THE SOVIET CINEMA
43
of the time before that spirit had evolved into something different. (That
is, they were unable to keep up with the rapid shifts in the Party line.]
. . . For three days (at the conference] criticism raged fast and furious ...
There was a deal of backbiting, particularly on the part of the second gen–
eration of directors, who often showed themselves intolerant, arrogant, and
ungrateful toward the pioneers . . . Several young directors of talent unlit
by
genius began to belittle Eisenstein and Pudovkin with personally rude
guotations from Gogol and George Sand."
"I don't think that the Soviet cinema is only made up of heroes like
Eisenstein and Dovzhenko," said Yutkevitch. declaring he spoke "for the
great army of cinema workers." He also said that he liked American films
"because they appeal to a great public. for. in the best meaning of the word.
the cinema is a popular art." In conclusion. he made a "friendly criticism"
of Eisenstein. "spoken as a practical man". for theorizing too much and
producing too little. (As a practical man. Yutkevitch should have realized
that it was possible for Eisenstein to theorize about socialist realism but not
to create under it.) Turning to Eisenstein. he said. "You are richer than
all of us, but you are sitting on your own gold." Seton notes: "Eisenstein
merely smiled."
Trauberg also called on his old master to stop theorizing and get down
to work. He criticised
October
for the "stupid poetry" of its palaces and
statues, and
T he End of St. Petersburg
for its hero's colorless personality.
The truth is that Trauberg felt none too secure himself against the. serious
charge of 'formalism'. Although he and Kozintsev had renounced the sty–
lized technique of
T he N ew Babylon
in favor of the most orthodox socialist
realist approach-as in the Maxim films, untainted alike by formalism and
esthetic interest- he considered it necessary to make a specific declaration :
"He felt they had rid themselves of formalism. and thought the method of
setting the individual against the social background of the period quite
satisfactory."
The attack on the older generation went to such lengths as to alarm
even the stage managers of the conference. At that time. the Kremlin's liason
officer in the cinema was Sergei Dinamov, then the editor of
International
Literature.
Dinamov is---or rather was. since he has been deposed from his
editorship and is now reported to be in jail-an energetic. humorless. zealous
young literary functionary who had made his reputation as editor of the
RAPP
organ.
At Your Post.
It was his job to see that Good triumphed over
Evil,
but also that the mechanics of the victory were not too crudely exposed.
He
therefore felt it necessary to rebuke the over-zealous partisans of socialist
realism and to dole out a certain amount of diplomatic praise to the older
generation-making it clear. of course, that they had much to learn. as
well as unlearn. He also had to give 'ideological directives' to the assembled
