Mechta

Apicturethatmightberatherdifficultforpresent-daynon-Russiancinemaloverstounderstand,MikhailRomm's&quot;Mechta&quot;tellsthestoryofAnna,aUkraniangirlfromLviv,whohadtoleaveherpeasanthomeforacityinPolandtobeabletosupportherself.<br/>　　Thefilmbeginsasacomedy-welearnthatAnnaworksnightsatarestaurantanddaysasaservantformadamRosaSkorokhod(playedbythegeniusRanevskaya-oneofherfirstdramaticparts),aJewishshopandlodging-houseownerwithawork-lessengineerson.Throughoutthefilmthesimple,naiveAnnaissurroundedbymanyPolishmiddlegroundcharacters,allspoiledbythehorrorsofcapitalism,andalldepictedwithRomm'simmaculatesenseofirony.FromthebeginningofthepicturewesensethatAnnawillendupplayingaheroicpart,whichshedoes-firsttryingtowalktoRussiawithLazarSkorokhod,madamRosa'sson,andbeingputintojailforsuchadeed,andintheendofthefilmreturningtoPolandasapoliticalactivistandshowingLazarapictureofafactorybuiltinSovietRussiafromhisblueprints,whichhadbeenrefusedbyallPolishcompanies,thefactthathadforcedhimtoquitengineeringandtakeoverhismother'sgrocerystore.<br/>　　&quot;Mechta&quot;,or&quot;Dream&quot;,filmedinthebeginningoftheforties,isahighlypoliticizedpicture.Inthefirstpart,LazarasksAnnaofherdreams-sheanswersthatshewouldlikeherparentstobeabletoaffordacow,togetmarriedandhealthforallherbelovedones.Lazar,ontheotherhand,dreamsofbecominganengineerandhelpinghumanity&quot;walk&quot;by&quot;movingitslegs&quot;.Thisdisagreementisrememberedintheendofthefilm,whenAnnaandLazarmeetagain,forthefirsttimeinfiveyears-hetellsthenow-activistyoungwomanofhowheremembersherpastfoolishdreamsandaddsthathehascompletelyforgottenabouthis.Whathadstartedoutasacomedybythesecondhalfturnsintoaseriousdrama.NotonlyLazarreachestheendofthefilmunsuccessful-allthesecondaryPolishcharactersfailtohavetheirdreamscometrue,oneendingher&quot;eternalbride&quot;lifebysuicide.Theratherclearmessageofthemovie,thus,canbefurthersimplifiedtothemessageof&quot;Capitalist=ReactionaryandBad,Communist=ModernandGlorious,&quot;thefighterAnnabeingarepresentationofchangethatwillcomeinspiteofthehardships.<br/>　　WhenaviewerchoosesafilmmadeinthetimesofStalin,heshouldbereadyfortheideologicalpathosthatitwillmostsurelycontain.Ifoneisabletoeithertreatitwithcondescension,attributingmuchtothetime,ortokeepinmindavividimageofthehistoricalperiodandtrytoimaginehimselfintheplaceoftheoriginalviewers,heisboundtobeinforanimmenselypleasantexperience.Ifnot,itwouldbebettertocompletelyavoidearlySovietcinema-forthesakeofnotlabelingasbadsomethingthathassimplynotbeenfullyunderstood.