The New Babylon

The New Babylon
Directed by	Grigori Kozintsev Leonid Trauberg
Written by	Grigori Kozintsev Leonid Trauberg P. Bliakin (idea)
Starring	Yelena Kuzmina Pyotr Sobolevsky Sergei Gerasimov Vsevolod Pudovkin
Music by	Dmitri Shostakovich
Cinematography	Andrei Moskvin Yevgeny Mikhailov
Production company	Sovkino
Release dates	18 March 1929 (1929-03-18)
Running time	German export edit: 125 minutes (ca. 2,900 m) Gosfilmofond version: 93 min. (ca. 2,170 m) European export edit: 84 min. (ca. 1,900 m)
Country	Soviet Union
Language	Russian

The New Babylon (Russian: Новый Вавилон; translit. Novyy Vavilon; alt. title: Штурм неба; translit. Shturm neba) is a 1929 silent film written and directed by Grigori Kozintsev and Leonid Trauberg. The film deals with the 1871 Paris Commune and the events leading to it, and follows the encounter and tragic fate of two lovers separated by the barricades of the Commune.

Composer Dmitri Shostakovich wrote his first film score for this movie. In the fifth reel of the score he quotes the revolutionary anthem, "La Marseillaise" (representing the Commune), juxtaposed contrapuntally with the famous "Can-can" from Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld.

Footage from The New Babylon was included in Guy Debord's feature film The Society of the Spectacle (1973).

Bibliography

• Theodore van Houten (1989). Leonid Trauberg and his Films - Always the Unexpected. 's-Hertogenbosch: Art & Research.
• Theodore van Houten (1991). "Eisenstein Was Great Eater - In Memory of Leonid Trauberg. 's-Hertogenbosch: Art & Research.
• Marek Pytel (1999). New Babylon: Trauberg, Kozintsev, Shostakovich. London: Eccentric Press.
• Stephen L. Hanson (2000). "Novyy Vavilon". In Tom & Sara Pendergast (eds.) (eds.). International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers. 1: Films (fourth ed.). London etc.: St. James Press. ISBN 978-1-55862-450-4.CS1 maint: uses editors parameter (link)
• Vincent Canby (October 3, 1983). "'New Babylon,' Silent Russian Classic". The New York Times.

External links

• The New Babylon on IMDb
• The New Babylon at AllMovie
• Nina Goslar; et al. (2006-10-25). "Das neue Babylon" (in German). arte. Retrieved 2009-04-02.CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
• Jacques Poitrat (ed.) (2006). "Новый Вавилон" (PDF) (in French). arte. Retrieved 2009-04-02.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link) CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)