The Extraordinary Adventures of Mr. West in the Land of the Bolsheviks (1924) User Reviews

Russian Stereotypes

[FerdinandVonGalitzien · 6/10 · 21 November 2008]

In the aristocratic dictionary, the Teutonic word "stereotype" means a set of characteristics or a fixed idea considered to represent a particular kind of person and that is a good description of "Neobychainye Priklyucheniya Mistera Vesta V Strane Bolshevikov"( The Extraordinary Adventures Of Mr. West In The Land Of The Bolsheviks ), directed by Herr Lev Kuleshov in the silent year of 1924. At this point it is not necessary to declare that this German count has a special, uncontrollable fondness for stereotypes…

The film depicts the extraordinary adventures of Mr. West in Moscow. Mr. West is an American tourist with a stereotyped idea of Russians, due to the American press. His innocence and credulity will be taken advantage of by a gang who kidnaps him and then behaves just as he expects Russian barbarians to behave. But thanks to one of his fellow countrymen, Elly and his faithful escort, cowboy Jeddy, Mr West escapes their claws and the true Bolsheviks present a radiant face of the country to their guest.

Herr Lev Kuleshov was one of the most important Russian film directors, a fundamental pioneer who formed in 1920, the Kuleshov workshop, a kind of film experimental lab where he gave classes to directors and actors who would later be famous and indispensable in the soviet film industry. In fact, an important group of those directors participated in this film satire as actors: Herr Vsevolod Pudovkin, Herr Sergei Komarov and Herr Boris Barnet ( these last two directed later important silent comedies during their careers.

In "Neobychainye…" Herr Kuleshov merrily uses and abuses stereotypes on both sides of iron curtain; classic iconographies and stereotypes of American capitalists and Russian Bolsheviks. It is very healthy and easy laughing out loud at your capitalist neighbours but it is even better laughing at yourself, with the permission of the communist party, natürlich!!.

This early U.S.R.R. comedy was influenced by the pre-war comedies of Herr Max Linder and André Deed, very famous in Russia at those times, as well as American westerns and European serials, different film genres whose spirit is absorbed and satirized in this mad comedy that includes car chases, a confused but efficient cowboy loose in Moscow and a chaotic gang formed by diverse members.

The film has frantic and funny moments especially during the first half of the film when those stereotypes mentioned before create hilarity with crazy situations, and a display of a kind of harmless Russian sense of humour. The film slows down in pace in the second half when the unavoidable propaganda appears and finally Mr. West is seduced by the Bolsheviks and declares his passion for Lenin after attending a typical military parade at Moscow's Red Square (that was really funny for this stereotyped German count…)

And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because this German Count must resume his decadent and stereotyped Teutonic existence.

Bizarrely funny.

[jeff-201 · 7/10 · 14 April 1999]

The adventures of Mr. West in the land of the Bolsheviks is as bizarre and absurd as its title. Most interesting for us Westerners is the stereotypes portrayed of the Bolsheviks and the Americans themselves. Ignorance is universal, I suppose. All in all, the film is rather funny and Kuleshov's use of the Soviet montage techniques popularised by the period is fascinating for any student or fan of film.

Kuleshov Displays His Effect in Soviet Pubic Relations Attempt

[springfieldrental · 7/10 · 31 December 2021]

To state the new Soviet Union and its Bolshevik leaders were having a worldwide image problem in the early 1920s is an understatement. With the bloody upheaval of the ruling Romanovs and the Revolution of 1917, Russia was the first to implement Karl Marx's philosophy of communism into its government. The takeover was so sharp that some of the Allies, soon after The Great War, sent forces to assist the White Russians in their attempt to overthrow the overthrowers. The ultimate success of the Bolsheviks stunned governments throughout the world, with many economically boycotting the collection of communist countries making up the newly-formed Soviet Union.

Film theorist/director Lev Kuleshov aimed to correct the worldwide portrayal of the Soviets as the modern-day barbarians. He knew comedy was the quickest way to change audiences' perceptions on deeply ingrained stereotypes. With a witty script written by Nikolai Aseyev and Vsevolod Pudovkin, the later a soon-to-be noted film director, Kuleshov released April 1924's "The Extraordinary Adventures of Mr. West in the Land of the Bolsheviks." The screenplay called for several Hollywood-type characters and movie's common themes to be introduced, beginning with Mr. West (Porfiri Podobed), a YMCA official from Cleveland. Mr. West planned to visit Moscow to introduce the goals of the men's club athletic organization. To prepare for the trip, he and his protective escort, cowboy friend Jeddie (Boris Barnet), researched several American magazine articles to discover how rough and uneduated Russian people really were.

Once the two arrive in Moscow, Mr. West, a ringer for comedian Harold Lloyd, and Jeddie, a Tom Mix-type Westerner, soon are confronted by an abduction group who attempt to extort an enormous sum of money for their release. Mr. West forms a different opinion on the Russian people and its new government when, like the United States Calvary, the Soviet law enforcement come to the rescue. An escorted trip through the Moscow streets by one enforcement officer serves as an affirmation by Kuleshov that the Romanov intellectual and art institutions so treasured by the world not only are standing, but they are thriving under the Bolsheviks.

"The Extraordinary Adventures" was the first major movie for Kuleshov to put into practice many of his famous cinematic editing theories. As a teacher and one of the founders of the newly-formed National Film School in Moscow, he made a name for himself by deriving the Kuleshov Effect. Explaining how a selection of shots during the editing process can affect the perceptions of movie viewers, Kuleshov demonstrated the process through a sequence of connected shots.

He took a clip of movie actor Ivan Mosjoukine, who looks non-expressively into the camera, while juxtapositioning shots of a bowl of soup, a little girl in a coffin, and a woman on a divan. In each sequence, Ivan's face appears to viewers to verify either his hunger for the soup, his grief over the girl's death, or his desire for the reclining woman. Kuleshov proved through the editor's manipulation of the sequential shots it's the viewer's intuition rather than Mosjoukine's outward expressions that determined what was going through Ivan's mind.

Kuleshov examples were the basis on the montage editing theories perfected by Sergei Eisenstein and other Russian directors, whose techniques and philosophy spread to filmmakers worldwide in a short period of time.

Kuleshov at his best

[p_radulescu · 13 September 2014]

American ignorance based on stereotypes was in 1924 as big as today. As well as Soviet propaganda. Only this is a very good film, in many respects. Lev Kuleshov at his best. Think at the famous Kuleshov Effect and all that staff, you'll find it in this movie. By the way, Kuleshov was known by his friends as openly pro-American and quietly anti-Soviet (not that it would matter; anyway he passed through the great purges of Stalin by keeping low-key). One of the roles (the chief of crocks) was played by Vsevolod Pudovkin (who also co-signed the scenario). A last hint: in the final scene of military parade, you will see for only one instant the figure of Trotsky (as the film was made in 1924, Stalin was not yet in full control).

Funny film

[rebe_afaro · 7/10 · 26 September 2015]

The Extraordinary Adventure of Mr. West is a satirical film that places its emphasis on the ignorance of Americans towards soviet culture during the time. It would help to brush up on some history to better understand the context of the movie before watching it. The general idea in America at the time was that the Bolsheviks were uncivilized, with no sense of culture. The stereotypes within the film are comedic as they are intended to be. One of the stereotypes of Americans is Jeddy, a cowboy who acts as Mr. West's bodyguard. The rest are the images that depict Bolsheviks as unruly beings. The thieves that Mr. West encounters in the film play on this fear of his to get the best of him and extort him monetarily. After he gets rescued by the Bolshevik police he is better able to explore Soviet Russia and begins to view it in a positive light which allows him to realize that they are not bad people as he once presumed. It ends with a nationalistic finale which was common for the time in which ideology was also pushed for in movies. The film had some undeniable redeeming cinematic qualities as well. This film is very apropos in technique for the time period, specifically before 1928. Kuleshov's experimentalist ideas such as soviet montage were not yet under attack by what would come to be the new powers in cinematic Russia. The film maintains it dignity with its editing style that conveys a complex story in many continuous fragments. One example of this was the fight scene that broke out with Jeddy when he first recognized Ellie, the American girl that was staying in Russia. Others that come to mind are the fast paced part where the thieves scheme starts to unfold. The film was enjoyable to watch and even had me laughing at times.

An extraordinary movie from the land of bolsheviks...

[LE020 · 9/10 · 16 October 2002]

This is truly an extraordinary film, even for the Golden age of the Soviet cinema. Documentary footage alone guarantees this film a niche in history (Church of Christ the Savior before its demolition, parade). Kuleshov's masterful montage should surprise no one, since the term "Kuleshov effect" wasn't coined out of thin air. Acting is superb, especially by Khokhlova and Vsevolod Pudovkin, himself at that time only a few years away from directorial fame and immortality. The flaws of the film are minor, and are a norm for the films of the time. The strengths are enormous, and make it a true masterpiece.

An absolute delight!

[Bobby Beans · 8/10 · 30 October 2002]

I think that some people have somewhat missed the point about the "stereotypes" portrayed in this film as it is clearly meant to be very tongue-in-cheek.

The social history on view here is wonderful and the humour and action a real eye-opener considering the bad press that Russia has tended to get over the past 100 years. The acting was a delight, especially by the lead "baddy" and the "countess" ... what teeth!

I would heartily recommend this film to everyone, especially when shown with a live accompaniment!

Entertaining

[zetes · 8/10 · 25 September 2011]

An entertaining Russian comedy. Mr. West (Porfiri Podobed), an American sporting a giant fur coat and waving an American flag whenever possible, journeys to the Soviet Union along with his cowboy friend (played by director Boris Barnet). Mr. West is afraid of the jealousy, mustaches and general sinister nature of the Bolshviks. When Barnet is arrested (for good reason, as he lassoes a man off his carriage, nearly strangling him to death, and then shoots at him with his gun), Mr. West is left to fend for himself. He is taken in by a group of thieves (led by director Vsevolod Pudovkin, who also co-wrote the screenplay), who pretend to be ex-czarists and sympathetic to Mr. West's capitalistic ways. They, of course, only intend to rob him blind. It's amusing that this film portrays Americans as crazy and naive, but the majority of Russians it depicts are criminals and thieves. Not exactly painting a loving portrait of the motherland either. I don't think this film was meant to be especially mean toward anyone, anyway, as Lev Kuleshov was very enamored with American cinema. I'm sure he saw the irony of depicting a corny American stereotype who was so obsessed with and afraid of Soviet stereotypes ().

Funny Comedy

[Andy-296 · 9/10 · 17 April 1999]

This film, about a series of adventures an american businessman suffers in Soviet Russia, is unusual for the soviet movies of the 1920s: it's a comedy, and it's very funny at that. It also shows a sympathetic view of americans that is rare in films from the Soviet Union.

A Romp in the land of Surprisingly Heartwarming Propaganda

[dminkin · 9/10 · 11 February 2013]

The Extraordinary Adventures of Mr. West in the Land of the Bolsheviks will not ignite your passions, but it is sure to satisfy any humorous appetite as the naive Mr. West falls victim to deception after deception from a collection of crooks and rogues shortly after his arrival in Moscow. The film is a propaganda piece that aims for only two things: The glorification of the Bolshevik way of life, and an easily digestible story to ensure that this message is well received. It succeeds at both.

Mr. West, the symbol of the typical rich American (really, it's all in the name), knows little about the Bolsheviks. He can only rely on the unflattering depiction in the New York magazine: unkempt men adorned by large mustaches and wearing fur clothes suitable for a Neanderthal. It is no surprise that when Mr. West travels to Russia in accordance with his duties as President of the YMCA , he takes caution by bringing Jeddie, a loyal gun slinging 'cowboy' bodyguard, along for protection.

Throughout the film we see deliberate contrasts between the orderly soviet society of the Bolsheviks and the haphazard actions of the Americans that disrupt it. Jeddie lasso's the coachman of a horse and buggy and hijacks it causing a scene and an ensemble of police men to give chase. Mr. West's ignorance lands him into the clutches of thieves causing a stir at his workplace. The director is careful however, not to mock the Americans' other values, which include loyalty (Mr. West to his wife when tested by "the countess", and Jeddie to Mr. West), and a certain innocence. Without these, the film could never reach out to an American audience, and never win over their hearts and minds.

The Bolsheviks only truly shine when Mr. West is rescued from Zhban and his cohorts. He then is granted a tour of Moscow and views all the civic achievements of the new government, the processions, the radio tower, the workers attending to their duties in lockstep fashion.

When a pure and simple mind such as Mr. West's can marvel at the Bolshevik's good works, we too cannot help but agree that maybe the Bolshevik's weren't so bad after all.

Cowboys and Businessmen in the USSR

[adriennenoracarter · 9/10 · 26 September 2015]

The Extraordinary Adventures of Mr. West in the Land of Bolsheviks happens to be the most entertaining Soviet propaganda film I have ever seen (and as a student of Russian Studies, I have seen quite a few Soviet propaganda films). American Mr. West and his trusty companion—the cowboy Jeddie—go off to see the land of the Bolsheviks, which they are warned is chaotic and barbaric place. When they arrive, Jeddie is arrested (for lassoing and shooting a man in the fashion of a Clint Eastwood character) and Mr. West is taken in by a group of thieves. What unfolds is quite the tale. Kuleshov was a master of editing—he used editing of shots in order to make them something new, and that is seen in The Extraordinary Adventures of Mr. West in the Land of Bolsheviks. For example, the closing scenes of the movie show a series of cuts—all quick scenes around Moscow pieced together. Even though Jeddie and Mr. West aren't in all of the scenes, viewers are under the impression that they are because of the way Kuleshov has pieced the cells together. On the propaganda side of things, the film is pretty easy to interpret. Jeddie and Mr. West—as Americans— symbolize American ignorance and all that is flawed with America—and therefore capitalism. The true Bolsheviks in the movie are portrayed as pure and good—showing that communism and Bolshevism is the true way to go. Mr. West is a highly entertaining movie—even if you are but a simple minded member of the proletariat.

Mr. West

[mflynn-69970 · 8/10 · 26 September 2015]

Lev Kuleshov's 'The Extraordinary Adventures of Mr. West' sets up a fairly simple premise of a wealthy American setting out to visit Russia during the Bolshevik period, and turns this premise into an over the top comedy of hijinks, greed, and the true meaning of Bolshevik Russia. Mr. West is introduced to Russia carrying a American flag and a briefcase, which he promptly loses to a thief. His companion, Jeddy, is a literal cowboy, with fur lined chaps and a big ten gallon hat. The cowboy causes a great deal of destruction as he accidentally leads the police on a high speed chase of motorbikes and sleds, one of which he stands atop. He lassos people and fires his gun off seemingly at random, which lands him in jail. Meanwhile, Mr. West has fallen into the trap of greedy Russians seeking to exploit him for his American dollars. The villainous con artists capitalize on Mr. West's general lack of knowledge and the fact the his ideas of Russia come from American magazines that portray Russians as savages to garner Mr. West's sympathies.

Kuleshov uses physical comedy and nearly pantomime-levels of acting to tell the story of the ridiculous American with American flag socks and his cowboy companion as they embark on their journey to Bolshevik Russia. Through a series of consistently high-key scenes, such as a chase scene, multiple elaborate fight scenes, and eventually a mock trial scene, Kuleshov's use of quick cuts and thorough coverage of each scene allows for each to feel equally tense and high- stakes. The 'trial' scene is filled with techniques to raise the stakes, from the editing, which cuts from each character to images within the room that enforce the tenseness of the scene, to the high-key lighting that contrasts light and dark sharply, to layering film strip to create a nightmare-like effect, all to put us into the shoes of the terrified Mr. West.

Overall, the film's comedy and use of physicality to express humor makes Kuleshov's Mr. West consistently entertaining thought the antics and the eventual happy ending for both Bolshevik Russia and Mr. West. The finale of the film is a testament to the overwhelming importance of politics in film for Russian cinema, as the capitalist American is immediately sold on the show of Bolshevik greatness in the conclusion of the film.

All Around Entertaining

[garcianyssa · 8/10 · 26 September 2015]

The Extraordinary Adventures of Mr. West is definitely entertaining and plays on the idea of American ignorance of other cultures. This film is markedly different from previous Kuleshov films that make use of montage to elevate the meaning of a story. Here montage is used to simply better convey the action and humor within the film. At the beginning of the film Mr. West goes to the Soviet Union with the stereotypical idea that Bolsheviks are dangerous and barbaric and he is quickly preyed upon by a group of thieves who seek to swindle him out of his money. Through a series of comical happenings the audience sees how his preconceptions of Bolsheviks are taken advantage of. After being rescued by real Bolsheviks and given a real tour of Moscow Mr. West returns to America with a better understanding of Moscow and an admiration for Bolsheviks and Lenin.

This film is clearly propaganda and that much is evident, especially at the end of the film when real Bolsheviks rescue Mr. West. After this scene Mr. West is taken throughout Moscow and given a real tour, which ends with a parade. When he gets in contact with his wife he tells her that the greatness. This film may convey what Soviets thought of Americans at that time. Namely, that they were a people to be shown the great ways of Bolshevik society. All in all, the film is an entertaining comedy that delivered a clear idea in a concise and understandable way while still using the montage techniques that Kuleshov was fond of.

Good historical commentary

[teo-g-georgiev · 8/10 · 10 February 2013]

The Extraordinary Adventurese of Mr. West in the Land of the Bolsheviks is an amusing film, provided viewers are looking for rough comedy. The jokes are never intellectual, though they aren't expected to be. The film chronicles the trip of American Mr. West to Russia, which he believes to be filled with barbaric Bolshevik clothed in fur. Along with him is his cowboy friend Jeddie, who betrays just as much of a misunderstanding of American culture by the Soviet film makers as a misunderstanding of Soviet culture by the Americans in the movie.

The two have barely arrived when the foolish Mr. West has his briefcase stolen. A group of criminals decides to take advantage of him by playing on his fear of Russian savages. By dressing up as Mr. West's fears, they terrify him and then pretend to rescue him. Along the way, he is swindled out of hundreds if not thousands of dollars. During this time, Jeddie is portrayed as useless, not bothering to save his friend. Not unpredictably, Mr. West is saved by the Soviet police. As he finally gets to tour the city, he sees it is beautiful and the American portrayal of the USSR is wrong. He calls his wife and tells her to hang a photo of Lenin in his study and burn his false magazines.

While this isn't a deep film, it represents an important moment in film literature, being the first Soviet movie to be openly anti- American. It shows us what the Soviets thought of Americans and how they were trying to portray them. What laughs the film does accomplish are not done crudely, but certainly can't be called intellectual either. It's a fun ride that teaches the audience a lot about both cultures.

Continuous Waves of Collective Theater

[chaos-rampant · 31 March 2012]

This is amazing cinematic evasion that should be taught in film schools in place of Nouvelle Vague. Both assert that life is a movie and performance, but look how cleverly this one does and how early.

Mr. West travels from America to the land of the Bolsheviks, imagine him as a Harold Lloyd type businessman, erratic and wide-eyed, accompanied by a cowboy grunt as his bodyguard. He has been told upon departure that the Bolsheviks are a certain way, chaotic and violent, a turbulent, lawless country, this is rendered as a propagandistic brochure that he keeps with him the whole journey, a set of false - staged - images depicting imaginary enemies.

Soon as he arrives, a plot is set around him. His cowboy strongman almost immediately has been embroiled in an action movie, a western where he hot-headedly shoots guns and chases wagons, but the wrong wagon as it turns out, imaginary enemies and plot. He ends up in prison and is removed from the movie until the finale. No, our guy will have to fend off on his own.

The plot is set up by Russians to exploit his naivety, his utter disconnect with reality fostered by a life lived from images that don't correspond, but the film is careful to assert that none of these Russians is a Bolshevik. The shady group includes an aesthete and swindler, a count and his sultry wife, a one-eyed hunchback, a gang of thieves, chosen to reflect one in the other and all of them together the old days of the decadent Tsarist regime. They set up a movie around him where he is kidnapped by Bolsheviks and has to pay his way out, acting roles, wearing costumes, scripting situations, and no better clue about this that the director of the whole farce is played by Vsevolod Pudovkin.

So once again, false images, staged life that stifles willful action. Mr. West is a pliant puppet in their hands, being swept by illusion.

Oh, Bolsheviks show up in the finale, real Bolsheviks, fair, handsome, resolute, and we may concede that the film has perfectly played out its agitprop value. Bad guys are put behind bars. Mr. West is taken on a tour of the real Bolshevik Russia, worker's university, Bolshoi, factories, everything clean and orderly. He sends word back home that he renounces the falsehoods of capitalism and embraces Lenin. Censors are pleased and everyone's happy.

But Kuleshov was no ordinary talent, even inside this group of very talented makers. I maintain he was the most intelligent of them. He understood the mechanics of film by actually dismantling old films and assembling again for the eye. He was very fond of Hollywood and the West.

So look at the last couple of minutes again. Mr. West is taken to a balcony overseeing a parade of proud Soviet regiments, crowds cheering at the sides. In light of what transpired, what else but staged life and false image?

This is amazing, the pride of a perfectly orchestrated collective performance itself the indictment. But dismantling is not over. He's finally escorted to a radio station, ministry controlled and not arbitrarily named Continuous Waves, where manufactured reality is broadcast.

Pudovkin would use this notion of radio-transmitted reality 10 years later for his first sound film, Dezertir, but himself a staunch communist, would only posit the dialectic across Marxist lines.