Шедевры отечественного кино.
план-конспект урока по английскому языку (9 класс) по теме

Assignment 1

Read the following words and word combinations, using transcriptions.

Assignment 2

Learn the following words and word combinations.

Assignment 3

Read the text, be ready to answer the questions.

Russian Cinema

Russian cinema industry started in 1908 with the glorious premiere of the first national feature film. It was a primitive drama entitled Sten'ka Razin directed by Vladimir Romashkov. 

The years 1911 - 1913 saw the first moving cartoons released in Russia. They were soon followed by screen versions of literature classics. Director Vladimir Gardin created the film 'Dvoryanskoye Gnezdo' ("Nest of the Nobility") after Turgenev's novel. He shot his next movie 'Natasha Rostova'(1915) together with Yakov Protazanov, director of the successful 'Pikovaya Dama'(Queen of Spades)(1916).

The birth date of Soviet cinema is considered August 27, 1919, when Lenin put the art of cinema within the limits of the newly formed Soviet state with singing of a relative decree. 'The art of cinema is the most important of all arts for us today!' - the revolutionary leader proclaimed. From 1922 the sphere of cinema production fell under the total control of the state, with the establishment of Goskino, the official controlling cinema apparatus. Enormous film production industrial mechanisms set in. From this time till the late 1980s the cinema production was planned, financed, censored and controlled by special state organizations. Cinema was proclaimed a means of propagation, upbringing and education. Agitational powers of cinema were broadly realized in the Soviet period. 

Outstanding film director Sergey Eisenstein unfolded an impressive panorama of hardships, tragedies and struggle of the working class in his movies 'Bronenosets Potyemkin' (Battleship Potemkin) (1925), 'Stachka' (Strike) (1925) and 'Octyabr'' (October) (1927). Those epic films hold a firm place among the world best paragons of mute cinema. 

Vsevolod Pudovkin directed a number of talented feature films giving an insight to the psychology of people involved in the revolutionary events: Mat' ('Mother', 1926)Among the films of the late 1920s there stand out some movies on social themes such as 'The Forty First' directed by Yakov Protazanov (1927, after Boris Lavrenev), Oblomok Imperii (The Wreckage of the Empire, 1929) 

The Stalinist period was marked by a slump in the number of produced films, the strengthening of the state control and mobilization of enormous assets for production of each movie. It made a great event of the release of any film. Movies with a powerful ideological charge were shot in this atmosphere: "Chapayev"(1934) by the Vasil'evs brothers, Efim Dzigan's film My Iz Krondshtata (We Are From Krondshtat,1936), Musical comedy became another leading genre performing the functions of mass culture in those years. The most noteworthy examples include the sparkling Veselye Rebyat,Volga-Volga (1938), all the three directed by Grigorii Aleksandrov and starring Lyubov'Orlova, as well as Traktoristy (Tractor Drivers, 1939) and Svinarka i Pastukh (Swineherd and Shepherd, or They Met in Moscow, 1941).

The genre of historic epopee was also developing: Peter the First (1937-1939) by Vladimir Petrov, and Alexander Nevsky and Ivan Grozny (Ivan the Terrible) by Isenstein. 

One of the best movies shot during the war, was Dva Boitsa (Two Soldiers, 1943, dir. by Leonid Lukov), a patriotic film about the power of friendship, with Mark Bernes and Boris Andreev. 

The postwar repressions dealt a blow to the art of cinema. The Thaw period brought the biggest masters of cinema back to creative life; a new generation of film makers was also ripening. War became the major subject matter of cinema in the 1960s - 1970s; Letyat Zhuravli (Cranes are Flying, 1957) by Mikhail Kalatozov, Ballada o Soldate (Ballad of a Soldier, 1959) by Grigorii Chukhrai, the work of genius Ivanovo Detstvo (Ivan's Childhood, 1962) by Andrei Tarkovsky, and A Zori Zdes Tikhie (The Dawns Here Are Quiet, 1972)directed by Stanislav Rostozkii after the same name novel by Boris Vasiliev - even today these films do not loose in their power and expressiveness, dwelling on the eternal basic issues of humanity, spiritual and moral values and life and death. 

Fascinating comedies Ya Shagayu Po Moskve (I Stroll Through Moscow or Meet Me in Moscow, 1964) by Georgii Daneliya, Beregis' Avtomobilya (Watch out for the Cars, 1966) by Eldar Ryazanov touch upon various problems of life and even manage to relieve them somehow. 

Economic convulsions of the 1980s-1990s destroyed the established system of cinema production and film release, however people still needed cinema. Brilliant film directors Leonid Gaidai, Nikita Mikhalkov, Eldar Ryazanov, Georgii Daneliya and Aleksei German Senior moved on in their creative quest in spite of the predicaments the time would interpose. 

The long-desired freedom of word in the post-perestroika period prompted a torrent of second-rate movies, however by the mid 1990s already the Russian cinema started recovering and bringing ahead some talented films amid the raunchy mess of 'censure-free' movies. Among the most notable films of the 1990s one should mention the cult action movie Brat (Brother, 1997) by Aleksei Balabanov.

Answer the following questions to the text.

1. What kind of film was the first soviet film Sten'ka Razin?
2. What screen versions of literature classics and historic epopees were mentioned in the text?
3. What date is considered to be the birth date of soviet-cinema and why?
4. What was special about cinema production of those days?
5. What subject did an Outstanding film director Sergey Eisenstein unfolded
6. in his movies 'Bronenosets Potyemkin' (Battleship Potemkin) , 'Stachka' (Strike) and 'Octyabr'' (October)?
7. What was the Stalinist period marked by?
8. What prominent movie was shot during the war?
9. How did the postwar repression influence cinema?
10. What fascinating comedies were released in the 20th century?
11. How did the long-desired freedom of word in the post-perestroika period reflect on cinema production?

Assignment 4

Fill in the blanks using the new vocabulary.

1. Sergey Eisenstein was an * film director of the 20th century.
2. The * of a *  Turgenev's novel 'Dvoryanskoye Gnezdo' gained great popularity.
3. * of  a special controlling cinema apparatus made an * effect on cinema production.
4. Most good movies have a function of *.
5. A lot of * film directors of the 20th century will * *ly.
6. 'The Forty First' directed by Yakov Protazanov * a lot of social themes.
7. Unfortunately you should choose a * film in a * of * films nowadays.
8. 'Bronenosets Potyemkin' , 'Stachka' and 'Octyabr'' are examples of * cinema.
9. A * in the number of produced films occurred in the  Stalinist period.
10. The first national feature film was * Sten'ka Razin.

Assignment 5

Watch the video about the history of Russian cinema and answer the following questions.

1. What was the dominating style of the silent film era?
2. What was the main function of films according to Lenin’s point of view?
3. Who was the founder of the soviet silent cinema?
4. What concept of film making did Vetrov promote?
5. Due to what documentary did Vetrov establish reputation abroad?
6. What ideas did Pudovkin stress in his greatest movie “Mother”?
7. What was special about the film “Strike” directed by Sergey Eisenstein?
8. What historical event is the film “Oktober” based on?
9. What changes happened in the movie production after the World War II?
10. What happened in 1985 and what was special about films of that time?

Assignment 6

Discuss with a partner which film to watch at weekends : A Zori Zdes Tikhie (The Dawns Here Are Quiet) or Ya Shagayu Po Moskve (I Stroll Through Moscow or Meet Me in Moscow). Explain your choice to the partner, arrange the place and the time.

Try to include the following expressions in your dialogue:

From my point of view…

To my mind…

To tell you the truth…

Why don’t we watch…

What about the cinema “ 5 Stars”…

Let’s meet at…

Do you mind…

As for me…

Assignment 7

Pop-quiz questions.

1. Russian cinema industry started in 1908 with a primrtive * Sten'ka Razin.

a – comedy;  b – drama;  c – tragedy

2. Director Vladimir Gardin created the film 'Dvoryanskoye Gnezdo' ("Nest of the Nobility") after *.

a – Pushkin’s poem;  b -  Shakespeare’s play;  c - Turgenev's novel

3. The birth date of Soviet cinema is considered *

a - August  1919; b – January 1911; c – September 1900

4. From 1922 the sphere of cinema production *

a – gained a worldwide success; b – started to use a unique technology; c  - fell under the total control of the state

5. The cinema production was planned, financed, censored and controlled by special state organizations till *

a – 1960; b – 1980; c – 2000

6. In the early 20th cinema was proclaimed a mean of

a – entertainment; b -  propagation, upbringing and education; c – promotion

7. Outstanding movies of mute cinema 'Bronenosets Potyemkin' (Battleship Potemkin), 'Stachka' (Strike) and 'Octyabr'' (October) were directed by

a - Vsevolod Pudovkin; b - Eldar Ryazanov; c - Sergey Eisenstein

8. The postwar repressions made  * effect on cinema.

a – a positive; b –a  negative; c –hardly any

9. In the thaw period were created a lot of profound films, among them

a – “The Forty First” by Yakov Protazanov; b – “Brother” by Aleksei Balabanov; c - A Zori Zdes Tikhie (The Dawns Here Are Quiet) by Stanislav Rostozkii

10. Fascinating russian comedies of the 20th century are Ya Shagayu Po Moskve (I Stroll Through Moscow or Meet Me in Moscow) by Georgii Daneliya and *

a – “Letyat Zhuravli”  by Mikhail Kalatozov; b - Dva Boitsa (Two Soldiers) by Leonid Lukov; c - Beregis' Avtomobilya (Watch out for the Cars) by Eldar Ryazanov

Home assignment

1) Make up a crossword from the new words of the lesson. Don’t forget to define each word in English.

2) Choose any Russian movie of the 20th century and describe its plot, trying to include the new words of the lesson.