The Western World in Soviet and Russian Cinema (1946–2016)

What is it about?

An analysis of how the image of the West transformed in Soviet and Russian cinema during the era of ideological confrontation (1946–1991) as well as during the modern post-Soviet period (1992–2016) that has factored in ideological and social criteria, stereotypes, character types, character identification, iconography, plot and narrative structure, representations, and the classification of genre content models and modifications has allowed us to draw the following conclusions: ● The anti-Western, anti-bourgeois orientation of Soviet films played an important role during the Cold War. However, we should not forget that 450 RUSSIAN EDUCATION & SOCIETY both during and after the Cold War the policy of the West in many respects was anti-Russian, and any effort by Russia to strengthen its position (either economically, militarily or geopolitically) was perceived as a threat to the Western world. Therefore, a reciprocal tendency of confrontation towards the West can be found in many Russian media texts, including after the collapse of the Soviet Union (although Russian films from the 1990s experienced a brief surge of pro-Western sentiment). ● A content analysis of Soviet cinematic media texts from the Cold War (1946–1991) allows us to classify their basic plot structures into the following categories: Western spies penetrate the Soviet Union to commit acts of sabotage and/or ferret out military secrets; the United States is preparing a secret strike on the Soviet Union, and they have created a secret base with nuclear weapons for this purpose; an inhuman Western regime oppress their own people or the population of another country, thereby choking democracy and individual freedom; an average Soviet citizen in the street explains to Western visitors that they have been deceived by Western propaganda, and that the Soviet Union is in fact a stronghold of friendship, prosperity, and peace; a romantic couple experiences problems related to the ideological confrontation between the Soviet Union and the Western world during the course of their courtship. ● A content analysis of Russian media texts that were created in the postSoviet period (1992–2016) allows us to classify their basic plot structures into the following categories: Russians are drawn to the West since they believe that it is a symbol of a better life (emigration to the West, wedding/marriage/a romantic relationship, criminal activity, etc.; in the 1990s this storyline was complemented by the depiction of the poor living conditions and deprivation of Russians); Russian and Western intelligence services and branches of the military fight terrorism and crime (though this topic is more common in Russian films from the 1990s); Russian special services or individual Russians fight Western spies and criminals who are supported by the West (though this theme only came fully into its own in Russian films of the twenty-first century). ● In contrast to the period of 1946–1991, Russian films on Western topics that were made between 1992 and 2016 featured more than just plots about confrontation (whether war, espionage, struggles against the mafia, etc.) between Russia and the West, but also (and especially during the 1990s) stories about mutual cooperation and assistance between Russia and the West. JULY–SEPTEMBER 2017 451 ● However, in general Russian post-Soviet cinema inherited traditional representations of the West: in most feature films the image of the West is treated as something that is “foreign” or an “other” and often as a culture that is hostile and alien to Russian civilization. Given our findings, it would be overly optimistic to expect that the stereotypical concepts about the West that are presented in Russian media texts will change any time soon. Most likely, these plot structures, ideological approaches, character personalities, etc., will continue to be dominant in one form or another for the foreseeable future.

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Why is it important?

Cinema has always represented a powerful medium for influencing audiences (including in political and ideological ways). Therefore, exploring how the image of the Western world has been transforming in Soviet and Russian films is still relevant today. This study seeks to accomplish the following: define the role and place of the changing portrayal of the Western world in Soviet cinema between 1946 (the start of the postwar ideological confrontation) and 1991 (the break-up of the Soviet Union) while comparing these developments with trends from the modern era (1992–2016); study the political, ideological, social, and cultural context as well as the main stages, trends, and goals of filmmakers; study the concepts that these filmmakers used to interpret this theme in Soviet and Russian films; and classify and perform a comparative analysis of the ideology, content models, genre modifications, and stereotypes of Soviet and Russian cinema that came to be associated with the portrayal of the Western world

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