Aelita: The 100 Year Old Queen of Mars

04/14/24 • 51 min

As with all episodes of this podcast there are spoilers ahead!
You can watch Aelita Queen of Mars (1924) here. For full shownotes visit the watch page for this episode on the website: https://www.everyscififilm.com/watch
Lenin, the leader of the Russian revolution and the new soviet Russia declared “cinema is for us the most important of the arts”. He recognised the power of film to reach a wide range of audiences and its potential as propaganda. The country was struggling as was its film industry which was nationalised in 1919.

In the first half of the 20th century Russia has been through a world war, a revolution and a civil war which ended in 1923.
Some months later the words “Anta Odeli Uta” started appearing in the press and distributed leaflets. The words are from Aelita Queen of Mars which was Soviet Russia’s first big film. A film they hired acclaimed pre-revolutionary film director Yakov Protozanov to make. This film was intended to make a big impact, to be popular and be a beacon of the new emerging soviet Russia. Although the film was a commercial success, communist critics were harsh in their verdict.
The film has a mishmash of themes which make for confusing viewing. Part communist propaganda (oppressed Martian workers rise up against a cruel king), part romantic drama (jealousy and obsession), part social commentary (corrupt government officials and bumbling policemen) amongst many other things.
Luckily we have two heavyweight scholars to help us rein in the confusion.
The experts
Denise Youngblood is Professor of History Emerita at the University of Vermont. She is a specialist on the history of Russian and Soviet cinema from 1908 to the present. She has written extensively on the subject, including seven books and numerous articles and film reviews. Denise has a PhD from Stanford and was one of only three Americans who studied Soviet film history at VGIK (the Soviet state film institute in Moscow) during Soviet times.
Rachel Morley is Associate Professor at UCL's School of Slavonic & East European Studies where she is also co-chair of Russian Cinema Research Group. She has published widely and presented papers on Russian film.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to show and guests
02:43 The pre-revolutionary master returns
07:01 Where is the communist propaganda?
13:00 Anta Odeli Uta and the critics Vs fans
18:34 Is the protagonist meant to be unlikable?
23:12 Women: past, present and future
28:34 The working class
32:17 A vision of the future: costumes and set design
35:22 Russian sci-fi after Aelita: Stalin Vs Khrushchev
38:38 Aelita: a warning to Soviet filmmakers
40:53 Did Aelita inspire Fritz Lang’s Metropolis?
43:12 Protozanov’s future
44:27 Stalin’s restrictions on the film industry
48:02 Conclusion
NEXT EPISODE!
Fritz Lang’s Metropolis is next! It is considered by many to be one of the greatest films of the silent era. You can watch it here at the internet archive or here on YouTube. Or you can check here for UK or here for US options. DVDs of the film are also available
(There are many versions of the film due to editing, lost footage and restorations. There is also a 1984 Giorgio Moroder version with an 80s soundtrack!)

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Previous Episode

The Creator: David Eagleman's favourite sci-fi film ever

As with all episodes of this podcast there are spoilers ahead!

Every once in a while we take a break from watching and learning about old science fiction films and speak to a guest about their favourite sci-fi film. In this episode I speak to David Eagleman about The Creator and what about this 2023 film made it to the top of his list.
For full shownotes with references to the subjects mentioned in this episode you can visit https://www.everyscififilm.com/the-creator-david-eagleman-s-fvourite

The guest
David Eagleman is a neuroscientist at Stanford University, a best-selling author of multiple books, and an entrepreneur. He is cofounder of Cognito Entertainment, a production company that focuses on science-based films and documentaries and he also directs the US based Center for Science and Law. David is the host of the Inner Cosmos podcast that delves into topics about the human brain and perception. You can find out more about him at https://eagleman.com

Chapters
00:00 Introduction of show and guest
01:19 Overview of The Creator (with spoilers)
03:24 Why The Creator resonates with David
05:38 Consciousness, AI, and neuroscience
10:16 Human tribalism and prejudice
14:28 AI: friend, foe, fear, and the future
17:50 Mimicry, humanity, and the potential of AI
19:15 Can AI adapt and excel beyond the human brain?
23:01 Sad robots and subjectivity
24:52 Religious AI, heaven, and the cynical ending
NEXT EPISODE!
The next film we will be looking at is Aelita Queen of Mars. A 1924 film from Soviet Russia. You can watch the film here on YouTube. In some locations you can check where it is available to stream, rent or buy at JustWatch. The film is available to buy on Amazon in some places. DVDs of the film are available though not common.

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Next Episode

Metropolis: The Most Influential Sci-Fi Film Ever*

*Almost.
As with all episodes of this podcast there are spoilers ahead!
You can watch Metropolis (1927) here or here:
For full shownotes visit the watch page for this episode on the website: https://www.everyscififilm.com/watch
Description
After losing World War I Germany entered a time of economic hardship and political turmoil. In 1918 the Monarchy abdicated. The country was financially crippled by the reparations enforced by The Treaty of Versailles and German democracy began.
From 1918 until Hitler came to power in 1933 is known as the Weimar period. A time of political upheaval and artistic creativity. German Art and Cinema were thriving while the left and right were wrangling for control of the country.
In 1927 Fritz Lang made what is to this day considered one of the greatest films of all time. It is based on a story by Thea Von Harbou, his wife at the time, who went on to collaborate with Nazi Party on multiple films.
The ongoing influence of Metropolis on film is immense. Films like Blade Runner, Fifth Element, Frankenstein, Batman, and more recently Poor Things have all been influenced by it. And yet, the film itself was not a hit.
Luckily we have two luminary experts to help us understand the film, the society it came from and the themes it portrays.
The experts
Sonja Fritzsche is a professor of German Studies and an author/editor for many books about science fiction. She has taught courses on science fiction, utopia and Metropolis.
Noah Isenberg is a film historian and best-selling author. He is a professor at the University of Texas and editor of the book Weimar Cinema: An Essential Guide to Classic Films of the Era.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction, shownotes clarification and guests
02:30 Weimar: economics, Hitler and creative legacy
11:05 Fritz Lang
15:00 Thea Von Harbou
18:41 Lang’s Jewish heritage and Harbou’s Nazism
21:05 The rediscovery of missing Metropolis reels
22:05 Lang’s visual virtuosity
26:05 Fear of the future and the three faces of Utopia
27:50 The virgin, the whore and the workers unions
31:41 Critical reception Vs visual spectacle
35:32 Religious themes
37:37 The Nazi connection
45:23 Lang’s future: M, Woman in the Moon, Film Noir
48:25 Is Metropolis the most influential sci-fi film of all time?
50:36 Conclusions and recommendations
NEXT EPISODE!
We will be looking at Frankenstein and speaking about monsters and their role in storytelling and science fiction. You can watch Frankenstein (1931) here.
Or check Just Watch for where it is available.