Abram Room ’s silent Soviet classic, a sociology oriented Socialist dramedy, holds up beautifully. When an old army bud needs a flat in overcrowded Moscow during the brief NEP era (a limited experiment in private ownership), he moves in with his pal & the pal’s wife, sleeping on the sofa. Initially, the guest is all charm, so when the boorish hubby has to go out of town, the bud gravitates from sofa to bed. Yet, when hubby returns, it’s the men who kiss & make up (literally), while the wife, now with child, leaves them both to find a new life. How Ibsenesque! And anti-bourgeoisie! Beautifully acted & observed, with great views of Moscow in building boom mode. And don’t skip the delightful Pudovkin short, CHESS FEVER, included on the Image DVD edition. Vladimir Fogel, who’s the guest in B&S, was also a natural comic. Good scholarly commentary, too.
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