The End Of St. Petersburg/Deserter

A giant of early Soviet revolutionary cinema, Vsevolod Pudovkin overwhelmed the film world with his masterpieces based in montage, the creation of a psychological whole from short pieces of thematically-related film. Intensely dramatic and personal, "The End of Saint Petersburg" (1927, 87 min.) follows a Russian peasant from life on a farm to union work in the big city, through the turmoil of World War I and into the Russian Revolution. In "Deserter" (1933, 106 min.), labor unrest among German workers leads one conflicted employee from a potential strike to an unforgettable journey to the U.S.S.R., where he becomes inspired to renew the cause of his fellow men. Digitally mastered from the finest elements available, these two cinematic milestones offer breathtaking examples of Pudovkin's editorial genius and fascinating multi-layered soundtracks.