“Protazanov was a master of stylization, adapting new forms and techniques with the flexibility of a chameleon. Examining his films one can easily trace the influence of Bauer, Eisenstein, Pudovkin, Lubitsch, Griffith, the French ‘avant-garde,’ and so forth. Perhaps Don Diego and Pelageya, too, offers a stylization of sorts—but a cleverly concealed one. A comedy of the 1920s is easily recognizable, in its acting and its rhythm; even its camerawork and set design are highly conventional. But this film breaks the mold. Many scenes in Don Diego have a documentary air. . . . Nobody expected Protazanov to use this approach while making a comedy at Mezhrabpom-Rus film company.” -- Peter Bagrov, Le Giornate del Cinema Muto