Film Review: Daydreams (Gryozy, 1915)
It is a common tendency among casual cinephiles to reduce the history of Russian cinema to the radical innovations of the 1920s—most notably the revolutionary montage techniques of Sergei Eisenstein and the bold experiments of early Soviet filmmakers such as Dziga Vertov and Vsevolod Pudovkin. While these figures undoubtedly reshaped global cinema, this narrow view overlooks the rich and sophisticated cinematic tradition that preceded the Bolshevik Revolution. Soviet cinema did not emerge from a vacuum; rather, it was built upon a foundation laid by a generation of pioneering artists during the late Czarist period. Despite the efforts of official Soviet historiography to downplay or erase pre-revolutionary achievements, Russian cinema, though it truly began relatively late compared to other major nations, rapidly developed into a commercially vibrant and artistically ambitious industry. In less than a decade, it cultivated a wealth of talent both in front of and behind the camera, producing works that stand among the most accomplished in early world cinema. One of its most significant yet underappreciated auteurs was Yevgeniy Bauer, a director whose career was tragically cut short by pneumonia in 1917. In just four years, Bauer directed over two dozen films, many of which are now recognised as masterpieces of silent cinema. Among these is Daydreams (1915), a psychologically intense drama that remains a haunting example of early Russian cinematic artistry.
Daydreams is an adaptation of Bruges-la-Morte, the 1892 novella by Belgian symbolist writer Georges Rodenbach, transposed from the melancholic canals of Bruges to the wintry streets of contemporary Moscow. The film follows Sergei Nikolevich Nedelin (Alexandr Vrybov), a wealthy widower still gripped by grief over the death of his beloved wife, Elena (Nina Chernobaeva). His sorrow is almost pathological, manifesting in an obsessive preservation of her memory. One day, while wandering the city, he encounters a woman who bears an uncanny resemblance to his late wife—also portrayed by Chernobaeva, in a dual role. This woman, Tina Viarskaya, is a vivacious stage actress. Drawn by this eerie resemblance, Sergei begins to follow her, eventually attending her performance in the opera Robert the Devil. Enchanted by her performance and the illusion she offers, he pursues a relationship with her, hoping to resurrect the past. Initially flattered by the attentions of a wealthy admirer, Tina soon grows impatient with Sergei’s morbid fixation on his dead wife. As their relationship deteriorates, Sergei’s psychological state unravels further. The final breaking point comes during a violent confrontation, in which, consumed by delusion and rage, he strangles Tina with the braid of hair he has preserved from Elena—a chilling act that symbolises the triumph of obsession over reality.
Despite its brevity—running at roughly 50 minutes, closer in length to a modern television episode than a feature film—and the technical constraints of its era, Daydreams possesses a strikingly modern sensibility. Bauer, who began his career in theatre, employs a restrained visual style characterised by static camera positions and a limited number of interior sets. Yet within these constraints, he crafts a deeply psychological narrative. Through careful editing and subtle visual motifs—such as the recurring apparition of Elena’s ghost, appearing in mirrors and shadows—Bauer conveys the protagonist’s deteriorating mental state with remarkable precision. These ghostly visions are not mere theatrical flourishes but integral to the film’s exploration of memory, mourning, and madness.
Bauer’s aesthetic is deeply rooted in the cultural sensibilities of the 19th century, where painted portraits served as the primary means of preserving memory and theatre remained the dominant form of entertainment. Rather than resisting these influences, Bauer harnesses them to deepen the film’s emotional and psychological resonance. The interiors of Sergei’s home, for instance, are meticulously designed to mirror his inner turmoil—cluttered with portraits, mementos, and dim lighting that evoke a space frozen in time, haunted by the past. This attention to detail underscores Bauer’s sophisticated understanding of mise-en-scène as a narrative tool.
One of the film’s most powerful sequences is the opera scene in which Tina performs as one of the resurrected nuns in Robert the Devil. The staging, with its spectral choreography and gothic atmosphere, functions as both a catalyst for Sergei’s obsession and a macabre foreshadowing of the tragedy to come. The image of Tina emerging from the dead—a living echo of his lost love—cements her role not as a real person but as a vessel for Sergei’s delusions.
The acting, as is typical of silent cinema of the period, may appear overly theatrical to modern audiences, with exaggerated gestures and heavy makeup. However, when viewed from a medium or long shot—where Bauer often frames his characters—Vrybov and Chernobaeva deliver performances of remarkable subtlety and emotional depth. Their physical expressiveness, though stylised, effectively conveys the complex interplay of desire, grief, and alienation.
Though Bauer mentored Lev Kuleshov, who would later become a foundational figure in Soviet film theory, official Soviet cinema history largely ignored Bauer’s contributions for decades. It was only in the late 1980s, during the twilight of the Soviet Union, that Daydreams was rediscovered, restored, and re-evaluated. Today, it is celebrated not only as a landmark of pre-revolutionary Russian cinema but also as a precursor to later psychological thrillers. Many scholars have noted its uncanny resemblance to Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo—a film similarly consumed by obsession, illusion, and the haunting power of the past—suggesting that Bauer’s vision was not only ahead of its time but continues to resonate with contemporary audiences.
RATING: 7/10 (+++)
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