The Ecstasy of Economics: the Evolution of Sergei Eisenstein\u27s the Old and the New

In my thesis, I analyze the development of the most often forgotten work by Soviet director Sergei Eisenstein ¿ The Old and the New. The production of the film from 1926 to 1929 was during a tumultuous period of economic transition during the Soviet Union when the socialist state moved from the mixed markets of the New Economic Policy (NEP) to the centralized planning of the First Five-Year Plan. The development of The Old and the New mirrors the economic period. I analyze how Eisenstein actively adapted his cinematic practice to accommodate the changing landscape of Soviet economic policy. Additionally, I explore the influence that Eisenstein\u27s work on an uncompleted film adaptation of Karl Marx\u27s Capital had on the development of his theories of montage and his completion of The Old and the New. I argue that Eisenstein\u27s theories of montage were transformed by his studying of Marx\u27s dialectical method, and, as a result, his completed version of The Old and the New differs significantly from its original conception as The General Line. Finally, I evaluate the ways in which Eisenstein sought to inspire economic development. From this I develop my theory of the ecstasy of economics. Epitomized by the most famous scene of the film the cream separator scene, Eisenstein works to infuse a sense of fervor around the idea of collectivization and development. The protagonist Marfa experiences a moment of pure bliss, while kneeling before the cream separator, which not only inspires her to transform her village, but strives to provoke the whole of the Soviet Union toward the same ecstasy of economics that Eisenstein envisioned