"Exile in Büyükada"

posted to www.marxmail.org on September 6, 2003

For those who are seeking to rid themselves of the bad taste in their mouth from the portrayal of Trotsky in "Frida", I strongly recommend the 72 minute documentary titled "Exile in Büyükada". Narrated by Vanessa Redgrave, made in Turkey, and based on Isaac Deutscher's "The Prophet Outcast", it combines archival footage with performances by a fine cast of Turkish actors, with one Russian, Victor Sergachev, playing Trotsky with enormous effectiveness.

Radical activists and scholars would know Büyükada as Prinkipo, which was the biggest of Istanbul's islands and got its name from the fact that princes and deposed emperors were often exiled there.

When Stalin exiled Trotsky to Turkey in 1929, this latter-day prince of revolution was afraid that this might be a prelude to his assassination--not only by Stalin's agents but by counter-revolutionary Russians in exile themselves. Istanbul had become the first stop for many expropriated noblemen who were now working as restroom attendants or prostitutes in many cases.

Although it is customary to think of Mexico as Trotsky's chief sanctuary, Mustafa Kemal was as willing as Lazaro Cardenas to protect him and for many of the same reasons. As a radical nationalist, Kemal was anxious to establish Turkey's reputation as a modern secular republic that respected democratic rights, even extending them to one of the world's most controversial figures.

Trotsky's first stop in Istanbul was the Russian consulate, which provided living quarters for him despite the fact that he was no longer welcome in the Soviet Union. Within a month or so he moved to a first-class hotel in nearby Beyoglu, which is one of the most cosmopolitan and affluent neighborhoods in Istanbul. Rare archival footage of Beyoglu's street life and other Istanbul neighborhoods in 1929 would alone make this film worth seeing for those who love Turkish culture--in other words, just about everybody.

Finally Trotsky, his family and his staff move to a manor in Büyükada, where they set about the work of disseminating the ideas of the left opposition. Some of the most gripping scenes involve Trotsky making the case to his co-thinkers that the future of the world rested on the outcome of the events in Germany. It is obvious that the screenwriters either use Trotsky's actual words or a reasonable facsimile. When delivered passionately by Victor Sergachev, they remind us of how much of a presence Trotsky was when he was alive and why Stalin had to eradicate him.

Although I could find very nothing in the way of background on the Turkish principals involved with this film, it does suggest to me that the level of artistic and political sophistication in this country far exceed anything evident in "Frida". They also seem to have some adroitness in financing such projects, since the closing credits list the Stock Exchange of Istanbul as a sponsor!

While "Exile in Büyükada" might not be the sort of thing easily obtainable from Blockbuster, you can order the DVD from various sources online. Just enter the title in google and a number of vendors will pop up. Highly recommended.