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OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 884

Mechanics of the Brain

192690 minSoviet Union

Synopsis

Experiments with animals and observations of human behavior introduce the viewer to reflexes and learned responses. Pudovkin organizes scientific demonstrations into a visual explanation of ideas associated with Ivan Pavlov. The film seeks to make laboratory work intelligible to a general audience, turning processes that unfold through repetition into a subject for cinema.

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Video edition: Wikimedia Commons
Original language: No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: not identified.
This copy runs: 62:39
Subtitles: No subtitle track in this language

No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: not identified. No subtitle track in this language.

Languages and subtitles

No subtitle track in this language

Wikimedia Commons · «Межрабпом-Русь» · Public domain

This copy runs shorter than the reference runtime. Editing and playback speed can differ between editions.

DirectorsVsevolod Pudovkin

Behind the scenes

The assignment began Pudovkin's collaboration with cinematographer Anatoli Golovnya. Work on the scientific film extended over more than a year, and a pause in its production also provided time to make Chess Fever.

Sources and availability

General references identify the work and its copy. A reference beside an editorial section is linked to the claims checked in that section.

Wikipedia — film reference Wikidata — film identity and credits

Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.

The public-domain references concern the original films in the United States. Rights can differ for other countries, editions, restorations, music or translations. Sources are listed on each film page.

Availability checked on September 12, 2026.

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