简介：LikehisfamousTretyameshchanskaya/BedandSofa(1927),this66minute-longsilentfilmbydirectorAbramRoom(1894-1976)isanexistentialdramadisguisedasasagaabouttheproletarianstruggle.TheGhostThatNeverReturns(1929)presentsalonelyandinsecureindividualwhoischallengedtoactmoreheroicallythanheispreparedto,butwhoconstantlyquestionshisconfidenceandloyalties. ThefilmissetinanunnamedSouthAmericancountry.JoseRealisalaborleaderwhoissentencedtolifeinjail.Buteventhoughheissafelykeptbehindbars,theguardsarenotsatisfiedandlookforanopportunitytogetridofhim.Sotheyplottoassassinatehimbystaginganescape.Assomeonewhohasalreadyservedtenyears,Joseiseligibleforadayoflibertyinordertovisithisfamily.Theprisonofficialsplantosendhimonthisvisitandensurethatheiskilledduringthatday.InordertoachievetheirgoaltheysendanexperiencedexecutortotrailJose.Therestofthefilmconsistsofconvolutedseriesofmovesandchasesamidstimpressivelyruggedlandscapes,attheendofwhichJosemanagestogetbackhome(inspiteallobstacles),toseehislittlesonandhiswife,andtoreconnectwithhisfellow-communistswhoareabouttobeginastrike.Notasinglemanwhohasbeensentofftosuchadayoffreedomhaseverreturnedtoprison,usuallybecausehewouldhavebeenkilledbytheguards.ButnotJose—hedoesnotreturneither,butitisbecauseheturnsintoaphantomofliberty.Protectedbyhiscomrades,hecomestoleadtheloomingstrike. ThedepictionofSouthAmericanlifeandlandscapeinthefilmappearsconvincing.Therearesomeavantgardesetsrepresentingtheprison,reminiscentofsetsusedbyFritzLanginMetropolis(IthoughtoflinkstoFritzLang’saestheticsofthetimemorethanoncewhilewatchingthefilm).ThefilmisbasedonthewritingofHenriBarbusse(1873-1935),aFrenchwriterwhohadmovedtoRussiain1918andwhocloselysympathizedwiththeBolsheviks(healsoauthoredbiopicsonTrotskyandStalin).Thereisproficientcamerawork(byDmitriFeldmanwholateronworkedprimarilyinthecontextofArmenianandGeorgiancinema),atmomentsreminiscenttothevisualexperimentsofVertovjustafewyearsearlier,usingmultiplicationoftheimagetocreatepsychologicallytenseeffect.Theoriginalmusicscore(byA.Shenshin)istrulyimpressive.…