The Childhood of Maxim Gorky (1938)

Movie
Audience Score
61
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NR 1 hr 40 minSep 27th, 1938DramaThe Gorky Collection PosterPart of The Gorky Collection
Young Maxim grows up under the czarist regime with his grandparents as guardians. Continually demeaned by his martinet grandfather, Maxim is drawn to his warm-hearted grandmother, who instills in him the willingness to pursue his writing muse.
StarringAleksei LyarskyVarvara MassalitinovaMikhail Troyanovsky
DirectorMark Donskoy
WritersMark DonskoyIlya Gruzdev

Movie Details

Theatrical Release:September 27th, 1938
Original Language:Russian
Production Companies:Soyuzdetfilm

The Gorky Collection

The structure of Gorky's autobiography presented director Mark Donskoy with his greatest problem. A series of anecdotes, characters, observations, and philosophical reminiscences, the three volumes are tautly written though loose in form. In the construction of the films, it has been necessary to compress material, combine events by minor violations of chronology, and to except liberally. This is accomplished with great skill, and almost invariably the characters are presented with Gorky's sympathy and grimy clarity.