FRAGMENT OF AN EMPIRE (1929) Emil Gal, Sergey Gerasimov & Yakov Gudkin | Drama | B&W | Timeless Film

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Fragment of an Empire (Russian: Обломок империи, romanized: Oblomok imperii) is a 1929 Soviet silent drama film directed by Fridrikh Ermler.

Synopsis:

A soldier named Filimonov loses his memory after experiencing severe shell shock during the Russian Civil War. Years later, in 1928, he sees a woman in a passing train, and the encounter jolts his memory, reminding him of his past life. Eager to rediscover his identity, Filimonov travels to his hometown, St. Petersburg, now renamed Leningrad. Upon arriving, he is disoriented by the city’s transformation, marked by new architecture, bustling modernity, and the statue of Vladimir Lenin standing prominently in the town square. Seeking to reconnect with his former life, he visits his old workplace, now a workers' factory committee. To his surprise, the factory is managed by none other than the Red Army soldier he once saved during the war. Embracing his place in the new order, Filimonov begins to understand the changes around him and tries to adjust to a society where the workers and peasants are now in charge.

Encouraged by his co-workers, Filimonov decides to search for his wife, who had assumed him dead. He finds her living with a Soviet apparatchik, a man who abuses his authority at home and mistreats her. Despite Filimonov’s attempts to persuade her to leave and start a new life with him, his wife, torn and resigned, ultimately decides to stay in her current situation, declaring that their shared past is over. Heartbroken but not defeated, Filimonov accepts her decision and turns to address the audience directly. Breaking the fourth wall, he reflects on the challenges of the new Soviet society and declares resolutely that "there is still much work to be done," symbolizing his readiness to embrace the ongoing transformation of the world around him.

Cast & Crew:

Fyodor Nikitin as Filimonov
Yakov Gudkin as The wounded soldier
Lyudmila Semyonova as Filimonov's wife
Valeri Solovtsov as Filimonov's wife's new husband
Emil Gal as Passenger in the train

Directed by: Fridrikh Ermler
Written by: Fridrikh Ermler, Ekaterina Vinogradskaya
Starring: Emil Gal, Sergey Gerasimov
Cinematography: Gleb Bushtuyev, Yevgeni Shneider
Edited by: Lev Kuleshov
Production company: Sovkino
Release date: October 28, 1929
Running time: 96 minutes, 110 minutes (2018 restoration)
Country: Soviet Union
Languages: Silent, Russian intertitles
Sergei Gerasimov
Ursula Krug
Varvara Myasnikova
Vyacheslav Viskovsky as Former Employer
Aleksandr Melnikov as Member of the Komsomol