jamesrupert2014 Review of Luch smerti

Luch smerti (1925)

Early Soviet science-fiction (barely) 'action' film, sadly incomplete

[7/10 · 13 May 2020]

Workers in a factory in an unnamed 'western' country rebel when they learn that production is to begin on shells to be used against their brother workers in Venezuela. In response, the company's capitalist boss and the leader of a local fascist organisation (Leonid Obolensky) plan on goading the workers to riot and then attacking them from the air. In the meantime, agents from both sides are searching for the 'death ray', a weapon capable of detonating fuel at a distance developed by a Russian inventor (Porfiri Podobed). The disjointed and fast moving adventure is hard to follow (not helped by the limited and awkwardly translated English intertitles on the version I watched or by the fact that the end of the film are missing (sadly, the extant film ends just as the 'death ray' is about to be deployed)). Similar to contemporaneous American action films (which director Lev Kuleshov admits he was imitating) , there is lots of daring-do including chases, fisticuffs, stunts, and gun fights - all quite well done (albeit a bit long at times). Interspersed with the wild action scenes are numerous closeups of interesting (and very non-glamorous) looking people including Kuleshov's wife Aleksandra Khokhlova in a duel role (one being a circus trick shot!). Despite sporting non-Hollywood teeth, Khokhlova has a memorable, kinetic face and her introductory shot, with her long and tangled hair being teased by a pair of blow dryers, is fascinating. Because of the titular McGuffin, the film is considered an example of early Soviet science fiction but there is virtually no science involved - the 'death ray', which fits inside a small suitcase, is never explained and is only seen in action once (although presumably it was central to the lost climatic footage). Luch smerti was not very popular when released and was criticized for being too Western and not sufficiently doctrinaire. Although some of the imagery is excellent (the gun fight in the dark room for example) the film (or at least the existing copy) is confusing and repetitive, and will likely only interest scholars or aficionados of the early years of cinema. The Soviet censors were not fans of the frivolous and fanciful, and there would not be another science fiction film made in Russia until the magnificent 'Kosmicheskiy reys' in 1936.