Grigory Alexandrov's Circus was an enjoyable movie to watch. This musical comedy featured many upbeat musical numbers and lots of humor. When first watching this movie, I did not see any particular propaganda value in it. This only became apparent towards the end of the movie, especially with the final scene of singing and marching.
Many aspects of this movie make it art, entertainment, and propaganda. Circus can be viewed as an art film from both its musical and cinematic aspect. As a musical comedy, this movie is also good entertainment. Most importantly, this movie is also propaganda. The propaganda element can be reflected in some of the characters, mainly Marion, her baby, and Von Kneischitz. Marion has a mulatto son who is looked down upon by her country (United States) and by her manager Von Kneischitz. (Germany). This racial element of the movie is used to negatively portray the United States and Germany. These countries, at least in the movie, are viewed as being places of racial inequality and corruption. I think it is interesting that a Soviet movie made in this period (1936) would negatively portray Germany, a future ally of the Soviet Union. Above everything else, I think it is interesting how this movie blends art, entertainment, and propaganda into one form. Perhaps this is the greatest quality of Circus.
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I don't know if I quite agree with this movie embodying all three elements equally. The propaganda sort of comes all at once, at the end (though I'll admit lines like "Nowhere can you breathe air so free" is pretty striking). And as fort art value, I think the movie owe more to the natural allure and glamour of a circus then it does to cinematic craft. That's why I feel the movie is mostly entertainment.
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