Benefis klouna Zhorzha

It's not impossible for propaganda to be artistically successful. Quite a few German movies produced by the Third Reich (and blatantly pro-Nazi with it) have entertaining storylines and good performances despite their dreadful political agenda. I've seen a few Soviet movies that succeed as artistic endeavours while promoting communist agitprop: a few, but very few. 'Clown Giorgi' is not one of those movies. It stinks, comrade.

First, I'll give the Russians some credit. In Britain and in America, where Jonathan Winters calls people 'clown' as a term of abuse, we give very little respect to clowns ... and very few of our clowns deserve respect. (In America, clowns are one step above street mimes on the comedy food-chain.) In Russia, however, clowns are respected craftsmen ... and they deserve that respect. A typical clown in a Russian circus has spent years of apprenticeship in mastering acrobatics, juggling, animal-training and many demanding physical disciplines. (I've seen clowns in the Moscow State Circus who are truly astonishing.) In America, any jerk can be a clown with just some greasepaint and a dodgy wig.

'Clown Giorgi' takes place in the Ukraine during Russia's civil war of 1918, and the propaganda is so thick you can cut it with a samovar. The communist Red Army are clearly depicted as the brave heroic good guys ... peace-loving commies who aren't afraid to die in battle, but who yearn for the war to end so they can go back to their agricultural collectives. The Menshevik forces of the White Army are the deceitful bloodthirsty oppressors. I would have put it just the other way round, but this movie asserts that 'Bolshevik' 'good'.

The hero of this Russian film is a circus clown, so (by Russian standards of clowndom) audiences would perceive him as an admirable and resourceful figure, not a baggy-pants buffoon. In the opening scenes, we briefly see Giorgi doing his circus act. After the October uprising, he's conscripted into a Red Army brigade; he serves loyally but without distinction as the company clerk. The heavily-bearded brigade commander has been severely wounded in previous battles, but is still determined to fight onward. He needs a brave man to infiltrate the White Army's lines and learn their battle plans. Giorgi's experience as a clown makes him a master of disguise, so he volunteers for the mission. Giorgi succeeds, and gets back to the Red Army encampment just in time to see his bearded commander die selflessly and heroically. Someone must take this fallen hero's place to lead the Red brigade into battle ... but the soldiers will be demoralised if they learn that their commander has died.

BLATANTLY OBVIOUS "SURPRISE" ENDING. Next thing we know, the bearded commander has risen from the dead ... and he courageously leads his valiant commie brethren into battle against the White Army. Just when the communists win the battle, their commander is shot dead. The corpse turns out to be wearing a false beard. Who can this be? Giorgi was a master of disguise, da? Eto pravda! The brave clown gave his life for the Communist Revolution.

I have such utter contempt for communism (especially the Soviet variety) that I was tempted to hold my nose with one hand while I cranked this borscht through my Steenbeck viewer. It would take a very, very, VERY loyal Marxist-Leninist to enjoy this movie. I'll rate 'Clown Giorgi' one point out of 10. Bring back the czar!