Alexander Dovzhenko, one of the four giants of early Soviet revolutionary cinema, shattered the film world with his silent masterpiece "Earth," even though few outside the director's native Ukraine connected with its specific references to place and topic. But the deep feeling and poetic imagery of this film transcends locale and era, moves strong men to tears and has frequently won it a place on critics' lists of the greatest films of all time.

Alexander Dovzhenko, one of the four giants of early Soviet revolutionary cinema, shattered the film world with his silent masterpiece "Earth," even though few outside the director's native Ukraine connected with its specific references to place and topic. But the deep feeling and poetic imagery of this film transcends locale and era, moves strong men to tears and has frequently won it a place on critics' lists of the greatest films of all time.