Ten Days That Shook the World

Ten Days that Shook the World
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Ten Days that Shook the World
"Ten Days that Shook the World" is a 1919 book by John Reed about the 1917 October Revolution in Russia. This book describes the overthrow of the Tsar, the rise of the Bolsheviks, and the establishment of the Soviet Union, with a sympathetic portrayal of the Bolsheviks, which was unusual for the time it was written (Eisenstein, 1997). The book has been adapted in many forms of media, such as films and plays, and a good example is the 1927 silent film directed by Grigori Aleksandrov. This paper explores several aspects of the book and its impact on contemporary filmmaking based on several elements, such as film technology.
The main argument made by this film is that the October Revolution of 1917 was a necessary and positive occurrence for Russia and the world. The film portrays the revolution as a popular rebellion of the working class against a corrupt and oppressive government led by the visionary and captivating Vladimir Lenin (Eisenstein, 1997). It also depicts the Bolsheviks as an organized political force that successfully overturned the Tsar and built a new government based on socialism and democracy. The film further emphasizes the international significance of the revolution as it highlights its contribution to igniting similar global movements and its impact on worldwide political and social organizations.
The film brought several social, cultural, political, and historical issues into focus. One of them includes social inequality. The film painted the Tsarist government as corrupt and oppressive and the Russians as poor. However, it presented the Bolsheviks as fighting for the rights of the working class and the revolution as a means to bring about a more equal and just society. Second is a political ideology, as the film was heavily influenced by the perception of the Soviet Union, which Marxism-Leninism built. It argued that socialism was the only way to achieve a fair and just society and that a revolutionary displacement of the existing government was necessary to achieve this goal. The third is the global impact, as the film emphasized and highlighted the role of the revolution in sparking similar movements in other countries and its influence on international political and social structures. Lastly is the historical perspective, as the film was made in the Soviet Union during the 1920s and was heavily influenced by the official state ideology of the time. It presented the revolution and the Soviet government as a positive and necessary step in history while not providing an entirely accurate or unbiased representation of the events it depicted.
The film also explored several themes related to the historical context of the 1917 Russian October Revolution. These themes include: One, the struggle of the working class as the film portrayed the revolution as a well-known riot of the working class against a corrupt and oppressive government through the help of the Bolsheviks. Second is the power of revolutionary leadership, as the ...