简介：AlexanderDovzhenko’sfirstsoundfilm,revolvingaroundtheconstructionofagiantdamontheDnieperRiver,isoneofhisgreatest,thoughitwaspoorlyreceivedintheSovietUnionwhenitcameoutin1932.It’sonlyoneoftheeccentricitiesofthislyricalandmonumentalfeaturethatthetitlereferstothreedifferentcharacters,andit’stellingthatthefatherofoneofthem,anilliteratepeasantwhoproudlyspendshistimefishingandloafingwhileeveryoneelseworks,istreatedwithconsiderablewarmth.(Asequenceinwhichhe’sfrightenedwhenaddressedbyanoutdoorloudspeakerevokesChaplinaswellasTati.)AsinallofDovzhenko’sbestwork,thestyleveersclosertolyricalpoetry(itsopeningsequenceabouttheriver)andportraiture(alatersegmentintroducingustovariousworkers)thantonarrative,thoughit’sinnovativeinotherrespectsaswell:thefinalsequenceincludessomestrikingjumpcutsalmost30yearsbeforeJean-LucGodardpurportedlyinventedtheminBreathless.…