Released in the year of “The Great Breakthrough” in Soviet politics and economy – to use Stalin’s self-congratulatory term – A Merry Canary is one of those films which made Kuleshov later on in his life say to himself: “I cannot and I do not want to work on just whatever comes around.” However, even this film, which looks so un- Kuleshov in the choice of subject – a love story involving an under­ground bolshevik and a pretty café-chantant singer – shows Kuleshov as a true professional. The film’s masterful editing and resourceful use of props makes it a perfect study aid for filmmaking students, even if it falls short of being a true work of art.

Ekaterina Hohlova