Kinoglaz (Kino-Eye - Life Caught Unawares) (Kino-Tvali)...

The first part of Kinoglaz is set in a rural village peopled by Russian peasants. A group of children (referred to as "Young Pioneers") mobilize the adults into the new covenant of Russian society und... read more er communism. Since the Young Pioneers can read and keep up with the new Soviet literature, and dutifully poster the town with relevant information, they are able to sway the grown-ups away from the filthy, over-priced open-air market run by privateers toward the neat and reasonably-priced food co-operative run by the government. The children help an old widow harvest her grain and build a camp where they practice marching and hold pro-Leninist rallies; the red flag is raised. The positive activities of the Young Pioneers earn some of the children a trip to Moscow. When the action moves to the city in the second part, all of the urban ills awaiting the Young Pioneers are exposed: there are scenes showing drug addicts, a tuberculosis sanatorium, a lunatic asylum, black marketers, and other societal riffraff. Also shown is the funeral of a worker and family man who has been murdered by men who frequent the local tavern; as the Young Pioneers' clubhouse is located directly above this drinking establishment, the children redress the balance of justice in littering it with leaflets. These images serve as a warning against the temptations of decadence and evil -- though the connection of such moral degradation to capitalist society is implied, it is never openly stated. At the close of Kinoglaz, there is the promise and a demonstration of new technologies such as electricity delivered to the home and the miracle of radio. ~ David Lewis, Rovi