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Having naively assumed that Kalatozov without Urusevsky would be somewhat underwhelming, I was astounded to see the brilliance of the imagery and montage in his early silent works (both here and in Salt For Svanetia). The machine-gun editing is as exhilarating as anything I've seen, and would surely have Guy Maddin weeping tears of joy.
I've no idea what the film is actually about, but I believe it may well be a Russian paean to quality footwear (in the spirit of St. Hubbins). Either way, the lack of subtitles is entirely irrelevant, as this is a film where the inventiveness of the visual language is of paramount importance - indeed, it's so formally daring that it makes the vast majority of contemporary filmmaking seem utterly anaemic by way of comparison.

Sol Svanetij (Salt for Svanetia) was made in 1929 about a remote Ukraine primitive Northern isolated area of the Ukraine where the people are poor, preyed upon and severely lack salt (animals lick blood, urine to find the precious commodity). Religion is one of the people's curses ... they donate their few coins to the Church that doesn't do much to relieve the populace suffering. Wonderful photography in the highly edited Russian style. Highly recommended

Sara, a cold college professor, and her husband, an ecstatic painter, spend a summer away from the city, straining their rocky relationship.

Following the establishment of the East India Company in 1857, some Mughals, led by Sarfaraz Khan, decided to rebel against their British masters, killing many, and forcing others to flee. Three women from the Labadoor family, Grandma, Mariam, and Ruth, seek shelter with a local money-lender, Lala Ramjimal, who would like to recover his money from the Labadoors and has a vented interest in their survival. But he is unable to keep their presence secret, and Javed Khan and his men storm into his home, and take the three women to Javed's house. Under normal circumstances, these three would have been beheaded and Ramjimal and his family severely punished, but Javed would like to make Ruth his second wife. Mariam and Javed's wife, Firdaus, strongly oppose this move, but Javed is clearly obsessed by Ruth's beauty and nothing will deter him from marrying her. Then things gets really complicated when Ruth starts having feelings for Javed, and the British seek retribution for those killed by the Mughals. Written by rAjOo (gunwanti@hotmail.com)

Films that were major hits primarily included the movies Extaze (Ecstasy, directed by Gustav Machaty) and Reka (The River, sometimes known in English as The Ecstasy of Young Love, directed by Josef Rovensky), which also enjoyed considerable success abroad.

A French novelist passes off an African shepherdess as a princess.

On location in Portugal, a film crew runs out of film while making their own version of Roger Corman's The Day the World Ended (1956). The producer is nowhere to be found and director Munro attempts to find him in hopes of being able to finish the film.

A young woman becomes entangled with a successful businessman, but her ex tries to win her back, provoking intense jealousy that leads her to reconsider her choice. Ultimately, one man's actions force a resolution to her dilemma.

A talented girl from the provincial Russian town Pasha Stroganova dreams of becoming an actress. She plays the role of Baba Yaga in the amateur theatre — and does it so organically that the visiting filmmaker offers her the most difficult role in the historical drama about Joan of Arc. She was given not only great acting talent, but the talent of deep, selfless love. A dream comes true: she is invited to the main role, and she begins a completely different life, full of real creative torment, insights and true happiness.

1997 film by Masayuki Ochiai

2010 film directed by Lee Chang-dong

A judge sees his illegitimate daughter face trial for infanticide. He's certain that she will receive the death sentence.

A young girl with a physical disability arrives in Dakar and challenges the convention of boys selling newspapers on the street.

1994 film by Djibril Diop Mambéty

A classic of the silent age, this film tells the story of the doomed but ultimately canonized 15th-century teenage warrior. On trial for claiming she'd spoken to God, Jeanne d'Arc is subjected to inhumane treatment and scare tactics at the hands of church court officials. Initially bullied into changing her story, Jeanne eventually opts for what she sees as the truth. Her punishment, a famously brutal execution, earns her perpetual martyrdom.

1930 silent film by Robert Siodmak and Edgar George Ulmer

A team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.

SHE…WHO WOULD BE POPE
I really enjoyed this film as a real aficionado of historical faction and legends. Movie buffs who yearn for renowned actors whose sex appeal and charisma fill up the screen, as soon as they appear without uttering a word, would also find this motion picture enthralling.
Franco Nero as Prince Louis, with blazing blue eyes brimming over in sensuality , becomes Emperor, conquering both Infidels and the Vatican. Although Jeremy Kemp, has a small role, whose pockmarked face, as handsome as it is rugged and scarred with life, makes him so credible as Joan's bible thumping father. Maximilian Schell, in his part as Brother Adrian is yet another from this large cast of famous faces who are a pleasure to watch as they captivate and capture the audience as they embrace their characters. The beautiful Lesley-Ann Downe although very young, is not as innocent or virtuous as she looks. No less are any of the remarkable cast such as the enchanting hero/heroine Liv Ullman, whose transformation from a nun to a priest is seamless, that makes the two hours of SHE..WHO WOULD BE POPE such compelling viewing.
Although the setting is in the Dark Ages, there is a lightness in the way the unpleasant events are portrayed that make the reality of the harshness of life in that time, acceptable to all, from rape, pillage, murder and forbidden love.
The Evangelicals haven't changed their book or mantras and the flowing robes and costumes of the clergy have all remained the same in authentically reproduced settings and lavish scenery. This story had to be retold in its original uncut form, sliding in and out of millennia, to fully understand how the world has turned despite that we, as individuals remain the same. The psychologist analysing a woman claiming a former life as Pope, ensures a multifaceted film that would appeal to a wide audience.

Tommaso Scalia is a man who commits three murders: he kills his superior who sacked him, the man who replaced him and his wife. He wants a quick trial and an early execution, but an earnest, principled assistant judge looks for a way to save the murderer from being shot, because he does not belive in capital punishment.

1966 film by Shōhei Imamura