'DOVZHENKO'S 'ARSENAL': AN ULTIMATE WAR MOVIE', by Roman Horbyk

Just for change after all complicated contemporary movies, let’s take a turn to the past when people did not pretend they were living, but truly lived, when everything – love, hate, life, death – was a bit more real. Ladies and gentlemen, I am happy to inform you next time on our Mundus movies list we have Arsenal (1928) by Oleksandr Dovzhenko, one of the most powerful examples of absolute cinema ever – and an absolute must-see for all interested in war and conflict. This visually rich, striking and often shocking masterpiece influenced by German expressionism of the 1920s (Dovzhenko studied and worked in Berlin for several years) and preceeding later French existentialism, unfolds a grotesque and laughably tragic story of the Ukrainian revolution and civil war of 1917 – 1921.

Shortsighted Ukrainian officer in funny early 20th century glasses, apparently a recent bookworm, points out to a Bolshevist rebel with a gun barrel and says, “Turn yourself face to wall, so that I can execute you”. The Bolshevik in a stylish scarf obeys at first, but in a moment turns back and slowly, step by step comes closer, extends his hand and takes the pistol away. “Why can’t you do it looking into my face, bastard, but I can do this with you?”, he says a second before a shot.

This memorable scene is a perfect answer to questions about Ukrainian nationalism ninety years ago and its incapacity of gaining the upper hand in a struggle for independence. It’s simply 'if you’re too weak to kill, it’s you who’ll get killed'. And this is also a universal truth about any clash in a globalised world almost a century later, for the nature of conflict remains (and most probably will remain) unchanged despite all up-to-date trends.

Some history to quickly look through

After last Russian tsar abdicated in February 1917, Ukrainian community which was oppressed for centuries formed a national assembly and a government that first claimed autonomy and then complete independence. However, Lenin and his Bolshevist party considered even devastated by the WWI Ukraine to be an important human, agricultural and industrial base for future Soviet empire, and the war broke out again.

As a result, in 1918 – 1921 several armies fought on Ukrainian land committing extensive war crimes. However, despite massive initial support from rural population (90 per cent of overall population), Ukrainian government lost due to bad organization, lack of political experience and initiative, poor army supplies and, last but not least, indifference from the international community. Arsenal uprising was a minor episode of war when workers on military plant instigated by the Bolshevist propaganda revolted against Ukrainian government. The uprising was suppressed, but it forced the Ukrainian military to draw the best units back from the front; road to Kyiv was left defended by just 300 schoolboy volunteers and, finally, Ukrainian capital surrendered.

What makes it more difficult is the recently discovered fact that Dovzhenko himself enlisted for the army of Ukrainian liberal-nationalist government and served in the units which oppressed the pro-Bolshevist workers uprising on the Arsenal plant in Kyiv. Eleven years later, a well-established film-maker did a movie about those developments from politically relevant, that is now Bolshevist, point of view. Although it does not affect artistic and aesthetic brilliancy of this classical piece of leftist avant-garde cinema, we should keep in mind while watching the famous final scene of the execution that in real life Dovzhenko was probably one of the firing squad that executed rebellious workers. This adds another layer on the complicated and extravagant text of the film, where officially acclaimed pro-Communist appearance meets a bitter epilogue to Ukrainian national revolution and sarcastic anger towards national leaders who failed to win a war for freedom.

Soldier corpses with smiling faces, horses that can speak and bullet-proof naked bodies, nervous and disturbing macabre music which accompanies this silent movie… For those who watch Dovzhenko’s works for the first time they often become once-in-a-lifetime experience. His distinguishable, fractured story-telling manner when you see One Big Story in a dozen of small and non-repeating ones is something you’ll never forget. So, if you want to enjoy some vintage and still actual classical motion picture, if you are interested in war at a broad philosophic angle or you just want to discover Ukrainian culture, please do come at 5pm on Wednesday, September 30 to Lille Auditorium at the Danish School of Journalism. See you there!

+ Info about Dovzhenko

+ Info on Arsenal (or here)

+ Info on the war in Ukraine