Aelita: Queen of Mars

Aelita is a pioneering Soviet science fiction silent film directed by Yakov Protazanov, adapted from Alexei Tolstoy’s novel Aelita, the Queen of Mars. Set against the backdrop of post-revolutionary Russia, the story follows Los, a disillusioned engineer who dreams of more than mundane Earthly life. Together with his wife, Natalie, he is drawn into an extravagant experiment to send them to Mars. There, they encounter Aelita, the Martian queen, and become embroiled in a Martian revolution—echoing the class struggles of Earth. The film’s production design is a striking blend of Constructivist and Expressionist aesthetics, featuring geometric architecture, avant-garde costumes, and surreal sets that shaped the visual language of early sci-fi cinema. While the Martian sequences offer grand spectacle, Aelita roots its narrative in human emotion and political allegory, reflecting the spirit of its turbulent times. Los’s love for Aelita and his subsequent conflict between duty to Earth and fascination with Mars underscores themes of power, destiny, and utopia in a changing world.