Aelita, the unhappy queen, sees the handsome engineer on her screen who coincidently has a plan to build a space vehicle to travel to mars. Aelita is the daughter of tuskub, the ruler of a totalitarian state on mars in which the working classe are put into cold storage when they are not needed. Some of the film involves the usual workers rights themes common to u. Returned in 1924 to direct his most famous film, the pioneering science fiction aelita, queen of mars 1924. This incredible silent film centres on a distinctly human drama of power and revolt while boasting a galactic romance and a funky scifi. I appreciate the time capsule though and always find silent films mesmerizing none the less. Greatest rock n roll vietnam war music 60s and 70s classic rock songs duration. Aelita is the daughter of tuskub, the ruler of a totalitarian state on mars in which the working class are put into cold storage when they are not needed. Yakov protazanovs 1924 film, aelita, begins in december of 1921 with the worldwide transmission of a cryptic message. Queen of mars is a 1924 soviet scifi film directed by yakov protazanov. The film is based on the eponymous novel by alexi tolstoy. Queen of mars, a silent from 1924 that inspired such indispensable classics as flash gordon and fritz langs metropolis. Russian said to be the first fulllength science fiction movie ever made, aelita. Queen of mars envisions life on mars through elaborate sets and bold costumes underpinned by a distinctly human drama of power and revolt.
Queen of mars, a silent from 1924 that inspired such indispensable. The nfsa has digitised the landmark russian feature film aelita. Yakov protazanov18811945 was a russian and soviet republic director and screenwriter, born in moscow. In 1924 director yakov protazanov made tolstoys novel into the first soviet science fiction movie, aelita. Aelita, queen of mars 810 ostensibly russiasussrs first scifi film, this political 1924 space fantasy lays down a surprisingly intelligent criticism of the communist revolution, once you look past the clunky, propagandistic symbolism on the surface. A silent film spectacle, it added jealousy, larceny, murder, farce, and a.
The novel was adapted in the soviet union to silent film under the same title shot by yakov protazanov in 1924. In a way, this film could be an equal criticism of both. The film displays the humorous exploits of the bourgeoise zie, and the stark poverty the proletariat suffered in 1924 russia. Queen of mars is probably only really worth viewing for its historical interest. Upon receiving a mysterious radio message from mars, he decides to pose as a. Foreign distributors saddled it with the embarrassing subtitles queen of mars or revolt of the robots. In this silent russian film, a loner engineer builds his own rocket and flies to the planet mars. Queen of mars is disappointing if youre looking for the first scifi film, as it is sometimes called.
Queen of mars 1924, one of the earliest and most rarely seen of the silent cinemas sciencefiction fantasies, screens today and saturday at 8 p. It takes an inordinately long time for the main character to reach mars, although mars is shown throughout the film, following aelita, queen of mars as she goes about. An iris revealing a set of powerlines is followed by a quick cut to an image of an electric current dancing between two wires. A remarkable silent film boasting extraterrestrial romance and a funky scifi vision of the future, aelita. A mysterious radio message is beamed around the world, and among the engineers who receive it. Although this film is quite comic, it exemplifies the shift from humor to realism in science fiction film that was happening throughout the 1920s, as it also conveys a serious tone. Yakov protazanov 1924, soviet union, digital cinema with live score. A similar fate almost befell the first russian science fiction film, aelita. Queen of mars, has been just as highly praised as it has often been misunderstood, primarily by western critics.
Later descriptions rarely delve deeper than this, from future tense by john brosnan in 1978. Aelita is the daughter of tuskub, the ruler of a totalitarian state on mars in which the working class are put. Aelita queen of mars russian sciencefiction film english intertitles. Queen of mars isnt its plot, but its elaborate constructivist sets and costuming that were highly experimental for the 1920s and. Aelita is the daughter of tuskub, the ruler of a totalitarian state on mars in. Kinda boring and not enough communist uprisings on mars, to be honest. Queen of mars, is a silent film directed by soviet filmmaker yakov protazanov made at the mezhrabpomrus film studio and released in 1924. The movie is set at the beginning of the nep new economic policy in december, 1921.
Aelita queen of mars, 1924 live soundtrack by galina. Nikolai tseretelli and valentina kuindzhi were cast in leading roles. He has other problems, though, as he suspects that his wife is stepping out on him with a petty official who moonlights as a blackmarket dealer. Aelita queen of mars russian sciencefiction film english. Queen of mars is a stunning portrayel of an interplanetary future. He fled russia during the postrevolution civil war and worked for a time in france. At this point, it is easy to see the influence of edgar rice burroughs mars series on the writers for this film. This is the framebyframe restored version of aelita the original title of the film and play by aleksei tolstoy on which it was based, the added title queen of mars. Queen of mars brisbane international film festival. Watch the first russian science fiction film, aelita. But it is absolutely worth a look if youre interested in russiansoviet history, and the martian sequences, particularly the uprising, are pretty fabulous. Queen of mars 1924 this is called the first soviet science fiction film because of its futuristic sets on mars, although most of it takes place in moscow. The selling point of yakov protazanovs 1924 silent film aelita. Russian and soviet republic director and screenwriter yakov protazanov directed one of the worlds first sciencefiction features, aelita.
It is also the first russiansoviet science fiction film, closely rivalled by lev kuleshovs the death ray luch smerti that was made the year after. It was most likely the first feature film to depict space flight and an alien society, and so holds a special place in the history of science fiction. With the revolutionary gusev, he travels to mars, but the earthlings and aelita are. Come hear acclaimed concert pianist frederick hodges accompany a screening of the classic silent science fiction film, aelita. The next sequence reveals scientists and military men in different regions of the. The film will premiere at the melbourne recital centre on 22 june 2018 with a live score by the spheres. Rarely seen, its known mostly from photos featuring oddlygarbed women posing amid disorienting geometric shapes. The marxist struggle reaches outer space in this fanciful russian science fiction film from the silent period.
All the radio stations in the world receive a bizarre message from space, anta odeli uta. On december, 1921 a mysterious radio message is beamed around the world. In 1929, aelita was described by the new york times as far more interesting to read about than to gaze upon. Queen of mars 1924 is an adventure, drama movie starring yuliya solntseva and igor ilyinsky. Russias first big budget science fiction spectacular. This movie became such a hit in the soviet union that many new parents named their little girls aelita. Soviet science fiction film from 1924 in vintage ad archivist paul malons excellent flickr stream, i stumbled on this beautiful soviet film poster for a film titled aelita. Aelita, aka aelita, queen of mars, is a 1924 film from the soviet union, directed by yakov protazanov it is 1921, as the russian civil war is winding down. Queen of mars 1924 is an influential film about space travel by the soviet filmmaker yakov protazanov and is reimagined by avant guitarist marc ribot, guitarist for tom waits, elvis costello, and john zorn and the. Reddit gives you the best of the internet in one place. The massage is by no else but aelita, the daughter of tuskub, the ruler of mars. There are few, though, who contest its visual influence on the genre of science fiction. It was based on alexei tolstoys novel of the same name.
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