After Death

Yevgeni Bauer's 1915 Russian film, adapted from a story by Turgenev, follows Andrei, a young scholar withdrawn from people since his mother's death. Zoia, an actress he meets at a gathering, wants his attention; he gives none, and she dies shortly afterwards. From then on he becomes fixated on her ghost. What Bauer builds is guilt turning into obsession: Andrei's interest begins not while Zoia lives but after she dies. Its most cited scene is a long take in which the dead woman appears and the camera moves among the figures, an extremely advanced solution for 1915. Vera Karalli's presence is quietly strong. The film is short and dense. Who it's for: viewers interested in pre-revolutionary Russian cinema and early visual experiment. Who it's not for: anyone wanting a fast narrative, or avoiding themes of death and obsession.