Novymi putyami: A Glimpse into Soviet Ambition, Flaws and All

Okay, so Novymi putyami – that's 'On New Paths' for us non-Russian speakers – it's a real time capsule. If you're into old silent films, or just super curious about Soviet history, then yeah, give it a shot. You'll probably dig the sheer earnestness of it all. But if you're expecting thrilling plots or anything like modern pacing, you're gonna have a rough time. People who just want to chill with a popcorn flick? Nope, steer clear.

The whole thing kicks off with these grand, almost overwhelming shots of fields and people working. Like, lots of people. The director, Yuri Dashevskiy, really wants you to feel the scale of this new collective effort.

There's this one moment where a tractor, a *brand new* one, is shown almost reverently. It's almost a character itself, this symbol of industrial might. 🚜

Then we cut to these factory scenes. The machinery clanks away, pistons moving with this rhythmic, almost hypnotic quality. It's all about progress, you know? The close-ups on the workers' faces, often covered in grime but with these determined, hopeful expressions. They really tried to capture that spirit.

Boris Bezgin, he plays... well, let's call him the 'enthusiastic young worker.' He’s got this grin that just doesn't quit. Even when things are clearly hard, he's just beaming. It’s a bit much sometimes, honestly. You wonder if he ever just had a bad day.

Ivan Franko, though, he brings a different vibe. More the 'wise elder' figure. He’s got these deeply etched lines on his face. When he looks at the young folks, there's this mix of hope and maybe a little weariness. That quiet moment where he just watches the train go by, smoke billowing, felt *real*.

The editing can be a little jarring. Sometimes a scene will linger for what feels like an eternity on a single face. Other times, it's these quick, almost frantic cuts between different work sites. It keeps you on your toes, I guess. Or maybe it just keeps you a little confused about *where* we are sometimes.

There's this sequence, probably about two-thirds through, where they're building something. A dam, maybe? It just keeps cutting back to the same two shots: workers digging, then a foreman yelling. It goes on about 20 seconds too long, and the repetition starts to feel awkward rather than impactful.

The film really hammers home this idea of everyone working together. There's barely any individual struggle shown. It's all about the collective, the greater good. You can almost feel the movie trying to convince you this moment matters *more* than anything else.

Did anyone else notice the goat? There's this one shot, very brief, of a goat just wandering through a newly paved road. It felt so out of place, almost like a glitch in the grand vision. A little bit of everyday chaos creeping into the planned perfection.

The music, what little survives or was added, is exactly what you'd expect: sweeping, dramatic, always telling you how to feel. No room for ambiguity there, unlike some of the more nuanced silent films of the era, like perhaps The Only Road.

One reaction shot of a woman in the crowd lingers so long it becomes funny. She's just... staring. At nothing in particular. What was she thinking? Probably about dinner. 🍜

The ending, where everyone gathers for a celebration, feels a bit forced. All these smiling faces, perfectly aligned. It’s like they practiced their joyful expressions. A little too neat for my taste, even for a film from this era.

So, yeah, Novymi putyami. It's a window into a specific time and place. Not necessarily a *fun* watch, but definitely a *thought-provoking* one. A testament to ambition, maybe a little naive, but ambition nonetheless.