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Cult Review
Senior Film Conservator
Honestly, you should only watch Put entuziastov if you have a thing for old black-and-white footage of people looking very serious about machinery. If you’re looking for a Friday night popcorn movie, this isn't it.
History nerds and people who like seeing how movies used to be made will find something here. Everyone else will probably be bored within ten minutes because the plot is basically just "work harder."
I sat down with this one expecting a dry documentary, but it’s got this weird energy. It’s like the movie itself is trying to bench press a truck.
The first thing you notice is the faces. Nikolai Orlov has this way of looking at a piece of steel like it's his long-lost brother.
There is a scene early on where the workers are just standing around a table. The lighting is so harsh it makes everyone look like they haven't slept in three years.
I think the director really loved shadows. There’s a shadow of a crane that looks more important than the actual actors sometimes.
It reminds me a bit of the vibe in The Great Shadow, but with more dirt. Everything in this movie feels like it needs a good scrub with some soap.
The writing by Nikolai Okhlopkov is... well, it’s loud. Not literally loud, since it’s a late silent-era feel, but the emotions are screaming at you.
There’s a lot of pointing. People point at machines, they point at the sky, they point at each other. A lot of pointing.
I found myself wondering about the extras. In one shot, there’s a guy in the back who just looks confused, like he wandered onto the set looking for his lunch.
It’s those little things that make these old movies feel real. The the dust in the air isn't a special effect; it’s just actual 1930s dust.
The pacing is all over the place. One minute they are rushing to finish a wall, and the next, the camera just stares at a wheel turning for what feels like an hour.
It doesn't have the polish of something like Out of the Storm. It feels much more raw and unfinished in a way that I kind of liked.
The music (if you’re watching a version with a score) usually tries to do way too much. It’s all BAM BAM BAM while someone is just eating soup.
I noticed a weird cut around the twenty-minute mark. It feels like a whole chunk of a conversation just vanished into thin air.
Maybe the film was damaged, or maybe the editor just got bored. Either way, it adds to the charm of these old relics.
You can see the influence of stage acting everywhere. Every gesture is huge, like they’re trying to reach the back row of a theater a mile away.
It’s much more intense than The Barricade, which felt a bit more theatrical in a soft way. This is industrial theater.
There’s a moment where a character gets some bad news, and he reacts by just gripping a wrench really hard. That’s cinema, baby.
I did find myself checking my watch during the long speech about production quotas. I get it, the factory is important, but let’s move it along.
The film ends exactly how you think it will. There are no big twists or surprises here.
It’s just a bunch of people who worked hard and felt good about it. It’s weirdly wholesome despite all the soot and heavy machinery.
If you've seen things like Mine Your Business!, you’ll recognize the "work is great" theme. But Put entuziastov feels more desperate, like the stakes are higher.
The film feels like a time capsule that was buried under a pile of coal. It’s gritty, it’s repetitive, and it’s totally fascinating if you’re in the right mood.
Don't expect a masterpiece. Just expect a lot of enthusiasm, just like the title says. 🛠️
I’m still thinking about that one guy’s mustache. It was perfectly groomed for a guy working in a factory. A bit too perfect, maybe?
Anyway, give it a look if you’re bored of modern movies that look too clean. This is the opposite of clean.
IMDb 6.2
1923
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