Chapayev (Chapaev) (1935)

This film, based on the memoirs of commissar Dmitri Furmanov and obviously commissioned by the Soviet state, is devoted to the heroic exploits of Red Army general Vasily Chapayev during the Civil War in post-revolutionary Russia. Boris Babochkin's portrayal of the title character deftly blends old-guard heroism with Communist-dictated pragmatism; Chapayev may have a mind of his own, but he's willing to defer to the new-regime wisdom of his local commissar. A big hit in its native country, Chapayev won several state prizes, and furthered the already lofty reputations of director/siblings Georgi Vasilyev and Sergei Vasilyev. ~ Rovi