Early Cinema in Russia and its Cultural Reception

by Yuri Tsivian

In Early Cinema in Russia and its Cultural Reception Yuri Tsivian examines the development of cinematic form and culture in Russia, from its late nineteenth-century beginnings as a fairground attraction to the early post-Revolutionary years.
Tsivian traces the changing perceptions of cinema and its social transition from a modernist invention to a national art form. He explores reactions to the earliest films, from actors, novelists, poets, writers, and journalists. His richly detailed study of the physical elements of cinematic performance includes the architecture and illumination of the cinema foyer, the speed of projection and film acoustics.
In contrast to standard film histories, this book focuses on reflected rather than discussing films and film-makers, it features the historical film-goer and early writings on film. Early Cinema in Russia and its Cultural Reception presents a vivid and changing picture of cinema culture in Russia in the twilight of the tsarist era and the first decades of the twentieth century. Tsivian's study expands the whole context of reception studies and opens up questions about reception relevant to other national cinemas.

296 pages, Hardcover

First published December 9, 1994

About the author

Yuri Tsivian earned his PhD in film studies from the Institute of Theater, Music and Cinema in Leningrad in 1984. He is the author of numerous publications on Russo-Soviet and world cinema.