Aelita (played by Yuliya Solnitseva) is the figurehead queen of Mars in this 1924 movie. However, real power is in the hands of Tuskub, the leader of the ‘Elders’. Tuskub’s rule is autocratic and slaves are confined underground and put into cold storage when their services are not required. In the course of the movie her lover shows the queen a telescope that is kept secret from everyone by the elders. She is able to see life on Earth and instantly falls in love with Los, who is kissing his girlfriend Natasha. Aelita asks her lover to touch her lips with his as for the Earth man, however he lacks passion and Aelita is dissatisfied. She dreams of the Earth man over the next few days. Eventually she enters the Tower of Radiant Energy (where the telescope is located) with the aid of her maid. However, her lover is indignant and destroys the telescope. He tells Aelita that he knows of her love for the Earth man but tells her that she’ll never meet him.
In the meantime, on Earth, Los shoots his girlfriend Natasha out of jealousy and builds a rocket to escape to Mars. He decides to attempt reaching Mars given that strange radio signal had been emitted from the direction of the planet earlier on in the story.
When Tuskub learns of the prospective landing of the craft from Earth he orders the execution of the Earth men. Aelita pleads on behalf of the Earthmen but she is ignored. Through her maid Aelita arranges for the Chief Astronomer to give her the location of the landing. Before his arrival on the scene she hands a knife to her maid. The maid stabs the astronomer in the back once he has given the location to the queen.
The maid arrested and sent to the slave's caves. One of the men who reached Mars with Los, Gussev, follows her. Aelita and Los, who fall in love, are likewise arrested and sent to the caves. However, Gussev foments revolution and Aelita takes command of it. The Elders are overthrown as the army sides with the queen. However, once the Elders are defeated Aelita orders the Army to fire at the workers to send them back to their caves. However, Los is disgusted by Aelita’s behaviour and pushes her down a staircase, whereupon she dies.
