Soviet Socialist Realism

Soviet culture

-Base and Superstructure -A new organization of the means of production will produce a new culture -Bolsheviks thought that culture needs to be proletarian

The Avant-Garde

-Express the newness of modernity in new ways -New artistic techniques and ideas about what constituted art -Vanguard of art (the forefront of art) -Bridge boundary between life and art -Wanted to do things that have never been done before

Katerina Clark

-Wrote the Soviet Novel 1981 -Changed the way Socialist Realism is studied -Socialist Realism combines realistic and utopian elements -All Soviet Realist narratives follow a master plot (turned to Propp)

Four Requirements for art

1) Proletarian - accessible, easily understandable, and relevant to workers and peasants 2) Typical - scenes of everyday life of the people (relevant to all) 3) Realistic - in its representation, not abstract 4) Partisan - supportive of the State and the Party

The Fall of Berlin (film)

1949 -Directed by Mikhail Chiaureli -Widely celebrated -Perspective of party -Stalin is the mentor

Socialist Realism

May 17th, 1932 term first used at Writer's Union -1934 adopted at First Writer's Union Congress -Sole "method" for Soviet literature and arts -Must produce art that is *truthful - from the perspective of the Bolsheviks *historically concrete - not abstract *reality - depict the world we live in, in light of the development

Master Plot

Positive hero -central character -Moves from spontaneity to Consciousness Task - the process of coming to consciousness Win a war, clean up corruption Mentor - speaks from the perspective of the Party Trials - the task is frustrated Climax - a serious problem Consultation with the mentor -Mentor gives him an object Completion of the task/happy ending -Everything else is resolved