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Eisenstein and Aleksandrov try to bolster Soviet Agricultural policy in The General Line |
The General Line is hamstrung by its ideological requirements. It is an early example of Socialist realism and even includes a tractor ballet as part of its coda. However, the General Line's status as a propaganda does not conflict with Eisenstein's sensibilities. Much of the film's satire is that of a sophisticated urbanite (Jewish, Marxist, and gay) poking fun at rural Russian rednecks. The bearded peasantry (beards had been viewed askance by the Western leaning elite since Peter the Great) are portrayed as drooling sheep deluded by the Church and ripped off by fat kulaks. Because of his talent, Eisenstein gets away with broad cartoons in the service of the state. As with Griffith, an artist's touch with children and animals soften the manipulative nature of his art.
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