▁the ▁brief ▁period ▁of ▁liberal ization ▁that ▁begun ▁after ▁Nik ita ▁K hr ush chev ' s ▁Secret ▁Spe ech . ▁The ▁S ail or ' s ▁Song ▁was ▁commission ed ▁shortly ▁after , ▁for ▁the ▁celebr ations ▁of ▁the ▁for ti eth ▁anni versary ▁to ▁the ▁German ▁Revolution . ▁ ▁The ▁script ▁writers ▁Paul ▁W iens ▁and ▁Karl ▁Georg ▁E gel ▁were ▁instruct ed ▁to ▁present ▁the ▁ 1 9 1 8 ▁Revolution ▁in ▁accord ance ▁with ▁the ▁official ▁Soviet ▁interpretation ▁of ▁history ; ▁Walter ▁Ul br icht ▁told ▁that ▁it ▁failed ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁" o pport un istic " ▁Social ▁Democr ats ▁and ▁to ▁the ▁lack ▁of ▁a ▁Marx ist – Len in ist ▁party ▁that ▁would ▁have ▁led ▁the ▁workers ▁" in ▁the ▁sm ash ing ▁of ▁the ▁capital istic ▁econom ical ▁appar atus ." ▁The ▁plot ▁places ▁emphas is ▁on ▁the ▁Spart ac us ▁League , ▁and ▁cul min ated ▁in ▁the ▁found ing ▁of ▁the ▁Commun ist ▁Party ▁of ▁Germany . ▁ ▁Princi pal ▁phot ography ▁comm enced ▁on ▁June ▁ 3 , ▁ 1 9 5 8 . ▁Direct ors ▁Kurt ▁Ma etz ig ▁and ▁Gün ter ▁Re isch ▁worked ▁separately ; ▁the ▁first ' s ▁crew ▁was ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁scenes ▁involving ▁the ▁officers ▁and ▁the ▁adm ir als , ▁while ▁the ▁latter ▁fil med ▁those ▁with ▁the ▁sail ors ▁and ▁the ▁crow ds . ▁The ▁S ail or ' s ▁Song ▁was ▁the ▁greatest ▁project ▁undert aken ▁by ▁DE FA ▁up ▁to ▁that ▁time