The New Babylon
Новый Вавилон
Nowy Wawilon

Russian Movie Poster

Country	USSR
Directed by	Grigori Kosinzew Leonid Trauberg
Release Date	March 18, 1929
Language	Silent
Studio	Sovkino

Main Cast
Character	Actor
Louise Poirier	Yelena Kuzmina
Jean, the soldier	Pyotr Sobolevsky
Lutro, the journalist	Sergey Gerasimov
Owner of the 'New Babylon' shop	David Gutman
The main shop-assistant	Andrei Kostrichkin
National Guard's soldier	Oleg Zhakov

The New Babylon is a 1929 Soviet silent drama film written and directed by Grigori Kozintsev and Leonid Trauberg. The movie tells the story of the time of the Paris Commune in the spring of 1871 during the postwar turmoil of the Franco-Prussian War (1870/71). The New Babylon is the name of the large department store in Paris, where Louise is employed as a saleswoman. She is involved with the Commune, in which Jean, an unpolitical young man from the country, has to fight as a soldier in the army controlled by the French government. Both are in love with each other, even though they are on different sides. But their love finds no place in a time of political turmoil.

The following weapons were used in the film The New Babylon:

Handguns

Smith & Wesson No. 3 Russian Model

French officers are armed with Smith & Wesson No.3 Russian Models which stands in for the Lefaucheux Revolver or the Remington M1858 that were used by French forces during this time period.

Smith & Wesson No. 3 Russian Model - .44 Russian

A French officer (Yevgeny Chervyakov) fires his revolver.

Another Smith & Wesson revolver is seen lying on the desk.

Rifles

Gras Model 1874

Some French soldiers including Jean (Pyotr Sobolevsky) use Gras Model 1874 rifles standing in for correct Chassepot 1866 rifles. The Gras is based on Chassepot and looks very similar. The difference is that the Gras fires metallic cartridges.

Fusil Gras Modèle 1874 - 11x59mm Gras

A dead Commune member lies next to his rifle.

A French soldier with his Gras slung over his back in the background behind an officer (Boris Feodosyev).

A Commune member holds his Gras equipped with a Yataghan sword bayonet.

Another view of the member's Gras.

Jean uses a Gras during hand to hand fight.

Louise with Jean's Gras on a Promotional Picture.

Mauser Gewehr 1898

The majority of French soldiers in the movie use anachronistic German Gewehr 98 rifles. These rifles were captured during the First World War from the German Empire which may be a reference for the Prussian help to crack down the Paris Commune.

Mauser Gewehr 1898 - 7.92x57mm Mauser

French soldiers aim their Gewehrs at the barricade.

A soldier fires the rifle.

Another one takes aim while he is on retreat.

The firing squad take aim on captured Commune fighters.

Kropatschek Model 1884

Parisian Commune members, Jean and the National Guard's soldier (Oleg Zhakov) also use French Kropatschek 1884 rifles which were not developed until about 10 years later.