Socialist realism in Soviet cinema.

The article examines the development and application of socialist realism—a dogmatic artistic doctrine rooted in Marxist ideology—in Soviet and Chinese cinema from the 1930s through the mid-20th century. It highlights how socialist realism, originally formulated in the USSR as a means to align art with socialist ideology and educate the masses, was ill-suited to cinema's complex and evolving language, leading to tensions between artistic expression and political control. The article also traces the transposition of this aesthetic and ideological framework to China after 1949, where it was adapted amid local conditions and political campaigns but faced similar challenges in balancing propaganda, education, and popular appeal. Overall, socialist realism in cinema is portrayed as a flexible yet contested method that shaped film production under totalitarian regimes, reflecting broader struggles over culture, ideology, and modernity.