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The Man from the Other Side
Movie

The Man from the Other Side

1972 • Unknown

Woke Score
2
out of 10

Plot

After the Bolshevik seizure of power in 1917. A Russian engineer gets the assignment to purchase locomotives from Sweden. Paid in gold. Claimed by the opponents of the revolution.

Overall Series Review

The Man from the Other Side (1972), a Swedish/Soviet co-production set immediately after the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, is a historical intrigue thriller focused on a mission to buy locomotives from Sweden using gold. The narrative centers on the Russian engineer Viktor Krymov and his entanglement with a Swedish woman, Britt Stagnelius, while navigating the conflict between the new revolutionary regime and its 'opponents.' As a film from 1972 rooted in historical drama and geopolitical conflict, it does not engage with any modern 'woke' ideology. Character identities are defined by their political allegiance, nationality, and role in the high-stakes mission. The cast is entirely reflective of the historical setting (Russian and Swedish), presenting a historically and geographically authentic representation that focuses on plot and stakes rather than racial or gender commentary. The primary ideological tension is political—the struggle between the Bolshevik state and counter-revolutionary forces—not a critique of Western values from a post-modern self-hatred perspective. The film is a product of its time, avoiding the identity politics and social justice themes that characterize the woke mind virus, resulting in consistently low scores across all categories.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics1/10

The narrative's central conflict revolves around political and financial stakes following the Bolshevik Revolution, not race or intersectional hierarchy. Casting is historically authentic to the Russian and Swedish setting of the early 20th century, focusing on character roles without any forced diversity or vilification of 'whiteness.'

Oikophobia3/10

The score reflects a potential, but not guaranteed, sympathy toward the revolutionary Bolshevik regime, which is an ideology fundamentally hostile to traditional Western civilization and its institutions. However, the conflict includes 'opponents of the revolution,' indicating the tension is political-historical, not a broad civilizational self-hatred of the West. It critiques an ideology of the West's primary geopolitical rival at the time (Communism), not the West itself.

Feminism2/10

The film's focus is on a geopolitical mission, and the Swedish female lead, Britt Stagnelius, functions within the context of a 1972 European drama. There is no evidence of the modern 'Girl Boss' trope, male emasculation, or explicit anti-natalist messaging. Gender roles are portrayed as typical for a 1972 historical drama, not as a political lecture.

LGBTQ+1/10

As a 1972 historical drama about Russian and Swedish political intrigue, the film does not center alternative sexualities, deconstruct the nuclear family as a political ideology, or engage with gender theory. The structure is entirely normative to the historical and geographic setting.

Anti-Theism1/10

The plot centers on a financial/political mission. While the Soviet regime was officially atheist, the film does not use the narrative to actively vilify traditional religion, specifically Christianity, or promote moral relativism. The moral and ideological framework is determined by political loyalty to the revolutionary cause versus its opponents, not a direct attack on faith.