The War Symphonies: Shostakovich Against Stalin

May 10 2003 N/A 1h 17m
Biography, Documentary, Music

1997 documentary film about Soviet composer Dmitri Shostakovich. It focuses on the period between 1936 and 1945, during which Shostakovich composed his Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Symphonies, but also briefly discusses other works in the composer's oeuvre, such as his Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District.

Plot

During the Interwar period and World War Two, Joseph Stalin dictated the Soviet Union in a bloody manner. Composer Dmitri Shostakovich couldn't agree at all with the policies that the tyrant used, but speaking out loud was impossible. It would have cost him his life. Shostakovich found another way: art. This documentary shows how Shostakovich used his Fourth to Ninth Symphony as a silent protest against the crimes of Stalin.

Written by

David New, Larry Weinstein, Gemma van Zeventer

Directed by

Larry Weinstein

Cast

Valery Gergiev, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, Flora Litvinova

Crew

View crew

Production Countries

Germany, Canada

Production Companies

Rhombus Media

Languages

English

Awards

N/A

Scores
# of Votes
138
Average Rating
7.6 out of 10
Metascore
NA
Popularity
NA