The first of Barnet's films to be a talkie, Outkast is a landmark for his career. The movie takes place at the brink of World War I, in the midst of a troublesome time for the pre-revolutionary nation. There are even scenes of a strike at the start of the movie that alludes to some of the class struggles that were common during that point of time. A student of Kuleshov, a famous director known for his experimentalist movement during early Russian cinema, Barnet truly follows in his mentors footsteps in more ways than one. The film follows the stories of different characters who all hold different dynamics in their relationships with each other, including two brothers in war, longtime friends who become inherent rivals and two young lovers that come from opposing sides of the war spectrum. Their stories are well developed through the use of film angles and cutting the scenes in different segments that eventually lead to a chronological order that tie the character's together. The film has heavy comedic and depressing elements that make the characters stories that much more palpable.There are even some flashbacks that are used to emphasize the emotions that the character is having, like the violent snap of the war as someone reads a letter announcing the death of a loved one. There are a couple of examples of communist ideology, such as when the shoe maker stands up for the German prisoner who is also a shoemaker. The film was able to hold my attention to the very end. It was definitely an interesting watch.
Review of Okraina
