Summary
In the waning days of the 1905 Russian Revolution, a ragged collective of Georgian laborers, bruised by exploitation and galvanized by nascent nationalism, coalesce around the charismatic yet tormented figure of Arsena Jorjiashvili. The narrative unfurls in the soot‑laden streets of Tiflis, where factory whistles punctuate the air like ominous metronomes. Valerian Gunia embodies Arsena, a former serf turned agitator whose impassioned oratory ignites a tinderbox of discontent. Ivan Kruchinin portrays the cynical overseer, a bureaucrat whose allegiance to the Tsarist apparatus crumbles under the weight of his own conscience. Vaso Abashidze, as the stoic blacksmith, becomes the physical backbone of the insurrection, while Giorgi Ketiladze’s timid clerk provides a window into the ordinary citizen’s reluctant awakening. Mikheil Chiaureli, a youthful idealist, risks everything to smuggle pamphlets across the city’s labyrinthine alleyways. The film’s climax erupts during a clandestine meeting in an abandoned warehouse, where the workers, armed with makeshift weapons and a fervent belief in self‑determination, confront the imperial garrison. Blood stains the cobblestones, yet the final tableau suggests that the uprising’s true victory lies not in the immediate triumph over the red‑coated troops but in the indelible imprint it leaves upon the collective Georgian psyche. The script, co‑crafted by Shalva Dadiani and Ivane Perestiani, interweaves personal sacrifice with broader sociopolitical commentary, rendering the 1905 revolt a crucible for both individual redemption and nascent national consciousness.
Synopsis
Revolutionary uprising of Georgian laborers in 1905.
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