Zement (1927) Review: A very dusty look at love and gears

If you are looking for a movie that makes industrial labor look like a fun weekend project, stay away from this one. Zement is definitely worth a watch if you like seeing how people actually lived during the messiest parts of Soviet history.

Most people will probably hate it because it moves like a snail and half the scenes are just people looking frustrated at rusty pipes. But if you have a soft spot for silent films that feel a bit raw and unpolished, there is something here.

The movie starts with Gleb Chumalov coming back from the Civil War. He is played by Vladimir Vilner, who has this incredibly heavy face that looks like it was carved out of an old tree.

He walks into his old town and expects everyone to cheer. Instead, he finds his house empty and the factory where he used to work is literally full of goats.

I laughed a little bit at the goats. They are just wandering around the machinery like they own the place.

It’s such a specific, weird detail that makes the whole 'revolution' thing feel real. It isn't just flags and speeches; it is literally goats in the gears.

Gleb spends a lot of time trying to get the factory started again. The way they filmed the dust in the air is actually pretty beautiful, even if it makes you want to sneeze just watching it.

You can almost feel the grit on your teeth. It reminded me a bit of the texture in Rough and Ready, though that one is way more of a traditional western.

The real heart of the movie, though, isn't the cement. It is Gleb's wife, Dasha.

In the three years he was gone, she became a totally different person. She is a party leader now, and she doesn't really have time to be a 'traditional' wife.

There is this one scene where Gleb tries to hug her, and she just kind of stands there. It is so awkward.

The camera stays on them for about ten seconds too long. You can feel the air leaving the room.

He wants his old life back, but that life doesn't exist anymore. It is a lot more honest than I expected for a movie from 1927.

Usually, these old movies have a very clear 'good guy' and 'bad guy.' Here, everyone just seems tired.

Even the bureaucrats who keep stopping Gleb from fixing the factory don't seem evil. They just seem like they are drowning in paperwork.

It makes the pacing feel a bit lopsided. Some parts fly by with quick cuts, and then you spend five minutes watching a guy try to find a specific wrench.

I found myself thinking about The Sky Plumber during the more technical scenes. Not because they are similar stories, but because they both have this weird obsession with how things actually work.

There’s a strange tangent in the middle about the communal kitchen. It feels like a different movie for a second.

People are arguing about soup. It doesn't really help the plot, but I liked it.

It makes the world feel lived-in. Like there are thousands of other stories happening just off-camera.

The acting is very big, which is normal for the time. But Vilner does a lot with his eyes.

He has this look of total confusion when he realizes his daughter has been living in a state children's home. It’s one of the few moments where the movie stops being about 'the collective' and becomes about a guy who is just sad.

The ending isn't really a neat bow. The factory starts working, sure, but the marriage is still kind of a wreck.

I appreciate that the writers didn't force them to hold hands and walk into the sunset. That would have felt fake.

The movie is way more interested in the process of rebuilding than the actual result. It’s about the sweat and the arguments.

It’s definitely not a 'fun' Friday night movie. It’s more like a heavy meal that you have to sit with for a while.

If you've seen things like L'âme du bronze, you know the vibe. Very industrial, very serious, but with these tiny human cracks.

I noticed a few shots where the lighting was clearly messed up. One side of a character's face will be totally blown out by a lamp.

But honestly, it adds to the charm. It feels like they were figuring it out as they went.

There’s a scene with a horse that feels a bit like filler. I think they just liked the way the horse looked against the smoke.

It doesn't have the polish of the big Hollywood silent films from that year. It feels much more like a documentary that accidentally turned into a drama.

I’d say give it a chance if you’re tired of movies where everything is solved in the last ten minutes. Zement doesn't solve anything.

It just shows you a bunch of people trying to survive a very confusing time. And sometimes that’s enough.

Don't expect the music to help much either. Most versions of this have very repetitive scores.

Just focus on the faces. The faces are the best part.

Also, the goats. Never forget the goats.