Budte takimi is a weirdly sweaty Soviet time capsule

If you are into old movies where people look extremely intense about shoveling dirt, you might actually enjoy this. Budte takimi is a 1930 Soviet film that feels like a very long pep talk for workers.

Is it worth watching today? Only if you are a film nerd or someone who likes seeing how people used to make propaganda look like art. Most people will probably find it a bit slow and dusty.

It starts off with these young people who are part of the Komsomol. They are supposed to be the "good guys" who show everyone how to work hard. Honestly, they look like they haven't slept in three days. 😴

The first thing I noticed was the lighting. Everything is so contrasty. One side of a guy's face will be bright white and the other side is just... void. It makes a simple conversation about a broken machine look like a life-or-death battle.

There is a scene where they are fixing something—I think it was a tractor or some big engine. The camera just stays on the gears for a really long time. Like, way too long. You can almost smell the grease through the screen.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Budte takimi (1930) through its definitive frames.

I kept thinking about All Wet while watching this, mostly because the film quality is so different. This feels heavy and serious, while that one is just... well, wet. 🌊

Sergey Glagolin plays one of the leads and he has this way of squinting that makes him look like he’s trying to see into the next century. It’s kind of funny after the fifth time he does it. You want to tell him to just relax his face a little bit.

The writing by Ivan Pyrev and Nikolai Solovyov isn't really about a "plot" in the way we think of it now. It’s more like a series of moments where someone says "We must do better!" and then everyone nods very fast. 🛠️

One reaction shot of a woman in the factory lingers for so long it becomes awkward. She just stands there holding a piece of metal. I think she forgot she was being filmed for a second.

The movie gets slightly better when they stop talking and just show the scale of the work. The crowds of extras moving around look real, not like the empty feeling you get in some cheap sets. It reminds me a bit of the big scenes in Ashes of Vengeance, but with more overalls and less lace.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Budte takimi (1930) through its definitive frames.

There’s this one guy, I think it was Aleksandr Zhukov, who has a hat that stays perfectly on his head no matter how much he moves. I spent about ten minutes just wondering if it was pinned there. It was more interesting than the dialogue at that point.

The whole thing feels very grounded. You can see the actual dirt on their hands. It’s not like those Hollywood movies from the same time where everyone’s hair is perfect. Here, if you are working, you look like a mess.

I found myself drifting off during some of the speeches. They go on and on about the collective and the future. I get it, guys. You want to build things. Let's get to the part where something actually happens.

Actually, nothing really "happens" in the way a modern thriller does. It’s just a lot of effort. The movie is a monument to effort. 🏗️

If you compare it to something like The Red Mark, this feels way more gritty and less like a storybook. It’s rough around the edges. The film stock itself looks like it was dragged through the mud before they developed it.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Budte takimi (1930) through its definitive frames.

I liked the music—or at least the rhythm of the editing. It has this heartbeat to it. When they are working fast, the cuts get faster. It’s simple but it works.

There is a weird moment where a character just stops and looks at a flower. It feels like it belongs in a completely different movie. It’s the only time the movie isn't trying to sell you on a political idea.

The ending is... well, it just kind of stops. It doesn't wrap up with a big bow. It’s like the film crew just ran out of tape or got tired of filming people in hats. 🧢

It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s not trash either. It’s just a very specific type of old-school cinema. If you’ve seen Leap to Fame, you know how these "ambition" movies can be. This is just the Soviet version.

I probably wouldn't watch it again. Once is enough to get the vibe. But I’m glad I saw it just for the weirdly long shots of the wrench. That wrench was the best actor in the whole thing.

Things I noticed:

• The way the smoke from the chimneys looks like it was painted on the sky.
• A dog runs across the background in one scene and nobody reacts. I think it was a stray. 🐕
• The sound of the machines is actually kind of rhythmic and cool if you close your eyes.
• One guy has a mustache that is definitely fake. It’s peeling off on the left side.

Anyway, if you want to feel like you’ve done a full day’s work without leaving your couch, give this a try. It’s an experience, even if it’s a tiring one.