简介：IjustwatchedthiscompilationoffootageshotinMexicoaround1930byEisenstein,andIwascompletelyunpreparedforthestrikingqualityoftheseimages,someofthemostbeautifulblackandwhitecinematographyI'veseen.AsIunderstandit,thisfootage,whichEisensteinwascompelledtoabandon,hasbeencompiledandeditedintoasortoftraveloguebytheOlegKovalov,whogetsdirectorcreditforthisfilm.Thisisatravelogueinamoreold-fashionedsense–notasurveyofresorts,hotels,casinosandairports,butanimpressionofthetime,place,peopleandatmosphereofoldMexico.IthasbeeneditedpernotesleftbyEisenstein,alongwithadegreeofinterpretationguidedbyKovalov'sknowledgeofEisenstein'sstyleandintentions.Howeverfaritmighthavestrayedfromthoseoriginalintentions,itisaremarkablybeautifulfilminitsownright. Earlyoninthefilm,thecompositionslooklikeGauginpaintingscometolife,astheprovincialMexicansstriketheiconicposesthatEisensteinsetup,surroundedbytropicalfoliage.Inoneparticularshot,twoyoungwomanholdtheirposeundersomepalmleaves,buttheoneontheleftrepeatedlybreaksintogiggles,possiblyoverthestrangeattitudethatthecrazyRussianhasaskedhertohold.Reallycharming.Manyofthesceneswiththelocalpeoplearemoody,orevenabitspooky,someinvolvingsymbolsofdeath.Othersaremorefestive,butstillwithadarkqualitytothem.ARussianisaRussian,Iguess. Astereosoundtrackhasbeenaddedwhichconsistsofvariousethnicmusic(notjustMexican),moremodern,avant-gardemusic,andambientsoundsandsoundeffectsthataresoaptandwell-timedtothefilm,theygiveyouaneeriesenseofbeingthere.ThisisoneofthebestthingsI'veseeninalongtime,andIcan'trecommendithighlyenough.…