Exile in Buyukada

This superb documentary that renders significant events in the life of Leon Trotsky is based largely upon the initial chapter of the final volume: "THE PROPHET OUTCAST", from Isaac Deutscher's impressive biographical trilogy of Trotsky's life, a work that should be known to all earnest students of 20th century Russian history. The film is a well-prepared composite of dramatic action and historic visual data that utilizes an abundant gathering of material as a means of depicting authenticity from within the tumultuous life of Trotsky during his final years as an exile from Russia. For the dramatised portions, Trotsky is played by veteran Soviet actor Victor Sergachev, whose close facial resemblance to the exiled Communist leader when in his fifties gives special emphasis to those episodes. Trotsky's second wife, Natalya, is performed by Turkish actress Isik Yenersu in a primarily non-speaking role. The film is narrated by long-time Trotsky acolyte Vanessa Redgrave, whose political activism increases the value of her contribution, cogently written by the Turkish director, journalist Turan Yavuz. The dramatised dialogue paraphrases Trotsky's written output while in his third exile period (during the others he was forcibly sequestered in Siberia). Spoken languages of the dramatisation segments are Russian, French and Turkish, with accurately rendered subtitles into English, for a film that benefits from the authoritative direction of Yavuz. Action opens in 1929 as Trotsky and Natalya, aboard a U.S.S.R. vessel, "Ilyich", are being banished from Odessa to Constantinople (renamed Istanbul the following year). There they resided without benefit of a visa until 1933, initially within the Russian Consulate and, soon after, on the island of Prinkipo (Büyükada in Turkish), only 12 miles from Constantinople, in the Sea of Marmara, upon which the controversial progressive Soviet leader decided to remain until he might obtain a visa for entering any of several Western European nations, an aspiration that was not achieved for several years. Kemal Atatürk's new government system altered Turkey at this time, politically, socially and culturally. Trotsky's circumstances, in particular his safety, were dependent upon this iconoclastic leader of the newly minted republic. Atatürk fortunately provided the exile and his wife with substantial personal protection while yet maintaining amicable relations with a Stalin-led Russia. During all of this while, Trotsky's visa applications to permit his entrance into Germany, Italy, Spain, France, et alia, were unfailingly rejected, disappointing and angering him, although each of these various countries accurately adduced his potential threat to their internal stability. Despite being taxed by harsh family difficulties, including the suicide of his emotionally fragile daughter Zinaida in Berlin, Trotsky is depicted expressing great concern over the successful establishment of National Socialism in Germany, and also Stalin's increasing strength. An unflagging writer, Trotsky completed during this time his magnificent history of the Russian Revolution. Additionally, Trotsky's appreciation for the natural beauty found on Prinkipo and the island's silence (motor vehicles have never been permitted, except for service vehicles) are emphasized as is his love of fishing (the swashing of water in contact with a small boat is aural backdrop for both opening and closing credits of the piece), but it is the seldom-seen film clips and photographs that compromise the most persuasive distinction of the work. Among these are quite rare clips and photos of Trotsky, Atatürk and Stalin; documents relative to Trotsky's years in Turkey; and, historically significant reproductions from Turkish news journals that describe the convulsing effect that the famed exile had upon a nation that had adopted a political system far different from that of the Soviet Union, notably upon nearly 100,000 "White" Russians, exiles themselves, whose intransigent partisan beliefs did not create a welcome environment for Trotsky, who liked Turkey and the Turkish people. However, as he did not speak the language and, as his actor surrogate quotes him, he is too old for learning a new tongue. Consequently, when he was finally able to obtain a visa (into France), he swiftly packed and left Büyükada. This generally well-detailed film glosses over his last years with its downbeat ending in Mexico, permitting a viewer to instead mull over the greatest portion of this capably constructed and partly dramatised documentary that enjoys particularly strong production characteristics.