Bed And Sofa

1086 Words5 Pages
Paper 1: Bed and Sofa(1927) “Bed and Sofa” is an interesting film because it presents a very simple story and uses cinematography to convey emotions and human interaction. The acting in the film is also imperative to the allure of the film. While the film’s primary purpose is the behaviors and reactions of the three main characters, it also provides us with a window into 1920’s Soviet Russia. The story itself is about a Nikolai and his wife Ludmila who live in a small, cramped apartment. Nikolai meets a friend of his, Vladamir, wandering around Moscow looking for a place to live. Nikolai offers Vladimir his sofa to sleep on. Ludmilla does not take kindly to this, the apartment is already cramped. Vladimir is aware that he is intruding and makes an effort to help out around the house and he buys Ludmilla gifts. Nikolai seems unaware of his wife’s frustrations. He then leaves on a business trip, during which time Ludmilla and Vladimir begin having an affair. When Nikolai returns he learns of the affair, he initially leaves but then misses his home and goes back. He and Vladimir, at this point, trade places. Nikolai now sleeps on the sofa, while Vladimir sleeps in the bed. This arrangement goes on for a while, and Nikolai and Vladimir, begin to spend more time with each other, to Ludmilla’s frustration. Eventually they learn that Ludmilla is pregnant and the parentage of the child is uncertain. Initially they all agree on an abortion, but when Ludmilla arrives at the clinic she has a change of heart and runs away. They film ends with her in a train, seemingly happy, and the two men distraught at home. The characters are not depicted as good or bad, as positive or negative, just simply as people. For example, we see Ludmila is shy with Vladimir initially, but later they develop a relationship. Nikolai, is a pitiable character because we see him fall, this is not a
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