''Lenin in October'' () is a 1937 Soviet

biographical A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or curric ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed by

Mikhail Romm Mikhail Ilyich Romm (; – 1 November 1971) was a Soviet film director, screenwriter and pedagogue. He was named People's Artist of the USSR in 1950. Life and career Early life He was born in Irkutsk into a family of mixed Russian Jewish ...

and Dmitri Vasilyev and starring

Boris Shchukin Boris Vasilyevich Shchukin (; — 7 October 1939) was a Russian and Soviet actor, theater director and pedagogue. In 1936, Shchukin was among the first group of recipients of the honorary title of People's Artist of the USSR. In 1941, he was post ...

Nikolay Okhlopkov Nikolay Pavlovich Okhlopkov (; 15 May 1900, Irkutsk – 8 January 1967, Moscow) was a Soviet and Russian stage and film actor and theatre director who patterned his work after Meyerhold. Patrick Miles, translator. He was named a People's Artist o ...

and

Vasili Vanin Vasili Vasilyevich Vanin (; 13 January 1898 – 12 May 1951) was a Soviet and Russian stage and film actor, theatre director and pedagogue. People's Artist of the USSR (1949). Biography Vasili Vanin was born on 13 January 1898 in Tambov, in the fa ...

.Rollberg p.499 Made as a Soviet-realist

propaganda Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded l ...

work by the GOSKINO at the

Mosfilm Mosfilm (, ''Mosfil’m'' , initialism and portmanteau of Moscow Films) is a film studio in Moscow which is among the largest and oldest in the Russian Federation and in Europe. Founded in 1924 in the USSR as a production unit of that nation's fi ...

studio, it portrays the activities of

Lenin Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov ( 187021 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin, was a Russian revolutionary, politician and political theorist. He was the first head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 until Death and state funeral of ...

at the time of the

October Revolution The October Revolution, also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution (in Historiography in the Soviet Union, Soviet historiography), October coup, Bolshevik coup, or Bolshevik revolution, was the second of Russian Revolution, two r ...

. All

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...

scenes were expunged from the film for its reissue in 1958. The movie was followed by ''

Lenin in 1918 ''Lenin in 1918'' (, ''Lenin v 1918 godu'') is a Soviet biographical drama film released in 1939. It gives the background of the Russian Civil War after the October Revolution. The film was directed by Mikhail Romm with E. Aron and I. Simkov as ...

'', which was made two years later.

Plot

The story depicts the events of the

, the second of the two revolutions of

1917 Events Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix. January * January 9 – WWI – Battle of Rafa: The last substantial Ottoman Army garrison on the Sinai Peninsula is captured by the Egyptian Expeditionary Force's ...

, and Lenin's pivotal role in organizing the

Bolshevik The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, were a radical Faction (political), faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) which split with the Mensheviks at the 2nd Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party, ...

uprising. Tensions are high in

Petrograd Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...

as unrest brews among workers. Lenin secretly arrives at the Petrograd train station and is escorted through the security cordon by his bodyguard, a worker named Vasily. He meets with

Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...

, portrayed as his closest ally. Soon after, a clandestine meeting of the Bolshevik Central Committee is shown, where the uprising is meticulously planned. The film showcases key moments in Soviet history: preparations for the revolution in Petrograd's factories and workshops, the iconic blank shot fired by the "

Aurora An aurora ( aurorae or auroras), also commonly known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly observed in high-latitude regions (around the Arc ...

" cruiser signalling the beginning of the attack on the

Winter Palace The Winter Palace is a palace in Saint Petersburg that served as the official residence of the House of Romanov, previous emperors, from 1732 to 1917. The palace and its precincts now house the Hermitage Museum. The floor area is 233,345 square ...

, and the storming of the Winter Palace. The narrative emphasizes the betrayals of

Lev Kamenev Lev Borisovich Kamenev. ( Rozenfeld; – 25 August 1936) was a Russian revolutionary and Soviet politician. A prominent Old Bolsheviks, Old Bolshevik, Kamenev was a leading figure in the early Soviet government and served as a Deputy Premier ...

and

Grigory Zinoviev Grigory Yevseyevich Zinoviev (born Ovsei-Gershon Aronovich Radomyslsky; – 25 August 1936) was a Russian revolutionary and Soviet politician. A prominent Old Bolsheviks, Old Bolshevik, Zinoviev was a close associate of Vladimir Lenin prior to ...

, though these treacheries fail to derail the Bolsheviks' plans. The film concludes with the declaration of the revolution's victory at the

Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies The Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies was held on November 7–9, 1917, in Smolny, Petrograd. It was convened under the pressure of the Bolsheviks on the All-Russian Central Executive Committee of the Firs ...

, with Lenin proclaiming: "Comrades! The workers' and peasants' revolution, the necessity of which the Bolsheviks have always spoken of, has been accomplished!"

Cast

Vladimir Lenin Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov ( 187021 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin, was a Russian revolutionary, politician and political theorist. He was the first head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 until Death and state funeral of ...

as Vasily, bolshevik and Lenin's bodyguard *

as Matveyev, bolshevik * Vladimir Pokrovsky as

Felix Dzerzhinsky Felix Edmundovich Dzerzhinsky (; ; – 20 July 1926), nicknamed Iron Felix (), was a Soviet revolutionary and politician of Polish origin. From 1917 until his death in 1926, he led the first two Soviet secret police organizations, the Cheka a ...

*Nikolai Arsky as Blinov, worker *Yelena Shatrova as Anna Mikhailovna *Klavdiya Korobova as Natasha, Vasily's wife *

Nikolai Svobodin Nikolai Kapitonovich Svobodin (; 20 May 1898 – 20 September 1965) was a Soviet and Russian stage and film actor and theater pedagogue. Personal life He was born in village Uzmorye, Novouzensky Uyezd as Nikolai Kapitonovich Pechkin (). He becam ...

as Valerian Rutkovsky, the Social Revolutionary * Viktor Ganshin as Zhukov, the Menshevik *Vladimir Vladislavsky as Karnaukhov *Aleksandr Kovalevsky as

Alexander Kerensky Alexander Fyodorovich Kerensky ( – 11 June 1970) was a Russian lawyer and revolutionary who led the Russian Provisional Government and the short-lived Russian Republic for three months from late July to early November 1917 ( N.S.). After th ...

*Nikolai Sokolov as

Mikhail Rodzianko Mikhail Vladimirovich Rodzianko (; ; 21 February 1859 – 24 January 1924) was a Russian statesman of Ukrainian origin. Known for his colorful language and conservative politics, he was the State Councillor and chamberlain of the Imperial famil ...

*Nikolai Chaplygin as Kirilin * Ivan Lagutin as Filimonov * Semyon Goldshtab as

(in the first version of movie) *

Sergei Tsenin Sergei Sergeyevich Tsenin () was a Soviet and Russian actor and director. Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1935). Selected filmography * 1930 — '' St. Jorgen's Day'' *1936 — '' Party Membership Card'' *1937 — '' Lenin in October'' *1939 — ...

as Pavel Malyantovich (uncredited) *

Anatoli Papanov Anatoli Dmitriyevich Papanov (; 31 October 1922 – 5 August 1987) was a Soviet and Russian actor, drama teacher, and theatre director at the Moscow Satire Theatre where he served for almost 40 years. A prominent character actor, Papanov is mos ...

as worker (uncredited)

Production

Stalin wanted a film that showed the October Revolution and the men responsible for it, just in time for its twentieth anniversary. As soon as Alexei Kapler's scenario was approved by the highest authorities, ''Lenin in October'' was put into production on August 10, already late in the year. The only director available was Mikhail Romm. ''Lenin in October'' was ready for release on November 7, only three months after the shooting commenced.

International influence

During China's

Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a Social movement, sociopolitical movement in the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). It was launched by Mao Zedong in 1966 and lasted until his de ...

, ''Lenin in October'' (along with ''

'') were the only Soviet feature films repeatedly screened to the public. In 2011, Chinese performing artist

Guo Degang Guo Degang ( zh, s=郭德纲, p=Guō Dégāng) is a Chinese crosstalk (''xiangsheng'') comedian and actor. Guo's film appearances include '' The 601st Phone Call'', '' Just Another Pandora's Box'', and '' Mystery''. Guo has also directed the fi ...

created a ''

xiangsheng Xiangsheng (), also known as crosstalk or comic dialog, is a traditional performing art in Chinese comedy, and one of the most popular elements in Chinese culture. It is typically performed as a dialog between two performers, or rarely as a ...

'' (comedic crosstalk) titled ''Lenin in 1918''. The ''xiangsheng'' depicts the plight of traditional opera performers who could no longer perform their repertoire during the Cultural Revolution and resort to mixing highlights from ''Lenin in October'' and ''Lenin in 1918'' into an aria.

References

Bibliography

* Rollberg, Peter. ''Historical Dictionary of Russian and Soviet Cinema''. Scarecrow Press, 2008.

External links

* * 1937 drama films 1937 films 1930s biographical drama films 1930s Russian-language films Russian Revolution films Films about Vladimir Lenin Cultural depictions of Joseph Stalin Films directed by Mikhail Romm Films directed by Dmitri Vasilyev Films set in 1917 Russian biographical drama films Russian black-and-white films Soviet biographical drama films Soviet black-and-white films Soviet revolutionary propaganda films Mosfilm films 1930s Soviet films Russian-language biographical drama films {{bio-film-stub