Nina Shaternikova Movies

Though the Soviet Union's own hands were hardly clean in the matter of religious persecution, Russian filmmakers of the late 1930s wasted little time condemning the vicious anti-Semitism of Hitler's Germany. Professor Mamlock tells the story of a brilliant Berlin surgeon who is literally "intolerated" to death. While performing a delicate operation, Mamlock (S. Mezhinski) is driven out of the hospital by Gestapo goons because he is a Jew. Having failed in his efforts to secure another job, Mamlock attempts suicide. While recovering in a hospital room, he hears the sounds of a Storm Trooper rally outside his window. Unable to stand any more, he delivers an impassioned speech against his Nazi tormentors and is promptly murdered for his troubles. Soon, however, there arises a strong and very vocal anti-Nazi resistance movement, spearheaded by Professor Mamlock's courageous son Rolf (O. Zhakov). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Czar Wants to Sleep is a remake of a considerably shorter 1919 Russian film. Based on a well-known (and possibly apocryphal) anecdote, the film is set during the regime of the "mad" Czar Paul I. The developmentally challenged ruler is awakened from his slumbers by a scream, brought about when a lady's maid capriciously pinches her lover in the backside. The Czar demands that everyone be summoned to his bedchambers to face punishment for awakening him. To save the maid, a story is fabricated that the screamer was a member of the military staff. The angry Paul banishes this non-existent officer to Siberia -- then changes his mind and orders the phantom soldier back to command the entire Imperial Army! Innocently swept up in all this is one Lieutenant Kizhe, who thanks to his non compos mentis Czar becomes a hero. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi