Fatherless Gorky (Alyosha Lyarsky) is abandoned by his mother at about nine or ten years of age, is left to be raised by his grandparents. Grandma is loving, but grandfather is a strict miser who thinks the only way to deal with children is via a good beating. Can the boy endure the abuse and poverty he has been flung into? Well, if you know of Maxim Gorky, one of Russia's most beloved writers and thinkers, you probably know the answer, but this portrayal of his childhood is still worth a watch, in a way reminds one of Pelle the Conqueror. An interesting and worthy endeavor. Part of a triology, which is followed by My Apprenticeship; directed by Mark Donskoi.

Warning (rated NR): violence; adult themes.

1938; aka The Childhood of Maxim Gorky, Detstvo Gorkovo, Gorky Triology I; in Russian with English subtitles (Note: the subtitles are rather good for a film from the 30's, but when presented on a white background they can be difficult to read; the captions that introduce scenes, and which are taken from Gorky's own writings, are very hard to read; the film is easily followed despite these flaws, however); 100 minutes; Black & White (Note: this is an older film, but the print is not too bad; its major problem is with speckling); Alyosha Lyarsky, Varvara Massalitinova, Mikhail Troyanovsky, Igor Smirnov, E. Mamaev, V. Korochentchikov.