The World Turned Upside Down (review)

To supplement the descriptions of films found above, check the Film Evaluation Guide (1965) and Supplement (1968) which give more detailed and critical appraisals of many non-theatrical films by independent groups not interested in the film's commercial success. This guide is published by the Educational Film Library Association at 17 West 60th Street, New York,N.Y. 10023. Two other helpful volumes are Feature Films on 8mm And 16 mm (Second Edition, 1968) also published by the Educational Film Library Association, and Educator's Guide to Free Films (Thirtieth Edition, 1970) put out by Educator's Progress Service Inc.; Randolph,Wisconsin. The first lists feature films in alphabetical order with names of distributors for rent, sale or lease by area of the country, N.Y., Midwest etc. The latter, while severely limited in depth, may give you some ideas. Many of the listings under "History" are films prepared by the U.S. Armed Forces and include documentary accounts of World War II battles, etc. Look into their subject heading of "Social Problems" as well. Finally there is a Guide to Films (16MM) About Famous People (1969) published by Serina Press; 70 Kennedy St., Alexandria, Virginia 22305. It lists over 1450 titles with descriptions and audience level notations for films involving the lives of over 1180 famous people, contemporary and historical. This list of references is far from complete, but should help you to start looking for films relevant to your teaching interest. ***FILM REVIEWS*** The World Turned Upside Down (BBC, 1966) b&w, 90 min. This film represents the fairest presentation of the Russian Revolution to date. Using Soviet as well as Western film archives, the BBC presents the Revolution, not from the point-of-view of preconceptions concerning the nature of the "Red Menace" (as, for instance does the older NBC film "Nightmare in Red", which I also show to students for purposes of comparison ) but from the point-of-view of existing Russian conditions. This film begins by taking the viewer on a sumptuous tour of Imperial society, where one wishes for color, and contrasts this to the horrible condition of the common people. The attempted revolutions of the 19th century are well portrayed as is the Revolution of 1905. The effects of the War on Russia are equally well presented as are the phases of the 1917 Revolution itself ... .Where scenes are reenacted they are credited as such. The only major omission is the Kofnilov episode of September 1917. That phase of the Revolution, between the rising of the Petrograd Soviet in July 1917, and the Bolshevik rising of October/November, is somewhat telescoped. The film then carries us through the Civil War and the early N. E. P. to the death of Lenin.... In every respect this is an excellent film and has my highest recommendation.... (Course, Contemporary Europe ) Gerald Herman; Northeastern University, Boston Massachusetts ...