Vodka, Church Cinema - Trotsky

 

Leon Trotsky

Vodka, the Church, and the Cinema (July 1923) First Published: Pravda, July 12, 1923. Transcribed and HTML Markup: ally !yan.

There are t"# bi$ %acts "hich ha&e set a ne" sta'p #n "#rkin$ class li%e. The #ne is the ad&ent #% the ei$ht(h#ur "#rkin$ day) the #ther, the pr#hibiti#n #% the sale #% &#dka. &# dka. The li*uidati#n #% the &#dka '#n#p#ly, %#r "hich the "ar "as resp#nsible, preceded the re&#luti#n. The "ar de'anded such en#r'#us 'eans that c+aris' "as able t# ren#unce ren#u nce the drink re&enue as a ne$li$ible *uantity, a billi#n rubles '#re #r less 'akin$ n# &ery $reat di%%erence. The re&#luti#n inherited the li*uidati#n #% the &#dka '#n#p#ly as a %act) it ad#pted the %act, but "as ac actuated tuated by c#nsiderati#ns #% principle. t "as #nly "ith the c#n*uest p#"er by #% thealc#h#lis' "#rkin$ class, "hich beca'e the c#nsci#us creat#r #% the ne" ec#n#'ic #rder, that the#%c#'batin$ by the c# untry, c#untry , by educati#n and pr#hibiti#n, "as able t# recei&e its due hist#ric si$ni%icance. The circu'stance that the -drunkards/ bud$et "as aband#ned durin$ the i'perialist "ar d#es n#t n #t alter the %unda'ental %act that the ab#liti#n #% the syste' by "hich the c#untry enc#ura$ed pe#ple t# drink is #ne #% the ir#n assets #% the re&#luti#n. 0s re$ards the ei$ht(h#ur "#rkin$ day, that "as a direct c#n*uest #% the re&#luti#n. 0s a %act in itsel%, the ei$ht(h#ur "#rkin$ day pr#duced a radical chan$e in the li%e #% the "#rker, settin$ %ree t"#(thirds #% the day %r#' %act#ry duties. This pr#&ides a %#undati#n %#und ati#n %#r a radical chan$e #% li%e %#r de&el#p'ent and culture, s#cial educati#n, and s# #n, but a %#unda %#undati#n ti#n #nly. #nly. The chie% si$ni%icance #% the ct#ber !e&#luti#n c#nsists in the %act that the ec#n#'ic better'ent #% e&ery "#rker aut#'atically raises the 'aterial "ell(bein$ and culture #% the "#rkin$ class as a "h#le. -i$ht h#urs "#rk, ei$ht h#urs sleep, ei$ht h#urs play,/ says the #ld %#r'ula #% the "#rkers '#&e'ent. n #ur circu'stances, it and assu'es ne" 'eanin$. thebeei$ht h#urs%#r, "#rk is utili+ed, the better, '#re cleanly, '#reahy$ienically canThe the'#re ei$htpr#%itably h#urs sleep arran$ed and the %uller and '#re cultured can the ei$ht h#urs #% leisure bec#'e. The *uesti#n #% a'use'ents in this c#nnecti#n bec#'es #% $reatly enhanced i'p#rtance in re$ard t# culture and educati#n. The character #% a child is re&ealed and %#r'ed in its play play.. The character #% an adult is clearly 'ani%ested in his play and a'use'ents. ut in %#r'in$ the character #% a "h#le class, "hen this class is y#un$ and '#&es ahead, like the pr#letariat, a'use'ents and play #u$ht t# #ccupy a  pr#'inent p#siti#n. The $reat French ut#pian re%#r'er, re%#r'er, F#urier, repudiatin$ 4hristian 4hristian asceticis' and the suppressi#n #% the natural instincts, c#nstructed his phalansterie 5the c#''unes #% the %uture6 #n the c#rrect and rati#nal utili+ati#n and c#'binati#n #% hu'an instincts and passi#ns. The idea is a  pr#%#und #ne. The "#rkin$ class state is neither a spiritual spiritual #rder n#r a '#nastery. '#nastery. 7e 7e take pe#ple as they ha&e been 'ade by nature, and as they ha&e been in part educated and in part dist#rted by the #ld #rder.. 7e #rder 7e seek a p#int #% supp#rt in this &ital hu'an 'aterial %#r the applicati#n #% #ur party p arty and re&#luti#nary state le&er. The l#n$in$ %#r a'use'ent, distracti#n, si$ht(seein$, and lau$hter is the '#st le$iti'ate desire #% hu'an nature. 7e 7e are able, and indeed #bli$ed, t# $i&e the satis%acti#n #% this

 

desire a hi$her artistic *uality, at the sa'e ti'e 'akin$ a'use'ent a "eap#n #% c#llecti&e educati#n, %reed %r#' the $uardianship #% the peda$#$ue peda$# $ue and the tires#'e habit #% '#rali+in$. The '#st i'p#rtant "eap#n in this respect, a "eap#n e8cellin$ any #ther, is at present the cine'a. This a'a+in$ spectacular inn#&ati#n has cut int# hu'an li%e "ith a success%ul rapidity ne&er e8perienced in the past. n the daily li%e #% capitalist t#"ns, the cine'a has bec#'e ust such an inte$ral part #% li%e as the bath, the beer(hall, the church, and #ther indispensable instituti#ns, c#''endable and #ther"ise. The passi#n %#r the cine'a is r##ted in the desire %#r distracti#n, the desire t# see s#'ethin$ ne" and i'pr#bable, t# lau$h and t# cry, cry, n#t at y#ur #"n, but at #ther pe#ples 'is%#rtunes. The cine'a satis%ies these de'ands in a &ery direct, &isual, pictures*ue, and &ital "ay, re*uirin$ n#thin$ %r#' the audience) it d#es n#t e&en re*uire the' t# be literate. That is "hy the audience bears such a $rate%ul l#&e t# the cine'a, that ine8haustible %#unt #% i'pressi#ns and e'#ti#ns. This pr#&ides a p#int, p# int, and n#t 'erely a  p#int, but a hu$e s*uare, %#r the applicati#n #% #ur s#cialist educati#nal ener$ies. The %act that "e ha&e s# %ar, ie., in nearly si8 years, n#t taken p#ssessi#n #% the cine'a sh#"s h#" sl#" and uneducated "e are, n#t t# say, %rankly, %rankly, stupid. This "eap#n, "hich cries #ut t# be used, is the  best instru'ent %#r pr#pa$anda, technical, educati#nal, and industrial pr#pa$anda, pr#pa$anda a$ainst alc#h#l, pr#pa$anda %#r sanitati#n, p#litical pr#pa$anda, any kind #% pr#pa$anda y#u please, a  pr#pa$anda "hich is accessible t# e&ery#ne, "hich is attracti&e, "hich cuts int# the 'e'#ry and 'ay  be 'ade a p#ssible s#urce #% re&enue. n attractin$ and a'usin$, the cine'a already ri&als the beer(hall and the ta&ern.  d# n#t kn#" "hether  e" ;'#re #rk #rre&enue. Paris p#ssesses the present tiab#&e 'e '#re cine'as the #r ta&erns, "hich #% these yields;#rk ut it isat 'ani%est that,ti'e e&erythin$, cine'a #r c#'petes "ith theenterprises ta&ern in the 'atter #% h#" the ei$ht leisure h#urs are t# be %illed. 4an "e secure this inc#'parable "eap#n< 7hy n#t< The $#&ern'ent #% the c+ar, in a %e" years, established an intricate net #% state barr##'s. The business yielded a yearly re&enue #% al'#st a billi#n $#ld rubles. 7hy sh#uld n#t the $#&ern'ent #% the "#rkers establish a net #% state cine'as< This apparatus #% a'use'ent and educati#n c#uld '#re and '#re be 'ade t# bec#'e an inte$ral part #% nati#nal li%e. =sed t# c#'bat alc#h#lis', it c#uld at the sa'e ti'e be 'ade int# a re&enue(yieldin$ c#ncern. s it practicable< 7hy n#t< t is, #% c#urse, n#t easy.. t "#uld be, at any rate, '#re natural and '#re in keepin$ "ith the #r$ani+in$ ener$ies and easy abilities #% a "#rkers state than, let us say, the atte'pt t# rest#re the &#dka '#n#p#ly '#n# p#ly.. The cine'a c#'petes n#t #nly #n ly "ith the ta&ern but als# "ith the ch church. urch. 0nd this ri&alry 'ay bec#'e %atal %#r the church i% "e 'ake up %#r the separati#n #% the church %r#' the s#cialist state by the %usi#n #% the s#cialist state and the cine'a. !eli$i#usness a'#n$ the !ussian "#rkin$ classes practically d#es n#t e8ist. t actually ne&er e8isted. The rth#d#8 4hurch "as a daily cust#' and a $#&ern'ent instituti#n. t ne&er "as success%ul in  penetratin$ deeply int# the c#nsci#usness #% the 'asses, n#r in blendin$ its d#$'as and can#ns "ith the inner e'#ti#ns #% the pe#ple The reas#n %#r this is the sa'e > the uncultured c#nditi#n #% #ld !ussia, includin$ her church. Hence, "hen a"akened %#r culture, the !ussian "#rker easily thr#"s #%% his purely e8ternal relati#n t# the church, a relati#n "hich $re" #n hi' by habit. F#r the peasant, certainly,, this bec#'es harder, n#t because the peasant has '#re pr#%#undly and inti'ately entered int# certainly the church teachin$ > this has, #% c#urse, ne&er been the case > but because the inertia and '#n#t#ny #% his li%e are cl#sely b#und up "ith the inertia and '#n#t#ny #% church practices. The "#rkers relati#n relati#n t# the church 5 a' speakin$ speak in$ #% the n#nparty 'ass "#rker6 h#lds '#stly by the thread #% habit, the habit #% "#'en in particular. c#ns still han$ in the h#'e because they are there. c#ns dec#rate the "alls) it "#uld be bare "ith#ut the') pe#ple "#uld n#t be used t# it. 0 "#rker "ill n#t tr#uble t# buy ne" ic#ns, but has n#t su%%icient "ill t# discard the #ld #nes. n "hat "ay can the sprin$ %esti&al be celebrated i% n#t by aster cake< cake < 0nd aster cake 'ust be blessed by the priest,

 

#ther"ise it "ill be s# 'eanin$less. 0s %#r church($#in$, the pe#ple d# n#t $# because they are reli$i#us) the church is brilliantly li$hted, cr#"ded "ith 'en and "#'en in their best cl#thes, the sin$in$ is $##d > a ran$e #% s#cial(aesthetic attracti#ns n#t pr#&ided by the %act#ry, the %a'ily, %a'ily, #r the "#rkaday street. There is n# %aith #r practically n#ne. 0t any rate, there is n# respect %#r the cler$y #r  belie% in the 'a$ic %#rce #% ritual. ut there is n# acti&e "ill t# break it all. all. The ele'ents #% distracti#n,  pleasure, and a'use'ent play a lar$e part in church rites. y theatrical 'eth#ds the church "#rks #n the si$ht, the sense #% s'ell 5thr#u$h incense6, and thr#u$h the' #n the i'a$inati#n. Man Man s desire %#r the theatrical, a desire t# see and hear the unusual, the strikin$, a desire %#r a break in the #rdinary '#n#t#ny #% li%e, is $reat and ineradicable) it persists %r#' early childh##d t# ad&anced #ld a$e. n #rder t# liberate the c#''#n 'asses %r#' ritual and the ecclesiasticis' ac*uired by habit, antireli$i#us  pr#pa$anda al#ne is n#t en#u$h. % c#urse, it is necessary) but its direct practical in%luence is li'ited li'ited t# a s'all 'in#rity #% the '#re c#ura$e#us in spirit. The bulk #% the pe#ple are n#t a%%ected by antireli$i#us pr#pa$anda) but that is n#t because their spiritual relati#n t# reli$i#n is s# pr#%#und. n the c#ntrary, there is n# spiritual relati#n at all) there is #nly a %#r'less, inert, 'echanical relati#n, "hich has n#t passed thr#u$h the c#nsci#usness) a relati#n like that #% the street si$ht(seer, "h# #n #ccasi#n d#es n#t #bect t# #inin$ in a pr#cessi#n #r a p#'p#u p#'p#uss cere'#ny, #r listenin$ listenin$ t# sin$in$, #r "a&in$ his ar's. Meanin$less ritual, "hich lies #n the c#nsci#usness like an inert burden, cann#t be destr#yed by criticis' al#ne) it can be supplanted by ne" %#r's #% li%e, ne" a'use'ents, ne" and '#re cultured theaters. Here a$ain, th#u$hts $# naturally t# the '#st p#"er%ul > because it is the '#st de'#cratic > instru'ent #% the theater: the cine'a. Ha&in$ n# need #% a cler$y in br#cade, etc., the cine'a un%#lds #n the "hite screen spectacular i'a$es #% $reater $rip than are pr#&ided by the richest church, $r#"n "ise in the e8perience #% a th#usand years, #r by '#s*ue #r syna$#$ue. n church #nly #ne dra'a is  per%#r'ed, and al"ays #ne and the sa'e, year in, year #ut) "hile in the cine'a ne8t d##r y#u "ill be sh#"n the asters #% heathen, Je", and 4hristian, in their hist#ric se*uence, "ith their si'ilarity #% ritual. The cine'a a'uses, educates, strikes the i'a$inati#n by i'a$es, and liberates y#u %r#' the need #% cr#ssin$ the church d##r. The cine'a is a $reat c#'petit#r n#t #nly #% the ta&ern but als# #% the church. Here is an instru'ent "hich "e 'ust secure at all c#sts?