Early Russian film production was evolving quickly into a Russian Hollywood, when the Revolution brought it to an abrupt end. Thereafter, since Lenin's observation that film was the most important art form, Russian cinema has been a fascinating example of the interaction between cinema and politics, the artist and the "social demands" of the moment. In this course we will examine the evolution of Russian/Soviet cinema from pre-revolutionary filmaking and the experimental work of the 1920s, through Socialist Realism, to the late Soviet and post-Soviet periods. We will view films by Eisenstein, Tarkovsky, Mikhalkov, and others - including some of the greatest films ever made, according to many film critics. (NB Generally films will be viewed in clips with class discussion and analysis afterward. Aspects to be examined may include: formal features (camera technique and composition of shots, montage and rhythmic structure of films), thematic content, the relationship of film to other art forms (literature, music, the visual arts), and the changing structure of the Russian film industry.