The cranes are flying

the long version

"The first indisputable masterpiece of post-Stalin cinema, The Cranes Are Flying retains its power and its appeal today. The film came out during, and thanks to, Khruschchev's 'thaw', and combines the thaw's passion for truth-telling and its revision of the Stalinist account of World War II with a cinematic lyricism reminiscent of classic Soviet silent films." "In this perceptive and accessible guide to The Cranes are Flying, Josephine Woll discusses the film's themes, characterisation and its cinematic language, notably Sergei Urusevsky's startlingly original visual design and camerawork. She reveals the film's place in its historical and particular domestic context and discusses both its international critical reception and how viewers both when it was released and since have responded to this remarkable, innovative film."--BOOK JACKET.