The General Line
1929·Drama·2h 5m
7.1
★
Also known as The Old and the New, The General Line illustrates Lenin’s stated imperative that the nation move from agrarian to industrial culture in an epic ode to farm-collectivization progress.
Directed by Sergei Eisenstein and Grigori Aleksandrov
IMDB
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Where to Watch
Cast
Ivan Yudin
Komsomolets
Crew
Sergei Eisenstein
Director
Grigori Aleksandrov
Director
Grigori Aleksandrov
Writer
Eduard Tisse
Director of Photography
Sergei Eisenstein
Scenario Writer
Maksim Shtraukh
Assistant Director
Vasiliy Kovrigin
Art Direction
Vasiliy Rakhals
Production Design
Popular Reviews
16 reviews
Mathias
8.0★ · 04/25/26
Un film de propagande politique clair et intelligent. Einsenstein a su utiliser le septième avec une justesse et une réflexion exceptionnelles pour partager l’idéologie soviétique au grand public dès la des 1920s.
Le montage est admirable, le metteur en scène a pris des initiatives surprenantes en termes de prise de vues et d’enchaînements des séquences et tout ça il y a presque un siècle !
À l’image d’autres cinéastes de l’entre-deux-guerres comme l’allemande Leni Riefenstahl, Sergei Eisenstein a utilisé le cinéma comme un moyen de propagande central, lui permettant de légitimer le pouvoir totalitaire de l’URSS et de mobiliser durablement la population. Une vraie révolution dans le cinéma n’est donc plus un simple divertissement, mais un instrument politique extrêmement puissant.
Le montage est admirable, le metteur en scène a pris des initiatives surprenantes en termes de prise de vues et d’enchaînements des séquences et tout ça il y a presque un siècle !
À l’image d’autres cinéastes de l’entre-deux-guerres comme l’allemande Leni Riefenstahl, Sergei Eisenstein a utilisé le cinéma comme un moyen de propagande central, lui permettant de légitimer le pouvoir totalitaire de l’URSS et de mobiliser durablement la population. Une vraie révolution dans le cinéma n’est donc plus un simple divertissement, mais un instrument politique extrêmement puissant.
Un film de propagande politique clair et intelligent. Einsenstein a su utiliser le septième avec une justesse et une réflexion exceptionnelles pour partager l’idéologie soviétique au grand public dès la des 1920s.
Le montage est admirable, le metteur en scène a pris des initiatives surprenantes en termes de prise de vues et d’enchaînements des séquences et tout ça il y a presque un siècle !
À l’image d’autres cinéastes de l’entre-deux-guerres comme l’allemande Leni Riefenstahl, Sergei Eisenstein a utilisé le cinéma comme un moyen de propagande central, lui permettant de légitimer le pouvoir totalitaire de l’URSS et de mobiliser durablement la population. Une vraie révolution dans le cinéma n’est donc plus un simple divertissement, mais un instrument politique extrêmement puissant.
Le montage est admirable, le metteur en scène a pris des initiatives surprenantes en termes de prise de vues et d’enchaînements des séquences et tout ça il y a presque un siècle !
À l’image d’autres cinéastes de l’entre-deux-guerres comme l’allemande Leni Riefenstahl, Sergei Eisenstein a utilisé le cinéma comme un moyen de propagande central, lui permettant de légitimer le pouvoir totalitaire de l’URSS et de mobiliser durablement la population. Une vraie révolution dans le cinéma n’est donc plus un simple divertissement, mais un instrument politique extrêmement puissant.
Niko
6.0★ · 10/07/25
a beautiful cow wedding and some other stuff also
a beautiful cow wedding and some other stuff also
Maud Gone
8.0★ · 01/01/25
Felt fitting to watch this after seeing megalopolis given how theyre about very similar things. It's a really great film and I love the way Eisenstein makes his point through images more than narrative. My one problem is that I really don't feel like it had to be as long as it was. As a result of that it kind of struggled to keep my attention at times
Felt fitting to watch this after seeing megalopolis given how theyre about very similar things. It's a really great film and I love the way Eisenstein makes his point through images more than narrative. My one problem is that I really don't feel like it had to be as long as it was. As a result of that it kind of struggled to keep my attention at times
Mathias
7.0★ · 03/26/24
“Don’t dare distribute the money of the cooperative!”Holy cow! 🐮
The movie is a marvel in terms of editing and cinematography. The way it’s shot and how it it’s paced is really impressive. The premise.. while blatant Soviet propaganda is structured quite intricately which focus on the collectivization of agrarian society in Russia through the eyes of struggling farmers. That might not sound interesting but with how it’s portrayed and structured it actually is. My only real complaint with this film is the fucking music, I’m not sure if it’s just the version on YouTube.. but that soundtrack was fucking abysmal. Overall,
Soviet propaganda, revolutionary ideals and montages and a fairly interesting storyline accompanied by a ghastly score. Worth checking out tho.
“Don’t dare distribute the money of the cooperative!”Holy cow! 🐮
The movie is a marvel in terms of editing and cinematography. The way it’s shot and how it it’s paced is really impressive. The premise.. while blatant Soviet propaganda is structured quite intricately which focus on the collectivization of agrarian society in Russia through the eyes of struggling farmers. That might not sound interesting but with how it’s portrayed and structured it actually is. My only real complaint with this film is the fucking music, I’m not sure if it’s just the version on YouTube.. but that soundtrack was fucking abysmal. Overall,
Soviet propaganda, revolutionary ideals and montages and a fairly interesting storyline accompanied by a ghastly score. Worth checking out tho.
Jonathan
8.0★ · 03/17/24
The General Line (or Old and New) isn’t quite the revolutionary and overtly political epic that one has come to correlate with Sergei Eisenstein. While the thematics and story runs in much the same vain as his other works, it’s a more grounded in its rural setting even if it still plays like a spectacle.
The Bull God in the sky scene was, for the lack of a better word, awesome. And generally, while the film might be longer than need be, Eisenstein’s direction and knack for editing along with the film’s commanding cinematography all make it well worth watching.
The Bull God in the sky scene was, for the lack of a better word, awesome. And generally, while the film might be longer than need be, Eisenstein’s direction and knack for editing along with the film’s commanding cinematography all make it well worth watching.
The General Line (or Old and New) isn’t quite the revolutionary and overtly political epic that one has come to correlate with Sergei Eisenstein. While the thematics and story runs in much the same vain as his other works, it’s a more grounded in its rural setting even if it still plays like a spectacle.
The Bull God in the sky scene was, for the lack of a better word, awesome. And generally, while the film might be longer than need be, Eisenstein’s direction and knack for editing along with the film’s commanding cinematography all make it well worth watching.
The Bull God in the sky scene was, for the lack of a better word, awesome. And generally, while the film might be longer than need be, Eisenstein’s direction and knack for editing along with the film’s commanding cinematography all make it well worth watching.