Fragment of an Empire

Fragment of an Empire

Directed by Fridrikh Ermler

Produced by Sovkino

1929110 min5.7 / 10

A melancholic, politically engaged silent drama about a shell-shocked officer's disorientation upon returning to a revolutionized homeland, grappling with loss of identity and historical rupture.

Director Frederick Ermler’s last silent feature and the last of four collaborations with actor Fiodor Nikitin. Nikitin plays an officer who spends a decade after the Great War as a shell-shocked amnesiac, until a glimpse of a woman through a train window sparks the return of his memory. He makes his way back to St. Petersburg, now Leningrad, a man out of time who struggles to make sense of the new society brought about by the revolution.

Questions people ask

  • Is Fragment of an Empire sad? Yes, very. More sad than 91% of films.

  • Is Fragment of an Empire scary? Somewhat. More frightening than 61% of films.

  • Is Fragment of an Empire violent? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.

  • Does Fragment of an Empire end with hope? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.

  • Is Fragment of an Empire easy watching? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.

These describe how the film comes across, measured across the whole film and compared with other well-known films. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked scene by scene, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.

24/ 100

Cinnamon Score

How much this film gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.

Conventional, and it does not land.

Rarity82

How unlike any other film this one feels

Surprise5

How much more it delivers than it promises

Love13

How much audiences actually like it

The highest scores in the catalogue →

Ensemble

Like Fragment of an Empire

Nearest across the full emotional profile.

Same Mood as Fragment of an Empire

Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.

Like Fragment of an Empire, But Darker

Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.

Like Fragment of an Empire, But Lighter

Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.

Like Fragment of an Empire, But Less Popular

Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.

Share thisXBlueskyReddit