Miss Mend

This is a truly fascinating silent film from Russia of the 1920s. It moves along quickly with constant action. In spite of the five hour length, the picture held my interest. The leading characters are attractive and energetic. The plot takes constant twists and turns. The photography is terrific. It depicts Russia at the time in so many different ways. The costuming is realistic and represents how ordinary Russians dressed in that era.

The villains are very villainous - it is easy to identify with the lead characters and to deplore the villains.

While there is certainly an element of socialist realism and I'm sure the picture was heavily censored, it is believable and kept me on the edge of my seat.

I just sat down and watched it again, with only an interruption for dinner. Once again, it was quite worth the time as I saw many things that I missed the first time around.

I recommend this film to all who love silent movie adventures.