ABSTRACT
With the gradual diminution of fear and growing dissension inside the political elite, cinematographers began to reassess their ideological convictions and elaborate their own views of the world. A number of Soviet writers and film directors have gained notoriety for their ability to encode various messages addressed to educated audiences. Andrei Tarkovskii was particularly skilled at such encoding, and his films aroused considerable debate as viewers sought to interpret the hidden messages. The post-Stalin and pre-Gorbachev years fall into two periods: Khrushchev’s thaw and Brezhnev’s stagnation. As soon as they were able, Soviet cinematographers created films with intellectuals as the heroes and main hope for the country. Revelations about Stalin’s crimes helped some Soviet intellectuals renew their faith in the Soviet system and the fundamentals of Soviet ideology. Since 1956, the majority of film directors, even those who were very close to the Central Committee, have inserted some social conflicts or depicted social flaws in their movies.
