"Lunacharsky, Soviet Commissar for Enlightenment throughout the twenties, seems an unlikely scriptwriter for a vampire movie. Yet he was co-author of The Bear's Wedding, adapted from a story by Merimée, and his wife played a leading role in this immensely popular film. Co-director Eggert also took the lead as a nobleman who preys on young girls and is eventually overthrown by his subjects' revolt. (He had an enormous amount of fan mail from women admirers after the film--'come and bite me!') Although the film was attacked...by the 'progressives' it was one of the first big Soviet hits, and it exemplifies Lunacharsky's ideals very well. He was a great popularizer/popular educator, although he staunchly defended the avant-garde as well. This is a rare chance to see the practice that he preached. By adapting a story from Merimée and deliberately changing it to be a film with mass appeal, he was trying to carry out Lenin's injunction to put Soviet cinema on a 'sound business footing' first, before developing its propaganda potential." Ian Christie