Religious themes in recent Soviet cinema

Abstract

Like Soviet literature, Soviet cinema has in recent decades exhibited a persistent interest in religious themes, though this has usually been expressed in Aesopian fashion. The reason for the often elliptical and coded articulation of this interest has been the rigorous Soviet censorship. Lenin, as is well known, once termed the cinema "the most important art", because of its potential to reach a mass audience, and the Soviet authorities have traditionally subjected film to extremely close scrutiny. During the long Brezhnev years, films which raised serious questions about their possible political or ideational effect on viewers were placed on the shelf.) Instead of combing through Soviet cinema over the past thirty years for evidence of religious leanings, I have decided to concentrate on two distinguished modern filmmakers who, unlike other Soviet directors, have had the opportunity to make their religious commitment explicit: the late Andrei Tarkovsky (1932-86) and Andrei Konchalovsky (b. 1937). A number of other Soviet filmmakers also appear to have a keen interest in religious themes. One could cite, for example, the nameS of the late Vasili Shukshin (1929-74); the late Larisa Shepitko (1938-79); Elem Klimov (b. 1933), the recently-elected first secretary of the filmmakers' union; Rolan Bykov (b. 1929), ,director of the acclaimed Scarecrow (Chuche/o) (1984); and Georgian 'lfilm-maker Tengiz Abuladze (b. 1924), whose remarkable Repentance (Monanieba) (1984) took Moscow by storm when released in 1987. Since these individuals did not have the opportunity· to work in the West, however, the extent of their religious commitment remains problematic. It is politically impossible, even under the Gorbachev leadership, for a writer or film-maker to admit to being religious. Hence even writers like tpe eminent Kirghiz novelist Chingiz Aitmatov and directors like Abuladze, who are clearly focused on religious. themes, must, in interviews with Soviet and Western journalists, profess to being unbelievers. 2