Watching the silent Siberian snow in Devushka s dalyokoy reki

If you have some time on a Sunday and don't mind reading a lot of title cards, Devushka s dalyokoy reki is actually a pretty cool trip. You should watch it if you like movies that feel like a cold winter morning. You will probably hate it if you can't stand silent films where people stare intensely at telegraph machines for three minutes straight.

The movie starts out in the middle of nowhere. I mean, it is really nowhere. Just snow, a river, and a tiny cabin where the main girl, Chizhik, works the telegraph.

She has this look on her face like she is listening to a ghost. The way the movie shows the telegraph wires huming in the wind is actually kind of spooky. It makes the world feel big and empty.

I kept thinking about how lonely that job must be. You are connected to everyone in the world by a wire, but you are sitting in a box made of logs. It’s a lot like being on the internet today, I guess.

The director really loves his shots of the river. The water looks heavy and dangerous. It is not like the more upbeat vibe you get in something like A Lucky Dog's Day. This is more serious stuff.

There is a scene where she just looks at a map of the USSR. Her eyes are so wide you’d think she was looking at a pile of gold. To her, Leningrad is like a magical kingdom, not just a city with a lot of factory smoke.

When the movie finally moves to the city, the rhythm changes completely. It gets fast and a bit messy. It reminded me of the heavy editing style in Destruction, but maybe a little less depressing.

The contrast between the quiet woods and the loud city is the best part. You can almost feel the headache she must be getting from all the noise. People are rushing everywhere and nobody stops to look at the sky.

I noticed one guy in the background of a city scene who looks like he has no idea where he is supposed to stand. He just kind of wanders into the frame and then scurries away. It’s funny how those little mistakes stay in these old films forever.

The acting is typical for 1928. Lots of big gestures and clutching at chests. But Roza Sverdlova, who plays the girl, has a way of being quiet that feels very modern. She doesn't overdo it as much as the actors in Moral Suicide do.

The story gets a bit bogged down in the middle. There is a lot of talk about work and the revolution that feels a bit like a school lesson. I found myself looking at the furniture in the background instead of reading the words.

Still, there is a heart to it. It’s about wanting to be part of something bigger than your own backyard. Even if that 'something bigger' is just a busy office in a grey city.

It’s not as flashy as Blows and Dynamite, but it has a soul. You can tell the people making it really believed in the dream they were filming. That counts for something, even if the film is nearly a hundred years old now.

I think I liked the first half better. The silence of the Siberian forest felt more real than the busy streets at the end. It's a weird little movie, but I'm glad I sat through it. 🚂