Bed and Sofa
Третья Мещанская
1927·87 min·SU
Director: Abram Room
ComedyDrama
One of the most audacious films of the Soviet silent era — a frank, witty, and remarkably modern domestic drama about a ménage à trois in a cramped Moscow apartment. When a husband's old army friend comes to stay and begins an affair with his wife, all three settle into an uneasy cohabitation that exposes the gap between revolutionary ideals of equality and the stubborn realities of jealousy, inertia, and gender. Director Abram Room treats the situation with a dry, observational humor that feels closer to Éric Rohmer than to Eisenstein, and the film's candid treatment of female desire, contraception, and abortion was so progressive that Soviet censors eventually suppressed it. A startlingly intimate film from an era better known for grand political statements.
One of the most audacious films of the Soviet silent era — a frank, witty, and remarkably modern domestic drama about a ménage à trois in a cramped Moscow apartment. When a husband's old army friend comes to stay and begins an affair with his wife, all three settle into an uneasy cohabitation that exposes the gap between revolutionary ideals of equality and the stubborn realities of jealousy, inertia, and gender. Director Abram Room treats the situation with a dry, observational humor that feels closer to Éric Rohmer than to Eisenstein, and the film's candid treatment of female desire, contraception, and abortion was so progressive that Soviet censors eventually suppressed it. A startlingly intimate film from an era better known for grand political statements.
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Explore Further
A Film Rumination: Bed and Sofa, Abram Room (1927) — Science Fiction and Other Suspect Ruminations
Analysis of the film's daring treatment of romantic and sexual relationships.
Russia in Classic Film Blogathon: BED AND SOFA (1927) — Now Voyaging
Essay on Room's groundbreaking Soviet drama and social commentary.
An Appreciation of Bed and Sofa (1927) by David Robinson — Brenton Film
Critical appreciation of the film's psychological depth and visual innovation.
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