Evgenii Bauer
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Yevgeni Franzevich Bauer () (1865 – ) was a Russian
film director A film director or filmmaker is a person who controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfillment of that Goal, vision. The director has a key role ...
of silent films, a theatre artist and a
screenwriter A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...
. His work had a great influence on the aesthetics of Russian cinematography at the beginning of the 20th century. Bauer made more than seventy films between 1913 and 1917 of which 26 survived. He already used the relatively long sequence shots and displacements that would come to be associated with camera virtuosos. ''Los Angeles Times'' film critic
Kenneth Turan Kenneth Turan (; born October 27, 1946) is an American retired film critic, author, and lecturer in the Master of Professional Writing Program at the University of Southern California. He was a film critic for the ''Los Angeles Times'' from 1991 ...
called Bauer "The greatest director you've never heard of." Georges Sadoul called him "the first true artist in the history of cinema".


Biography

Bauer was born in
Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
in 1865, the son of the
Bohemian Bohemian or Bohemians may refer to: *Anything of or relating to Bohemia Culture and arts * Bohemianism, an unconventional lifestyle, originally practised by 19th–20th century European and American artists and writers. * Bohemian style, a ...
immigrant musician Franz Bauer and his wife, an operatic singer. From childhood, Bauer displayed artistic tendencies and participated in his favourite dramatised scenes (his sister was a professional actress). In 1887, Bauer graduated from the
Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture The Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture (), also known by the acronym MUZHVZ, was one of the largest educational institutions in Russia. The school was formed by the 1865 merger of a private art college, established in Moscow ...
. He tried out a number of different professions, first working as a
caricaturist A caricaturist is an artist who specializes in drawing caricatures. List of caricaturists * Abed Abdi (born 1942) * Abril Lamarque (1904–1999) * Al Hirschfeld (1903–2003) * Alex Gard (1900–1948) * Alexander Saroukhan (1898–1977) * Alfre ...
, drawing satirical sketches for the press. He then became a master of art
photography Photography is the visual arts, art, application, and practice of creating images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is empl ...
, before moving to work in the theatre, as a producer, an
impresario An impresario (from Italian ''impresa'', 'an enterprise or undertaking') is a person who organizes and often finances concerts, Play (theatre), plays, or operas, performing a role in stage arts that is similar to that of a film producer, film or ...
, and a professional
set designer Scenic design, also known as stage design or set design, is the creation of scenery for theatrical productions including plays and musicals. The term can also be applied to film and television productions, where it may be referred to as prod ...
. In the 1890s he married the actress and dancer Lina Ancharovna, whose surname he used during the
First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
when he went under the pseudonym of Evgeni Ancharov, feeling that his own surname was "too German". Even in these early years, Bauer was attracted to
cinematography Cinematography () is the art of motion picture (and more recently, electronic video camera) photography. Cinematographers use a lens (optics), lens to focus reflected light from objects into a real image that is transferred to some image sen ...
and started to work as an artistic producer and director. His first work in the cinema was an order for set decorations for the film "300 Years of the House of Romanov" (1913), produced by
Alexander Drankov Alexander Osipovich Drankov (; 1879–1949) was a Russian and Soviet photographer, cameraman, film director, and film producer. He is considered a pioneer of Russian pre-revolutionary cinematography. Biography Drankov was born Abram Iosifovich D ...
's film company. After this, Bauer worked for Drankov as a producer and made four films. He then made another four films for the Moscow branch of the French company
Pathé Pathé SAS (; styled as PATHÉ!) is a French major film production and distribution company, owning a number of cinema chains through its subsidiary Pathé Cinémas and television networks across Europe. It is the name of a network of Fren ...
Brothers, and then finally started to work for the Khanzhonkov company, which at that time was the unspoken leader in Russian cinematography. From the end of 1913 to the start of 1917, Bauer made more than 80 films, of which less than half have survived. Bauer worked mainly in the genres of social and psychological drama (although he also made comedies), such as ''
Daydreams Daydreaming is a stream of consciousness that detaches from current external tasks when one's attention becomes focused on a more personal and internal direction. Various names of this phenomenon exist, including mind-wandering, fantasies, an ...
'', ''
After Death After Death may refer to: * ''After Death'' (1989 film), an Italian horror film * ''After Death'' (1915 film), a Russian short film * ''After Death'' (2023 film), a faith-based documentary *''AfterDeath'', a 2015 British horror film See also * Aft ...
'' (both 1915), '' A Life for a Life'' (1916), and ''The Revolutionary'' (1917). He worked with the leading actors of Russian silent cinema, including
Ivan Mozzhukhin Ivan Ilyich Mozzhukhin ( rus, Иван Ильич Мозжухин, p=ɪˈvan ɨˈlʲjitɕ mɐˈʑːʉxʲɪn; – 18 January 1939), usually billed using the French transliteration Ivan Mosjoukine, was a Russian silent film actor. Career in Russ ...
,
Vera Kholodnaya Vera Vasilyevna Kholodnaya (née Levchenko; ; ; 5 August 1893 – 16 February 1919) was a Russian cinema actress. She was the first star of Imperial Russian silent cinema. Only five of her films still exist, and the total number she acted in is ...
,
Vitold Polonsky Vitold Alfonsovich Polonsky (Russian: Витольд Альфонсович Полонский; 1879 – 5 January 1919) was a Russian silent film actor. Biography The son of a nobleman, Polonsky took drama courses in the Moscow theatre schoo ...
,
Ivan Perestiani Ivan Nikolayevich Perestiani (also Ivane, ka, ივანე პერესტიანი; ; — 14 May 1959) was a Georgian/Soviet film director, screenwriter and actor, and People's Artist of the Georgian SSR (1949). He was of Kefalonia ...
,
Vera Karalli Vera Alexeyevna Karalli (; 27 July 1889 – 16 November 1972) was a Russian people, Russian ballet dancer, choreographer and silent film actress during the early years of the 20th century. Early life and career Born in Moscow, Karalli gradua ...
and others. In 1917, Bauer and the Khanzhonkov company moved to a new studio in
Yalta Yalta (: ) is a resort town, resort city on the south coast of the Crimean Peninsula surrounded by the Black Sea. It serves as the administrative center of Yalta Municipality, one of the regions within Crimea. Yalta, along with the rest of Crime ...
, where he made the film ''
For Happiness ''For Happiness'' () is a 1917 Russian short drama film directed by Yevgeny Bauer. Plot Zoya Verenskaya and Dmitry Gzhatsky have been loving each other for 10 years, but Zoya does not want to harm the psyche of her daughter Lee, therefore, lov ...
'' with the young actor
Lev Kuleshov Lev Vladimirovich Kuleshov (; – 29 March 1970) was a Russian and Soviet filmmaker and Film theory, film theorist, one of the founders of the world's first film school, the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography, Moscow Film School. He was g ...
. Bauer broke his leg on the set and had to work on his next film, '' The King of Paris'', from a bathchair. However, Bauer started to suffer from complications relating to pneumonia and could not complete this film. On 22 June 1917, Bauer died in a Yalta hospital. His final film was completed by actress Olga Rakhmanova.


Significance and influence

Bauer is considered a leading stylist of Russian silent cinematography and placed particular emphasis on the pictorial aspect of film-making. He is considered a master of
psychological drama Psychological drama, or psychodrama, is a Genre, subgenre of Drama (film and television), drama and psychological fiction literatures that generally focuses upon the emotional, mental, and psychological development of the protagonists and other c ...
, and also one of the first Russian directors who developed the artistic side of cinema including montage, mise-en-scene and the composition of the frame. He made great use of his theatrical experience when making his films, the outcomes of which occasionally prefigured future achievements in cinema. Bauer was the first to start to consider the placing of lights on the film-set and changed the lighting during the filming, used unusual filming angles, made frequent use of wide spaces, and filmed through "gaseous" material to produce the effect of fog. He attributed great significance to the composition of each shot, constructing decor and natural shots with artistic expressions of classical landscapes, made use of camera movement to widen the space of the shot, and add a dramatic effect. Bauer's artistic experiments and outstanding expertise gave him a reputation as the leading director in Russian cinema.


Selected filmography

* 1913 - ''
Uncle's Apartment Uncle's Apartment, () is a 1913 Russian short film directed by Pyotr Chardynin and Yevgeni Bauer. Plot The film will tell about a man named Koko, who decides to rent out his uncle's apartment rooms, as a result of which, in the same apartment, ...
'' (with
Pyotr Chardynin Pyotr Ivanovich Chardynin () ( – 14 August 1934) was a Russian and Soviet film director, screenwriter and actor. One of the pioneers of the film industry in the Russian Empire, Chardynin directed over a hundred silent films during his career. ...
) * 1913 - '' Twilight of a Woman's Soul'' * 1914 - ''The Post Troika Races Along'' * 1914 - ''The Free Bird'' * 1914 - '' The Girl from the Street'' * 1914 - ''Her Heroic Feat'' * 1914 - ''Life and Death'' * 1914 - ''
Silent Witnesses ''Silent Witnesses'' () is a 1914 Russian film directed by Yevgeni Bauer about the relationship between masters and servants in pre-revolutionary Russia. Plot When Variusha, a maid in a Russian upper-class household, is not allowed to go and s ...
'' * 1914 - '' Glory to Us, Death to the Enemy'' * 1914 - ''Tears'' * 1915 - ''
Daydreams Daydreaming is a stream of consciousness that detaches from current external tasks when one's attention becomes focused on a more personal and internal direction. Various names of this phenomenon exist, including mind-wandering, fantasies, an ...
'' * 1915 - ''
The 1002nd Ruse ''The 1002nd Ruse'' () is a 1915 Russian comedy film directed by Yevgeny Bauer. Plot The film is set in 1915 Russia. A wife is cheating on her husband while he is fallen asleep after she gave him intoxicating drink. Suddenly the husband wakes u ...
'' * 1915 - '' Children of the Age'' * 1915 - ''Heavenly Wings'' * 1915 - ''
Song of Triumphant Love Song of Triumphant Love () is a 1915 short film directed by Yevgeni Bauer. It is based on a short story with the same name by Ivan Turgenev. Plot The film is based on story by Ivan Turgenev. Starring * Vera Kholodnaya Vera Vasilyevna Khol ...
'' * 1915 - ''The Vanquisher of Women's Hearts'' * 1915 - ''
After Death After Death may refer to: * ''After Death'' (1989 film), an Italian horror film * ''After Death'' (1915 film), a Russian short film * ''After Death'' (2023 film), a faith-based documentary *''AfterDeath'', a 2015 British horror film See also * Aft ...
'' * 1915 - ''The Happiness of Eternal Night'' * 1915 - ''The Thousand and Second Cunning'' * 1916 - ''The Old Wrestler's Grief'' * 1916 - '' A Life for a Life'' * 1916 - ''The Queen of the Screen'' * 1917 - ''Alarm'' * 1917 - ''The Revolutionary'' * 1917 - ''
The Dying Swan ''The Dying Swan'' (originally ''The Swan'') is a solo dance choreographed by Mikhail Fokine to Camille Saint-Saëns's '' Le Cygne'' from '' Le Carnaval des animaux'' as a ''pièce d'occasion'' for the ballerina Anna Pavlova, who performed it a ...
'' * 1917 - ''
For Happiness ''For Happiness'' () is a 1917 Russian short drama film directed by Yevgeny Bauer. Plot Zoya Verenskaya and Dmitry Gzhatsky have been loving each other for 10 years, but Zoya does not want to harm the psyche of her daughter Lee, therefore, lov ...
'' * 1917 - '' The King of Paris'' File:Twilight of a Woman's Soul (1913).webm, ''Twilight of a Woman's Soul'' File:Silent Witnesses (1914).webm, ''Nemye svideteli'' (1914) File:The 1002nd Ruse (1915).webm, ''The 1002nd Ruse'' (1915) File:After Death (1915).webm, ''After Death'' (1915) File:Daydreams (1915).webm, ''Gryozi'' (1915) File:The Dying Swan (1917).webm, ''The Dying Swan'' (1917) File:To Happiness (1917).webm, ''For Happiness'' (1917)


References


External links

*
Short biography
* * http://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/category/directors-bauer/ * http://periodika.digitale-sammlungen.de/wsa/Blatt_bsb00051019,00247.html by N. Drubek-Meyer, "Der Film als Leben nach dem Tode (Evgenij Bauėrs Posle smerti, 1915)." ''Wiener Slawistischer Almanach'' 60, 2007, pp 457–273. {{DEFAULTSORT:Bauer, Yevgeni Silent film directors Film directors from the Russian Empire Russian male screenwriters Male writers from the Russian Empire Caricaturists from the Russian Empire Russian editorial cartoonists Russian magazine cartoonists Satirists from the Russian Empire 1865 births 1917 deaths People from the Russian Empire of Czech descent Articles containing video clips 20th-century Russian screenwriters 20th-century Russian male writers Deaths from pneumonia Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture alumni