Sofya Levitina

Jacob, a farmer, returns from the war to his wife Marie and begs the landlord baron for a plot of land to rent. The Baron grants the request, but only for a barren, rocky, useless acreage. The pair struggle to make do on this land, but then the Baron demands that Maria leave her husband to serve as wet nurse to his married daughter Anya's new baby, on threat of eviction. (imdb)

The evil deeds of the characters surrounding Pyshka are underlined by the way they eat, the way they cast their glances, the way they generally behave. Absolute selfishness during their long talks and gestures - they don't care about Pyshka and even about each other while everyone has his/her own fish to fry; cruelty at its usual humane worst - when they are saved, they spit onto their saviour; emptiness and lack of soul - aimless drinking and playing cards... (sovietmovies.blogspot.no)

During the good old days of the Russian aristocracy, that is to say, before the October Revolution, in the city of Moscow there was a fancy restaurant which catered to the appetites and egos of the rich. In one such establishment works a middle-aged waiter who is devoted to serving his bourgeoisie clients correctly. However, his life outside his job is very different: His son was killed during the Russian civil war and the waiter's wife died of grief as a result.... (imdb)

From his early silent works, the great Russian film director, Herr Yakov Protazanov, made literary adaptations from equally great Russian writers, as is the case with "Chiny I Lyudi" ( Ranks And People ) (1929) in which three short stories by Chekhov, "Anna On The Neck", "Death Of A Petty Official" and "Chameleon" were assembled for the silent screen.

Two young women fight over the love of a hunter. (imdb)