Based on a story by Anton Chekhov, Kashtanka (1926), gives a further opportunity to admire the work of director Olga Preobrazhenskaya and her decidedly unique world view populated by lower class characters who must endure the trials of Job in situations that even Charles Dickens might feel are a little too grim.
After his beloved dog, Kashtanka, is stolen by an unscrupulous pet seller, young Fedya unexpectedly falls into the clutches of a band of truly rotten crooks where he is forced to work for repellent organ grinder, Mazamet. Meanwhile Kashtanka manages to end up with a kindly circus clown who trains the dog to perform in his show with the rest of his animal friends. It's a simple story that is enhanced by Preobrazhenskaya's use of close ups, although a few less joyous peasant shots certainly wouldn't have hurt but it did emphasize the grotesque nature of their tormentors when turned on them.
There are some difficult moments as poor Fedya suffers indignity after indignity and while the story arc probably leaves nobody surprised there is an unsettling bit of uncertainty about just how happy of an ending may be in store if the Clown's (Nikolai Panov) gut-wrenching performance is allowed to sink in. Note that there are many animals used in the production and it seems unlikely that all were treated ethically, especially an unfortunate bear, so keep that in mind.
