In America in 1899, Bill Porter - the 'great consoler' of the title, is in prison. His writing skills earn him privileges from the governor and he is spared the inhumane treatment meted out to other prisoners. Porter is aware of the brutality around him but, mindful of his better conditions, refuses to write about prison life, preferring instead to console his less-well-treated companions with excessively romantic fantasies, in which good invariably triumphs over evil. Seen as a not-so-subtle criticism of Stalinism, the film was denounced at the 1935 Communist Party conference, effectively ending Kuleshov's career. 

DVD-R is in Russian with switchable English and German subtitles.  Approx. 91 mins.  See video sample for picture and audio quality!