jeddy by the end which just doesn’t work. There’s a sort of setup for it, but once the main plot with West starts up Jeddy and his romantic interest barely get any screen time together before the end, and in the scant moments they do share there’s never any indication of romantic feelings, so when you get to the end there’s little emotional impact. It’s almost like they just wanted a cowboy in the movie without having a good plan to justify it, which is understandable because if I had the chance to make movies I’d do the exact same thing.
Music for this restored version of the film is provided by Robert Israel, a name familiar to those who have been keeping an eye on the silent film circuit. One size fits all type of soundtrack here, nothing all that exciting, although I do like the little Yankee Doodle leitmotif that pops in during a couple times with West. Gives it a bit of character.
The Extraordinary Adventures of Mr. West in the Land of the Bolsheviks gets the recommendation. It’s got that screwball energy there, but at the core it’s a comedic cautionary tale about the importance of proper investigation and finding things out yourself rather than assuming, which I think is a good moral no matter who you are. If you’ve just got off of Bulbbul or Santa Sangre and looking for a palate cleanser, this is a good choice. Put on your flag socks and make an evening of it.
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