正在同步电影信息
DimitriKirsanoff'sfilmcentersontwoyoungcountrygirlswhofleetothecityaftertheirparentsarebrutallymurdered(wearegivenveryfewdetailsastowhodidthisorwhy).Thefilm'snarrativeisverysketchy,astherearenointertitles,andthetwogirlshavesimilarfeaturesandaredressedsimilarlythroughoutmostofthefilm.Oneofthegirls,playedbythewonderfulNadiaSibirskaia(Kirsanoff'swife),goesoffwithamanwhilehersisterstayshomeintheirtenement.Whenshereturnshomeshesoonhasababy,andhersistergoesoff(presumablyasaprostitute)withtheman.Sibirskaiapresumablybecomeshomelessuntilsheisultimatelyreunitedwithhersister.Themantheywentawaywithearliershowsupagain,onlytobekilledbyarandomcriminal.<br/> Thefilm'sslimandfragmentedplotdoesnothingtoconveytheextraordinaryandevocativeworldKirsanoffcreatesthroughabarrageofdisparatetechniquesliftedfromGermanexpressionism,Sovietmontage,Hollywoodmelodrama,andtheFrenchavant-garde.TheopeningmassacreisshownthrougharapidEisenstein-inspiredmontage;thecompressionoftimeanddreamlikewaywardnessofthegirls'journeyispresentedthroughaseriesoflapdissolves;andthewintry,desolateatmosphereofMenilmontant(apoor,workingclassdistrictontheeasternedgeofParis)isconveyedbyanimpressionisticuseofdocumentaryfootage.<br/> Thefilm'smostcelebratedsequenceoccurswhileSibirskaiaiswanderingdestituteonthestreetsofParis(aftercontemplatingdrowningherselfandherbaby).Aloneatnightonaparkbench,theyoungmotheriscoldandhungry,whenanoldmanwithacanesitsdownonthebenchnexttoher.Theoldmanquietlysharessomeofhisbreadwithher(neverlookingather,heonlylaysthescrapsandpiecesonthebenchseparatingthem).Thedesperategirltearfullyacceptsthefood,andsmiles,thoughthemanbarelylooksherway.It'sanextraordinarilysadandmovingsequencethathasechoesofChaplin,butwithoutthatcomedian'smaudlinapproachtosentiment.Sibirskaia'sperformancehereiswonderfullynuancedandnaturalistic--there'sverylittleofthehistrionicsusuallyassociatedwithmuchsilentfilmacting--andshepossessesafacethatrivalsLillianGish.TheonlycomparablesequenceIcanthinkofisinOzu'sgreat1935silentfilm,AnInninTokyo.
