Lev Kuleshov

Lev Kuleshov

Lev Vladimirovich Kuleshov was a Russian and Soviet filmmaker and film theorist, one of the founders of the world's first film school, the Moscow Film School. People's Artist of the RSFSR (1969). Lev Kuleshov was born in 1899 into an intellectual Russian family. At the time he was born, the family became financially broke, lost their estate and moved to Tambov, living a modest life. In 1911 his father died; three years later Lev and his mother moved to Moscow where his elder brother was studying and working as an engineer. Lev Kuleshov decided to follow the steps of his father and entered the Moscow School of Painting, although he didn't finish it. In 1916 he applied to work at the film company led by Aleksandr Khanzhonkov. He produced scenery several pictures but with time he became more interested in film theory. He co-directed his first movie Twilight in 1917. His next film was released under the Soviet patronage. During the 1918-1920 he covered the Russian Civil War with a documentary crew. In 1919 he headed the first Soviet film courses at the National Film School. Kuleshov may well be the very first film theorist as he was a leader in the Soviet montage theory — developing his theories of editing before those of Sergei Eisenstein (briefly a student of Kuleshov). For Kuleshov, the essence of the cinema was editing, the juxtaposition of one shot with another. To illustrate this principle, he created what has come to be known as the Kuleshov Effect. In this now-famous editing exercise, shots of an actor were intercut with various meaningful images (a casket, a bowl of soup, etc.) in order to show how editing changes viewers' interpretations of images. In addition to his theoretical and teaching work, Kuleshov also directed a number of feature-length films. Among his most notable works is an action-comedy The Extraordinary Adventures of Mr. West in the Land of the Bolsheviks (1924), a psychological drama By the Law (1926) adapted from the short story by Jack London and a biographical drama The Great Consoler (1933) based on O. Henry's life and works. After directing his last film in 1943, Kuleshov served as an artistic director and an academic rector at VGIK where he worked for the next 25 years. Lev Kuleshov died in Moscow in 1970. He was buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery. He was survived by his wife Aleksandra Khokhlova (1897—1985) — an actress, film director and educator and her son from the first marriage.

  • Title: Lev Kuleshov
  • Popularity: 2.452
  • Known For: Directing
  • Birthday: 1899-01-13
  • Place of Birth: Tambov, Russian Empire [now Russia]
  • Homepage:
  • Also Known As: Lev Vladimirovich Kuleshov, Л. Кулешов
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Lev Kuleshov Movies

  • 1940
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    Our Cinema

    Our Cinema

    9 1940 HD

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  • 1969
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    The Kuleshov Effect

    The Kuleshov Effect

    6 1969 HD

    An excellent 1969 documentary, S. Raitburt’s The Kuleshov Effect, made about a year before Lev Kuleshov died, and interviewing him at length,...

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  • 1917
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    For Happiness

    For Happiness

    6.2 1917 HD

    Since Zoya Verenskaya's husband passed away ten years ago, she has been devoted to her daughter Lee. At present, Lee is in poor health, and she is in...

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  • 1917
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    Black Love

    Black Love

    1 1917 HD

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  • 1925
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    The Death Ray

    The Death Ray

    4.9 1925 HD

    In a capitalist country, workers are heavily repressed but manage to get a "death ray" to fight back. (A part of the movie is lost.)

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  • 1924
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    The Extraordinary Adventures of Mr. West in the Land of the Bolsheviks

    The Extraordinary Adventures of Mr. West in the Land of the Bolsheviks

    5.9 1924 HD

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  • 1926
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    By the Law

    By the Law

    6.8 1926 HD

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  • 1918
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    Engineer Prite's Project

    Engineer Prite's Project

    5.4 1918 HD

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  • 1933
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    The Great Consoler

    The Great Consoler

    5 1933 HD

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  • 1931
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    Forty Hearts

    Forty Hearts

    5.8 1931 HD

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  • 1927
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    Your Friend

    Your Friend

    6.4 1927 HD

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  • 1925
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    The Death Ray

    The Death Ray

    4.9 1925 HD

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  • 1929
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    Two-Buldi-Two

    Two-Buldi-Two

    7 1929 HD

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  • 1919
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    Exhumation of the Remains of Sergius of Radonezh

    Exhumation of the Remains of Sergius of Radonezh

    8.5 1919 HD

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  • 1941
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    Incident on a Volcano

    Incident on a Volcano

    6 1941 HD

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  • 1930
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    The Backlog!

    The Backlog!

    1 1930 HD

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  • 1920
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    The Created Surface of the Earth

    The Created Surface of the Earth

    8 1920 HD

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  • 1926
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    By the Law

    By the Law

    6.8 1926 HD

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  • 1942
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    Timur's Oath

    Timur's Oath

    8 1942 HD

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  • 1940
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    Siberians

    Siberians

    5.5 1940 HD

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  • 1932
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    Horizon

    Horizon

    1 1932 HD

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  • 1932
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    Horizon

    Horizon

    1 1932 HD

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  • 1934
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    Dokhunda

    Dokhunda

    1 1934 HD

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  • 1940
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    Siberians

    Siberians

    5.5 1940 HD

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  • 1918
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    Engineer Prite's Project

    Engineer Prite's Project

    5.4 1918 HD

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  • 1943
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    We from the Urals

    We from the Urals

    5.7 1943 HD

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  • 1942
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    Young Partisans

    Young Partisans

    1 1942 HD

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  • 1919
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    Kuleshov Effect

    Kuleshov Effect

    6.4 1919 HD

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  • 1930
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    Sasha

    Sasha

    1 1930 HD

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  • 1919
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    Kuleshov Effect

    Kuleshov Effect

    6.4 1919 HD

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  • 1919
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    Exhumation of the Remains of Sergius of Radonezh

    Exhumation of the Remains of Sergius of Radonezh

    8.5 1919 HD

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  • 1929
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    The Happy Canary

    The Happy Canary

    1 1929 HD

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  • 1917
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    For Happiness

    For Happiness

    6.2 1917 HD

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  • 1918
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    Unfinished Love Song

    Unfinished Love Song

    1 1918 HD

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  • 1927
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    Your Friend

    Your Friend

    6.4 1927 HD

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  • 1917
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    The Alarm

    The Alarm

    1 1917 HD

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  • 1917
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    The King of Paris

    The King of Paris

    5.9 1917 HD

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  • 1918
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    Engineer Prite's Project

    Engineer Prite's Project

    5.4 1918 HD

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  • 1933
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    The Great Consoler

    The Great Consoler

    5 1933 HD

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  • 1918
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    Miss Meri

    Miss Meri

    1 1918 HD

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  • 1917
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    Black Love

    Black Love

    1 1917 HD

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  • 1918
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    Boulevard Slush

    Boulevard Slush

    1 1918 HD

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  • 1919
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    Taras's Dream

    Taras's Dream

    1 1919 HD

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  • 1919
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    Smelchak

    Smelchak

    1 1919 HD

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  • 1933
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    The Great Consoler

    The Great Consoler

    5 1933 HD

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