The Arsenal features Semyon Svashenko as Tyrnish, a humble Ukranian soldier. Through Tyrnishs experiences we are permitted to witness the incredible social upheavals of the World War I years which led to the Russian revolution. The films setpiece is the 1918 Kiev workers rebellion. The White Russian troops are clearly the villains of the piece–faceless automatons who blindly follow orders while flesh-and-blood types like Tyrnsh suffer hope, fear and anguish. Arsenal was the first of Alexandre Dovzhenkos Ukraine trilogy, followed by Earth (1930) and Ivan (1932).~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide