This two-volume reader is intended to accompany undergraduate courses in the history of Russian cinema and Russian culture through film. Each volume consists of newly commissioned essays, excerpts from English language criticism and translations of Russian language essays on subtitled films which are widely taught in American and British courses on Russian film and culture. The arrangement is chronological: Volume one covers twelve films from the beginning of Russian film through the Stalin era; volume two covers twenty films from the Thaw era to the present. General introductions to each period of film history (Early Russian Cinema, Soviet Silent Cinema, Stalinist Cinema, Cinema of the Thaw, Cinema of Stagnation, Perestroika and Post-Soviet Cinema) outline its cinematic significance and provide historical context for the non-specialist reader. Essays are accompanied by suggestions for further reading. The reader will be useful both for film studies specialists and for Slavists who wish to broaden their Russian Studies curriculum by incorporating film courses or culture courses with cinematic material. Volumes one and two may be ordered separately to accommodate the timeframe and contents of courses. Volume one films: Stenka Razin, The Cameramans Revenge, The Merchant Bashkirovs Daughter, Child of the Big City, The Extraordinary Adventures of Mr. West in the Land of the Bolsheviks, Battleship Potemkin, Bed and Sofa, Man with a Movie Camera, Earth, Chapaev, Circus, Ivan the Terrible, Parts I and II. Volume two films: The Cranes are Flying, Ballad of a Soldier, Lenins Guard, Wings, Commissar, The Diamond Arm, White Sun of the Desert, Solaris, Stalker, Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears, Repentance, Little Vera, Burnt by the Sun, Brother, Russian Ark, The Return, Night Watch, The Tuner, Ninth Company, How I Ended This Summer. Contributors: Birgit Beumers, Robert Bird, David Bordwell, Mikhail Brashinsky, Oksana Bulgakova, Gregory Carlson, Nancy Condee, Julian Graffy, Jeremy Hicks, Andrew Horton, Steven Hutchings, Vida Johnson, Lilya Kaganovsky, Vance Kepley, Jr., Susan Larsen, Mark Lipovetsky, Tatiana Mikhailova, Elena Monastireva-Ansdell, Joan Neuberger, Vlada Petric, Graham Petrie, Alexander Prokhorov, Elena Prokhorova, Rimgaila Salys, Elena Stishova, Vlad Strukov, Yuri Tsivian, Meghan Vicks, Josephine Woll, Denise J. Youngblood The second volume in this thorough history of Russian cinema, this collection of original essays picks up where the first one had stopped--at the death of Stalin and the early thaw--and continues to present-day blockbusters. Covering many of the most well-known Soviet and Russian films, this volume is of a less immediate interest than its predecessor, but is still important in its own right. The first part covers several early post-Stalin movies, which, while still continuing in the tradition of socialist realism, became noticeably more humane--and human--in their depictions of Soviet life and particularly, the Great Patriotic War. The second part covers the period of what is known as "zastoj" ("stagnation") and describes several brilliant films of the time, including comedy (The Diamond Arm), eastern (White Sun of the Desert), and several Tarkovsky films. The final part, dealing with the period from perestroika onwards, is perhaps, more depressing than any before, containing as it does several excellently made movies (Brother, Night Watch0, but at the same time showcasing the ongoing commercialization of the genre in Russia and its increasing reliance on old tropes. Compared to the wild experimentation of the early post-Soviet years--or even the productions of the "stagnating" 1970's, the new crop of films is relatively disappointing. Together with the first volume, this collection provides an excellent overview of the history of an important genre in an important setting. Annotation ©2014 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com) Autorid: Rimgaila Salys