Such a frustrating disappointment

Overrated and overhyped

It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

A three part Russian serial, running a little over four hours. It's a pretty big time commitment, but this series is darn entertaining. It's a sometimes uneasy combination of Soviet propaganda and American adventure, with the American adventure kind of winning out in the end. The film starts off more on the propaganda side, with three American reporters (Barnet himself, Vladimir Fogel, who starred in many famous films of the era including The Extraordinary Adventures of Mr. West, By the Law, Chess Fever, The End of St. Petersberg, and Igor Ilyinsky, who starred in Aelita: Queen of Mars) covering a workers' strike. As corporate lackeys, they only care about sensationalism, and the three of them fall for the factory's own Norma Rae, Miss Vivian Mend (Natalya Glan). The propaganda aspects start to fade into more Feuillade-inspired crime conspiracy territory, with villain Chiche (Sergey Komarov) using corporate funds to create a biological weapon he plans to use against the Soviet Union. The film also has some elements of German expressionism, with direct references to Nosferatu and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari sprinkled in. Over the course of the serial, the three reporters and Miss Mend (who, truth be told, is a pretty passive heroine) follow Chiche to Russia to stop his plot. This film was not well regarded by Soviet critics of the day - they instantly noted that the film's ideologies were often eclipsed by its love for adventure - but audiences loved it, and it was one of the more popular films among general audiences at the time. It's a bit hard to follow at times, but it's worth the time.

At over 4 hours this was quite an undertaking for the silent era of Russian cinema and frankly I was prepared to be bored. But that was far from the case. It kept going, adding new layers to the adventures of our four intrepid heroes and their counterparts, the two leaders of a capitalist cabal set on destroying the Soviet Union. Their plot was very much the glue that held the whole thing together and gave meaning to our heroes' actions and yet it seemed nothing more than a vehicle that permitted them to exhibit their extraordinary physical and comedic abilities. These were all fit people able to run at length, climb walls, jump, fight and in general be highly active. For example in the third installment Barnet, the director, jumps out of a second story window with only a pile of snow to break his fall and runs through the snow bare-chested.I wonder if the capitalist plot was not used to get the film past the censors who might otherwise not look kindly on a frivolous serial. In any case it is very entertaining and even more so because of the way the Russian film-makers sought to portray Americans. It's obvious they didn't have a clue. None of the actors even remotely looked American. And they must have thought all Americans wore high water pants, rumpled shirts and over-sized, ill-fitting coats despite their wealth and social standing. Very funny indeed.As for the title, "Miss Mend" is a bit of a misnomer. The real protagonists are the three reporters. Vivian Mend does very little other than glare and be generally victimized by the bad guys. Even the good guys treat her more like an object, ignoring her for the most part unless she is in danger in which case they gallantly run to her rescue.Finally other than Barnet and Igor Ilyinsky who plays Hopkins, the real standout is Vladimir Fogel who plays the photographer and in my opinion a real athlete. He should be familiar to aficionados of silent Russian cinema. I was sorry to learn that he committed suicide in 1929 at the age of 27, apparently from the strain of his busy schedule.

Proving again that restoration miracles still happen, Miss Mend burst into our consciousness in late 2009 when its DVD release was announced by Flicker Alley, followed shortly thereafter by its world television premiere on Turner Classic Movies. Completely unknown to western audiences, Miss Mend was, we are told, a huge popular hit in the Soviet Union, where it was shown as a three-part serial inspired by the adventures of America's Pearl White. Remarkably, the result is a film bursting with imagination and energy (thanks, Yanks!), but also clearly in debt to the technical proficiency and inventiveness of Soviet filmmakers of the time. Amongst the highlights are superb miniature work, some hilarious references intended to underscore the film's faux-American locations (Rocfeller and Co., Pasadena Jazz, etc.), and a sexy lead in the shape of Natalya Glan, who shows quiet a bit more leg than we'd likely see from Pearl White. Frankly, Miss Mend leaves American serials in the dust!

This is a truly fascinating silent film from Russia of the 1920s. It moves along quickly with constant action. In spite of the five hour length, the picture held my interest. The leading characters are attractive and energetic. The plot takes constant twists and turns. The photography is terrific. It depicts Russia at the time in so many different ways. The costuming is realistic and represents how ordinary Russians dressed in that era.The villains are very villainous - it is easy to identify with the lead characters and to deplore the villains. While there is certainly an element of socialist realism and I'm sure the picture was heavily censored, it is believable and kept me on the edge of my seat. I just sat down and watched it again, with only an interruption for dinner. Once again, it was quite worth the time as I saw many things that I missed the first time around.I recommend this film to all who love silent movie adventures.