The most prominent director from early Soviet cinema was undoubtedly Sergei Eisenstein (1898 - 1948), but there were others too, such as Dziga Vertov (1896 - 1954, "Man with a movie camera" (1929)), Aleksandr Dovzhenko (1894 - 1956, "Earth" (1930)) and Vsevolod Pudovkin (1893 - 1953, "Mother" (1926)).
Stylistically we can compare "Mother" from Pudovkin with the work of Eisenstein, especially with Battleship Potemkin" (1925) from the previous year. Look at the close ups and the montage. The final shootout in "Mother" has much in common with the famous scene on the Odessa steps in "Potemkin". Both films are also situated in the year 1905, the year of the war against Japan and the first Russian revolution (the one preceding the Communist revolution of 1917). Although being 5 years older, Pudovkin can be described as Eisensteins most talented pupil.
With respect to the storyline a comparison with Dovzhenko's "Earth" is more logical. In both films the story is a mix of communist reform and generational conflict. In both films the communist reform comes from the younger generation, with the older generation skeptical at first.
There are however also differences. In "Mother" the communist reform is situated in an industrial environment, in "Earth" in an agricultural environment. In "Earth" the father is not bad but only old fashioned. He is converted during the film. In "Mother" on the other hand the father is bad (an alcoholic) and the conversion is on the mother's side.
Stylistically we can compare "Mother" from Pudovkin with the work of Eisenstein, especially with Battleship Potemkin" (1925) from the previous year. Look at the close ups and the montage. The final shootout in "Mother" has much in common with the famous scene on the Odessa steps in "Potemkin". Both films are also situated in the year 1905, the year of the war against Japan and the first Russian revolution (the one preceding the Communist revolution of 1917). Although being 5 years older, Pudovkin can be described as Eisensteins most talented pupil.
With respect to the storyline a comparison with Dovzhenko's "Earth" is more logical. In both films the story is a mix of communist reform and generational conflict. In both films the communist reform comes from the younger generation, with the older generation skeptical at first.
There are however also differences. In "Mother" the communist reform is situated in an industrial environment, in "Earth" in an agricultural environment. In "Earth" the father is not bad but only old fashioned. He is converted during the film. In "Mother" on the other hand the father is bad (an alcoholic) and the conversion is on the mother's side.