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Burned By The Sun Essay

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Burnt by the Sun depicts a time period in Russia’s history when the old and new ways of life collide during Stalin’s reign of terror, just as they did during the Socialist Revolution. Through the course of the Revolution and the Civil War, Kotov becomes a war hero and decorated army officer, while Mitya, a member of the old Intelligentsia class, is persecuted by the Revolution. As the film begins, the new and the old once again collide as Kotov’s “romantic” ideals of the Revolution are replaced by Stalin’s police state. Stalin desires to centralize his power and eliminate any threats to his dictatorship by removing all prominent and influential members from Soviet Russia, including Kotov. This is when Mitya enters the picture, as an affiliate of the secret police who wants to avenge Kotov for his actions during the Revolution and for marrying his love, Marusia. All this …show more content…

The “artificial” conflict between the old and new ways of life is over and the Revolution continues to exist. Just like the “planned fireball” in the article from the beginning of the film, the conflict between the old and the new is evidently planned by the Revolution for the demise of Kotov and Mitya. Their complex relationship with the Revolution and with each other is used to portray their victimhood through their eventual deaths, regardless of their collaboration with the Revolution. This film is dedicated to “all who were burnt by the sun of the Revolution,” as everybody is a victim and only the regime survives. Survival is the only goal of the Revolution, which is only possible under the debris caused by the destruction of its victims like Kotov and

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