This is Aelita: Queen of Mars, a silent science fiction movie made in 1924 under the direction of Yakov Protazanov and based on writings by A. Tolstoj. And for a science fiction movie made in 1924, this is really quite a sight — the sets and costumes, even the idea of getting messages from Mars, were so far-fetched for its time, and that’s what makes it so fun to watch. True, it’s chock full of Soviet propaganda. But what it’s also about is a Martian queen (Aelita) observing Earth and sending messages to a scientist with whom she’s fallen in love, who is also trying to build a rocket ship to see her. (Not unlike The Little Mermaid, just in space and not the sea, and less “whoozits and whatzits galore” and more working-class uprisings.) To say nothing of the birth of science fiction filmmaking.
The whole movie is online in nine parts, with Part One embedded above. Here are links to the rest: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.
(io9)
