Paula is a circus performer married to the alcoholic clown-acrobat Lorio. Lorio's heavy drinking leads to him being severely injured during a performance. This forces Paula and the now-crippled Lorio to become street musicians. This film formerly ran to 81 minutes – regrettably, the second half is considered lost.
Acting
Vera Kholodnaya's luminous suffering — Russia's first screen queen.
Production
Authentic circus atmosphere, pre-Soviet Russian melancholy.
Director
Pyotr Chardynin
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Vera Kholodnaya was so beloved that her 1919 death from Spanish flu sparked mass public mourning. This is one of few surviving films of her 48+ titles.
The title echoes a famous Russian lullaby, framing Paula as mother to her broken husband — the film literalizes the 'eternal feminine' sacrificing itself for masculine failure.
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