Shadows of Russia: Wednesdays in January on TCM

"Following the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, Russia captured the imagination of the world — and its mysterious, exotic allure continues today. Hollywood has exploited this fascination for decades with movies that portray Russian history and attitudes with varying degrees of authenticity. The collapse of the Tsarist regime was a perfect subject for melodramas portraying the confl ict, tragedy and romantic nostalgia of a bygone era. Parodies of the severe Soviet lifestyle during the late 1930s and early ’40s were followed by pro- Russia propaganda films made in obvious support of our World War II allies. As anti-Communist sentiment arose in the U.S. after WWII, the Cold War inspired a series of cautionary tales of infiltration along with a whole new genre of political thrillers." Continued

Photo: Turner Classic Movies