The Island Called Ellis (review)

Georgians, due to a variety of cultural, historical and geographical factors, probably enjoy a higher standard ofliving than most Russians. It serves no purpose to seize on real national frictions and antagonisms and distort them beyond recognition. Much of the film is, of course, devoted to the two great metropolises, Moscow and Leningrad with interesting views of churches, street scenes, and milling crowds. Regrettably, the chance is wasted to focus on the contrast between these two great cities: - 1) Leningrad, Peter's Window on the West built very rapidly in the eighteenth century and reflecting in its straight streets and Western architecture, the influences which Peter the Great hoped to remold Russia and 2 ) Moscow - Russia's ancient capital in the Northeast, with its Kremlin, numerous old Russian churches and the haphazard layout ofthe streets which developed as the city expanded in a series ofconcentric circles. The discerning viewer can glimpse some ofthese contrasts, but the job is made very difficult by the inadequate commentary and the unselective choice of shots. It is ofcourse impossible to include everything one would like in a two hour film, and Mr. Holcombe's itinerary may have been restricted by time and government action. Still, the lack of any film on the Ukrainian capital of Kiev - the "cradle of old Russian culture" is a glaring omission, as is the neglect of such larger industrial centers as Baku, Kharkov and some cities ofthe heartland of Russia along the Volga and in the Urals. A more serious defect, which is more a result of Soviet political conditions than the author's neglect, is the lack ofany interviews with Soviet citizens. Besides views of buildings, churches and anonymous faces in the crowd who stare suspiciously when they catch the eye ofthe camera, one hungers for some talk with Soviet people from various walks of life. This unfortunately, is not so easily arranged. The most the filmmaker could do was a tedious and meaningless view of some people preparing and enjoying a meal in their apartment. But we don't speak to these people or learn anything about them. Of course, it is a rare Soviet citizen who will speak with an independent, unauthorized Western journalist or photographer. Still, even this film would have been completely out ofthe question in the 1950's and one hopes, that in the future, as change continues, exchanges will be less restricted, and we will learn much more about Soviet life and attitudes, through films, articles, and books. Although, unfortunately the film has serious defects as outlined above it nonetheless provides an entertaining and worthwhile visual introduction to the USSR, one that would be particularly useful at the very beginning ofa course or section of a course on the Soviet Union. For those familiar with the Soviet Union, the oversimplifications may annoy, and the color views ofchurches, city streets, and scenes will supplement but not add appreciably to good picture books and slides ofthe Soviet Union. Films for the Classroom The Island Called Ellis (McGraw-Hill. 1967) 53 min. b&w Jose Ferrar invites you to accompany him on a tour ofEllis Island, where from its opening in 1892 as a Federal inspection station to its closing in 1954, forty millions of immigrants entered the United States. Through the imaginative use ofstill photographs 44 and documents, the "new immigration" comes alive. Evocative music, lighting and film techniques recreate the setting where millions of Europeans had their first encounter with America. The film vividly suggests the fears and hopes ofthose "tired, poor, huddled masses" as they passed through the portal to the "Promised Land." Immigration legislation and restrictions are also discussed. The film can stimulate students to search into their own familial backgrounds for experiences in our nation of immigrants. (Course, Major Crises in American History) Jacob L.Susskind, Pennsylvania State University (Middletown) The Journals of Lewis and Clark (NBC. 1965) 27 min. color In teaching survey courses today there is a tendency' to overlook many ofthe traditional elements of United States history. This film recreation of the Lewis and Clark Expedition transforms one such often ignored segment into a thoughtful and meaningful event. The spirit ofadventure which was part ofexploring an unknown wilderness is...