Plot
In the final days of Imperial Russia, as the power of the Czar collapses under military defeat, famine, and widespread unrest, a revolutionary spirit begins to spread among the oppressed people. The Imperial armies suffer crushing defeats; the enemy advances; and in the very heart of the homeland, the first seeds of revolt take root. Famine, with its retinue of miseries, invades every home. The people feel, more and more acutely, the hateful oppression of Tsarism. It was in this atmosphere of dire crisis that the enthusiastic rhythms of a war song began to pour into the ears of patriots—a song that was truly a cry of revolt, a shout of indignation against the despotism of the nobility, which had led the country to utter ruin. At the heart of this awakening is Anuita, a humble peasant girl from the South, known throughout Russia by the nickname “The Flame.” Her powerful song becomes a rallying cry against tyranny, igniting rebellion and inspiring the masses to rise up. Yet, grasping the spirit of that song and assessing the grave danger it poses to the tottering regime, the Cossacks—charged with maintaining order—forbid anyone from singing it, sparing no effort to capture Anuita. Among those drawn to her cause is Konstantin, an ambitious and ruthless conspirator who, despite being allied with Anuita, is driven as much by personal desire and hunger for power as by revolutionary ideals. He is also involved with Natasha, a former cabaret singer who is in love with him and whose fierce jealousy of Anuita foreshadows future betrayal. As the days roll by, Russia’s internal situation grows ever more dire. Defeated, the Imperial armies beat a hasty retreat. The revolution—which had lived on in the desires of all—erupts, victorious, virtually overnight. A time of despair, unrest, and turmoil—days of tremendous upheaval—ensues. With the nobility fallen, the people, intoxicated by emotion, begin their nefarious work of destruction, vengeance, and death. The terrifying specter of communism dominates everything, seizes everything. Nobles who had not perished are thrown into prison. Fortunes are improvised, and rulers emerge from obscurity. Among these, the one who displays the greatest power—reaching even the supreme honor of being proclaimed the Great Commissar of the People—is Konstantin. Just days before, he had been a nobody, without credentials and without fortune. Now he is the grand lord, the master of that gigantic land; upon his word depend the lives of all. Yet, amidst all that tremendous chaos, the instigator of it all—the force that had animated the great tempest of souls—remains obscure, having won not a single reward for her triumph, for the triumph of her song, which had contributed most to the fall of Tsarism. Anuita, with the idealism of her patriotism and her honest, clear vision of things, understands that the spirit of her song has been perverted by bloody communism. What it proclaimed in its divine essence is now sullied. Filled with despair, she feels her very soul enveloped in the shadows of regret. She does not conceal this revolt even from Konstantin—once her comrade, but who now disposes of lives and property with astonishing ruthlessness. When Konstantin asks her, “Anuita—you who were the soul of our victory—what is it you want?” she replies: “I want you to know how to be honest, and not become thieves or murderers!” Konstantin is filled with hatred at this crushing reply. Natasha, too, is filled with hatred. But the dictator masters his blazing agitation; Anuita, to him, still possesses a quality he cannot disdain: she is a woman. Disillusioned and horrified by the bloodshed carried out in the name of the revolution she helped inspire, Anuita turns away from Konstantin and his methods. Seeking refuge, she travels south to her native village—a peaceful region not yet consumed by revolutionary violence—where life continues in traditional rhythms. The flame of revolution has not yet reached that remote corner of the Russian Southwest. At the very moment we turn our gaze upon it, the traditional harvest festival is taking place. The peasants, in a drunken frenzy of joy, give themselves over to wild revelry right before the eyes of Prince Volodya—born and raised there—whom everyone holds in high regard, for he has never abused his position to humiliate others. One characteristic dance step follows another. The festivities are at their most spirited peak when the Prince notices that, quite close to him, a creature of strange beauty is following the surrounding movement and clamor with her eyes. He fixes his gaze upon her and feels himself captivated by her figure, so full of seduction and charm. Her peasant garb does nothing to conceal her lovely body, whose marvelous, sculptural lines stir his senses. The Prince himself proposes: “My Cossacks will perform feats of horsemanship for a single kiss from you. Do you accept?” After the daring challenge, Count Boris—the Prince’s aide—intervenes: “Who dares put our Prince’s valor to the test?” The strange creature—who is none other than Anuita, the Flame—cries out: “I do!” “And what if the Prince proves his valor?” “I shall give him a kiss.” The Prince prevails; then, sweeping her into his strong arms, he lifts her onto the saddle of his horse and gallops away to claim the promised kiss far from that place. In that moment, their attraction deepens into genuine love. An hour after the Prince’s departure, a band of revolutionaries appears in the village amidst infernal uproar. That region is precisely the only one where the spark of revolt has not yet ignited hearts; it is the only one still at peace. Konstantin, at the head of a large band, advances, storms the tavern, and establishes his headquarters there. He soon understands that it will not be easy to sack Prince Volodya’s castle, because all those people reveal, in their simplest words, immense gratitude and love for the Prince and his family. Konstantin thinks of attracting Anuita, under whose prestige he could put his Machiavellian plan into practice. But hearing her, he learns that she, too, is turned toward the Prince, whom she loves madly after that kiss. It is urgent to carry out his sinister project. To that end, Konstantin swears to Anuita that he will spare the Prince’s life if she helps him incite the peasants. Still in love with Volodya, Anuita is trapped in a terrible dilemma. She understands that this is the only way she can save her beloved’s life. Desperate, she agrees. At the head of the revolutionaries, alongside the terrible commissar, she sets off toward the castle, encouraging the mob now thirsty for greatness and fortune. In a few hours, the peasants, guided by the rebels, take control of the castle, plundering and looting it and destroying everything, only sparing the life of the Prince, who is escorted and taken to the nearest border. Konstantin, now in the paroxysm of joy, advances toward Anuita, revealing in his gestures that he is going to envelop her in a prolonged caress, a tenderness she has never allowed him. But Anuita energetically repels him and shows her repugnance, making him vibrate with hatred to the point that he calls his soldiers and orders her arrest, accusing her of treason against the triumphant revolutionary cause. Summarily brought to trial, the court condemns her to ten years of exile in Siberia—this, said the judges, in consideration of her “good services rendered before.” But Konstantin, who has not lost hope of possessing her, does not send her to those remote and cold regions; he leaves her in prison, thinking that one day she might decide to give in. Natasha, who has been following Konstantin’s entire plan with a heart burning with jealousy, becomes even more furious that night. Contrary to his habits, Konstantin decides to leave early, telling Natasha he is going to resolve a very serious matter at Headquarters. But Natasha, through reliable information, learns that her lover is going to meet with Anuita, whom he has sent for from the prison. Thirsting for revenge, she is already getting up to leave when she notices that Prince Volodya is sitting at a table near hers, disfigured and dejected. “How dare you return to Russia?” she asks, looking deep into his eyes. He replies, resolute: “I returned to look for Anuita.” Natasha says, “Anuita is imprisoned here. But Konstantin will set her free soon.” The Prince, understanding everything, is full of revolt: “Then that is why Konstantin kept her here, instead of sending her to Siberia!” Natasha, with coldness, continues: “You can be useful to our government. Come with me.” In the rooms adjoining Konstantin’s office, the most senior members of communism are already on the lookout. Volodya is led to a small room from where he begins to observe Konstantin, all tenderness for Anuita, who remains dignified and rebellious. The Prince and the others do not miss a gesture or a word from the terrible communist commissar. Konstantin says: “I am glad to see you again, Anuita. Prison has not changed you at all. I will take you with me today. Let’s go to Paris. I’m rich. I can provide you with all the luxuries and pleasures.” Volodya can no longer contain himself. Resolutely advancing, he confronts Konstantin, telling him that he is there to take Anuita. Konstantin, with the utmost cynicism, replies that she will indeed leave, but with him. And before the stupefaction of the communist leaders, he declares: “My ideal was to steal to get rich! And that’s all communism is for, my dear Prince!” Nothing more is needed to prove the betrayal. The communist generals advance and arrest Konstantin. In the ensuing confrontation—and as Natasha’s thirst for vengeance and exposure culminates—Konstantin is shot by the same firing squad he had used against so many innocent people, paying with his life for his ugly crime. With Konstantin dead and the immediate threat lifted, Anuita is freed. Reunited with Prince Volodya, the two escape the chaos and return to the quiet countryside. Drunk with love, they return to the delightful corner of the province where they had always lived happily. There, far from the violence and corruption that consumed the revolution, they choose a simpler life together. Volodya abandons his aristocratic identity, becoming a peasant, and finds that new life much better. Anuita finds peace at last, her ideals restored in a life built on love rather than upheaval—a home full of good fortune and peace. ==Cast==