Vladimir Lenin: Voice of Revolution |
Release date: 2000; rereleased in 2005 |
Length: 50 minutes |
Age Appropriateness Rating: This video is not officially rated. Originally aired on
the Biography Channel, it is completely appropriate for all
students in junior or senior high school. |
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This note-taking sheet follows along with the film in chronological order. Names and terms are written (which means that students will not be asking how to spell names such as Krupskaya). Knowing that these are the important names and terms to listen for, students then use the available space to jot down their own notes. This sheet can be returned to the teacher at the end of class, used as a study sheet, as well as used as a "cheat sheet" to facilitate classroom discussion of the documentary. The sheet prints as two pages, or as both sides of a single sheet.Click here for the .pdf file to print. The video is available here. |
Creators and Stars: Biography Channel's "International Profile" series |
Historical Accuracy: There are no notable inaccuracies in this biographical documentary on the life of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin (1870-1924). |
Review: This biography covers the entirety of Lenin's life, from his birth in Simbirsk in 1870 until his death in 1924. Viewers are able to see, through the events of Lenin's life, the course of discontent in Russia that led to the Russian Revolution. It is a terrific introduction to the study of this time period. However, the film can be rather sensationalistic and biased against Lenin. For example, much attention is paid to the oppressive aspects of Lenin's rule, but little is said about the forces against Lenin (such as the actions of foreign powers to undermine the Bolshevik government or the Russian Civil War). None of these faults make the film unwatchable, but they should be addressed in any classroom discussion. |
Miscellaneous: A good deal of Sergei Eisenstein footage is used in the film, accompanied by voiceovers of how inaccurate his Lenin film is. Those students interested in the history of film might be encouraged to check our more of Sergei Eisenstein's films and to look at their role in the Russian propaganda machine. |
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