Bertolt Brecht`s grand epic of political theater, written in 1931, is an adaptation of Maxim Gorki`s novel by the same title. It tells the moving story of an oppressed Russian woman who is transformed into a militant revolutionary. The original production, written for the Berliner Ensemble, was condemned by Stalinist critics as "formalist" and "politically harmful," although it was hugely popular. Filmed by DEFA, this production - directed after Brecht`s death by Manfred Wekwerth - retains much of Brecht`s original cast, with a landmark performance by Helene Weigel in the title role.