Vor (1934): A weird little Soviet gem about melons and fountain pens

Is it worth your time?

If you like your cinema short, Soviet, and completely obsessed with the security of collective farm produce, then sure. It's a quick watch for people who enjoy film history oddities. If you need explosions or high-octane drama, you’re gonna be bored out of your skull. This isn't exactly By the Law, that's for sure. 🍉

There is something inherently funny about the setup. A "wonderful fountain pen" is treated like a tactical asset. Vasya carries it like it’s a sidearm.

Watching Vasya trot around with his dog, Druzhka, is honestly pretty cute. The dog has more screen presence than most of the actors in So This Is Africa. It’s a very 1930s vibe—earnest, slightly stiff, and deeply invested in the moral high ground of guarding fruit.

The Vibe

The pacing is… well, it’s not really pacing. It’s just stuff happening in a field. At one point, the movie feels like it’s about to turn into a thriller, but then it remembers it’s just about some missing melons. It’s got that weird, quiet energy you find in movies like Lullaby Land, but way more agricultural.

• Vasya is way too serious for a kid in a melon patch.
• The fountain pen actually does stuff? Sort of?
• The dog is definitely the smartest character in the room.

It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s a slice of life. Sometimes you just need to watch a pioneer wander through a field. It feels way less manic than the slapstick energy of Laughing Gas. It’s just… honest, I guess. Though I'm still trying to figure out why the pen was such a big deal. Maybe it was a really, really nice pen. 🖊️

The whole thing ends abruptly, which is fine. I didn't need to see the paperwork for the thief anyway.