The Moviegoer

Americans flirting with fellow-travelerism should be required to sit through the Exeter's latest Russian film. They might think twice about Communism and the Soviet after an hour of the brutal mechanistic pageantry of "Russia on Parade."

The first USSR production in color, the picture is nothing but a series of views of the first post-war sports celebration in Red Square, Moscow. As an exhibition of color and acrobatic skill, of beauty in sheer numbers, or of the incredible diversity of peoples in the Soviet Republic, it is impressive. But after only a few minutes awe gives way to boredom and horror of a sort.

That so many thousands should spend months--as they so obviously did--rehearsing for a useless and esthetically nil demonstration before a tired and uninterested Stalin must prove at least incredible, if not horrifying, to any American--"liberal" or otherwise.