Iulii Raizman

Born Dec. 2(15), 1903, in Moscow. Soviet film director. People’s Artist of the USSR (1964) and the Latvian SSR (1949). Hero of Socialist Labor (1973).

Raizman studied in the department of literature and art at Moscow University. He was an assistant of la. A. Protazanov. His first films were The Circle (1927) and Hard Labor (1928). Raizman’s work is devoted to contemporary life. His film The Earth A thirst (1930) portrayed young conquerors of the desert. In The Fliers (1935) he depicted with great depth contemporary Soviet heroes building a new life. The Last Night (1937) is one of the best Soviet historical films on the revolution. Raizman’s film Mashen’ka (1942) is another striking example of his skill in depicting people in relation to the spirit of the times and to events taking place around them.

In 1945, Raizman directed the documentary film Berlin, and in 1949 the biographical film Rainis. In The Lesson of Life (1955) he utilized the framework of an everyday family drama to raise urgent moral issues of the times. One of his important works is the historical film Communist (1958). Its hero, Vasilii Rubanov, a rank-and-file revolutionary (played by E. Ia. Urbanskii), became a heroic, legendary figure of the Soviet cinema. Communist was followed by films dealing with modern life. In And If This Is Love? (1972), Your Contemporary (1968), and Courtesy Call (1973), Raizman investigates contemporary social and moral principles and advocates art that is an active political force.

Raizman received the State Prize of the USSR in 1941, 1943, 1946 (twice), 1950, and 1952. He was awarded the Order of Lenin, three other orders, and several medals.