‘Glumov’s Diary’: The first film ever made by Sergei Eisenstein
When it comes to the history of cinema, the influence of Sergei Eisenstein is inescapable. One of the first film theorists and a fascinating practitioner, the Soviet director’s experiments with the cinematic medium have proved to be invaluable for many generations of filmmakers and cinephiles.
Born in Riga, Eisenstein was first moved by cinema when he saw pioneering director Alice Guy-Blaché’s The Consequences of Feminism as a child. Although he studied architecture and engineering, Eisenstein eventually moved to the world of theatre, which undoubtedly influenced his artistic sensibilities.
One of Eisenstein’s greatest contributions to film art was his work on the montage theory. In addition to his incredible filmography, his academic explorations of the relationship between shots and the audience’s psychology played an important part in facilitating the evolution of the cinematic medium.
When we talk about Eisenstein, the films that immediately come to one’s mind are masterpieces such as Strike and Battleship Potemkin. They aren’t just early cinematic experiments but timeless filmic monuments constructed by a true master. However, the Eisenstein film that often gets swept under the rug is his first one – Glumov’s Diary.
A short film from 1923, Glumov’s Diary isn’t a major work by Eisenstein, but it’s the perfect introduction to the filmmaker’s unique style. Produced as a part of a theatrical production based on Alexander Ostrovsky’s 1868 play ‘Enough Stupidity in Every Wise Man,’ the curious film definitely requires knowledge of early 20th-century Russian politics for it to make sense, but it’s still interesting from a cinematic perspective.
During an interview with Joseph Gelmis, Stanley Kubrick once opened up about the influence of Eisenstein on his own work as well as the modern cinema. “Eisenstein’s greatest achievement is the beautiful visual composition of his shots and his editing,” Kubrick admitted. “But as far as content is concerned, his films are silly, his actors are wooden and operatic.”
Kubrick added: “Eisenstein is all form and no content, whereas Chaplin is content and no form. Of course, a director’s style is partly the result of the manner in which he imposes his mind on the semi-controllable conditions that exist on any given day — the responsiveness and talent of actors, the realism of the set, time factors, even weather.”
For a while, Glumov’s Diary was actually considered to be a lost film, and many were doubtful about its reappearance. Thankfully, it was found again in 1977 in Krasnogorsk and restored, which is why it’s available on the internet for students and fans. Although some believe that the fragments in the rediscovered version might not be arranged properly, their magic is undeniable.
Watch the film below.
