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

The Extraordinary Adventures of Mr. West in the Land of the Bolsheviks
Film poster
Directed by	Lev Kuleshov
Written by	Nikolai Aseyev Vsevolod Pudovkin Lev Kuleshov [1]
Starring	Porfiri Podobed Boris Barnet Aleksandra Khokhlova Vsevolod Pudovkin
Cinematography	Aleksandr Levitskii[1]
Release date	April 27,1924 (April 27,1924)[1]
Running time	86 minutes[1]
Country	Soviet Union
Languages	Silent Russian and English intertitles

The Extraordinary Adventures of Mr. West in the Land of the Bolsheviks (Russian: Необычайные приключения мистера Веста в стране Большевиков, romanized: Neobychainye priklyucheniya mistera Vesta v strane bolshevikov) is a 1924 Soviet silent comedy film directed by Lev Kuleshov. Kuleshov considered the film a "verification" of his theories around editing and montage, and he drew inspiration from American cinema, which he found more engaging than Russian cinema.

The film follows J. S. West and Cowboy Jeddy, two Americans who visit the Soviet Union after the Russian Revolution. West is wealthy but naive, and he expects the country to be barbaric. A Soviet gang leader exploits West's fears by staging a fake arrest and trial, then offers to "rescue" him in exchange for money. When West is actually rescued by the Soviet police, he realizes his expectations and stereotypes were wrong and celebrates the country.

Upon its initial release, the film garnered popularity among Soviet audiences; however, Soviet critics criticized its emphasis on American themes and its lack of political engagement. Despite its initial popularity, the film was censored two years after its release. Today, critics and historians often consider Mr. West the beginning of a "golden age" of Soviet cinema. The movie satirizes American perceptions of the Soviet Union.