Main Cast: I. Inkizhinov, A. Dedintsev, A. Tchistakov, L. Belinskaya, L. Dediseff, Anel Sudakevich, A. Sudkaveich, Vladimir Tsoppi
Release Year: 1928
Country: SU
Run Time: 70 minutes
Plot
Originally Potomak Chingis-khan (The Heir to Genghis Khan), Russian filmmaker Vsevolod Pudovkin's Storm Over Asia is set in Central Asia in 1920. Valeri Inkijinov plays a young Mongolian trapper ostracized from his village after he is cheated out of a valuable fox fur by a European trader. Becoming a Soviet partisan, the trapper is thrust into prominence when it is learned that he is descended from Genghis Khan. The occupying English army (identified as the White Russian army in foreign prints of the film, downplaying the West's effort to secure a stronghold in Russia in the years following the revolution) puts the trapper in charge of a puppet Mongolian government. By film's end, however, the "puppet" has cut the strings in a spectacular fashion. "Spectacular" is indeed the appropriate word for this sweeping political drama, which though not a huge success with domestic audiences upon its first release, is now regarded as one of Pudovkin's finest efforts. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
Storm Over Asia has historical significance for several reasons. It was directed by renowned filmmaker and theorist Vsevolod Pudovkin. Also, it was atypical of Soviet films of that time period because it did not feature Russian heroes or an obvious pro-Soviet message, although it did include propagandistic attacks on both capitalism and British imperialism (the occupying forces were later identified as White Russians in some prints). Furthermore, the movie was shot on location in Mongolia with a cast featuring many local nonprofessional actors; it includes ethnographic footage of ceremonial dances, healing rituals, and fur trading in the marketplace. But Storm Over Asia is worth seeing for another reason: it is a tightly constructed, entertaining film. In addition to beautifully composed shots and virtuosic editing, the film offers a compelling (albeit heavy-handed) story of an individual struggling with adversity; it places a greater emphasis on personal drama than such well-known Soviet silent films as Eisenstein's Battleship Potemkin, for example. Storm Over Asia is a gripping historical epic with a rousing finale and some remarkable scenes; the sequence in which a British officer is ordered to shoot the film's protagonist is particularly memorable. The film also contains its share of irony and humor, as demonstrated in the close-ups of the British officers dressing themselves and the buildup to the grand llama's appearance. How much you enjoy Storm Over Asia may depend on whether you see a remastered print or a shorter version; nonetheless, it is an important part of film history that's worth seeing if you get the chance. ~ Todd Kristel, All Movie Guide
Cast
I. Inkizhinov - The Son
A. Tchistakov - Rebel Leader
A. Dedintsev
L. Belinskaya - His Wife
L. Dediseff - Commander
Anel Sudakevich
A. Sudkaveich - Their Daughter
Vladimir Tsoppi
Karl Gurnyak; Boris Barnet; Alexander Chistyakov - Partisan Commander; V. Pro; F. Ivanov; Leonid Obolensky; A. Christiakov; Valery Inkijinoff - The Son; Anna Sten; Vsevolod Pudovkin
Storm Over Asia (original title Potomok Chingis-khanа (The Heir to Genghis Khan)) is a 1928 Russian film directed by Vsevolod Pudovkin and starring Valéry Inkijinoff. It forms part of Pudovkin's "revolutionary trilogy", alongside Mother (1926) and The End of St. Petersburg (1927).
Plot
In 1918 a young and simple Mongol herdsman and trapper is cheated out of a valuable fox fur by a European capitalist fur trader. Ostracized from the trading post, he escapes to the hills after brawling with the trader who cheated him. In 1920 he becomes a Soviet partisan, and helps the partisans fight for the Soviets against the occupying British army. However he is captured by the British when they try to requisition cattle from the herdsmen at the same time as the commandant meets with a reincarnated Grand Lama. After the trapper is shot, the army discovers an amulet that suggests he is a direct descendant of Genghis Khan. They find him still alive, so the army restores his health and plans to use him as the head of a puppet regime. The trapper is thus thrust into prominence as he is placed in charge of the puppet government. By the end, however, the "puppet" turns against his masters in an outburst of fury.
Cast
Valéry Inkijinoff — Bair, the Mongol [The Son - U.S.] (as Valeri Inkishanov)
I. Dedintsev — The British Commandant
Aleksandr Chistyakov — The Russian Rebel Leader
Viktor Tsoppi — Henry Hughes, unscrupulous fur-buyer.
