Film 004 - Battleship Potemkin (1925)

'Bronenosets Potyomkin'

Director - Sergei M. Eisenstein

I have been hearing what a piece of cinema history 'Battleship Potemkin' is and about the Odessa steps for almost as long as I've been watching movies so it was certainly overdue a viewing. Thing is regardless of what everyone else says I wanted to make up my own mind rather than simply follow the crowd. To that end I purposefully didn't research why 'Potemkin' is considered so great before watching it. 

I have no qualms about watching old silent movies but usually they are comedies so I was sceptical as to whether I would be bored or not. However, I was instead drawn in by this picture and plight of the sailors. In particular the stream of images in each section which even without a musical sore would have set the pace and held the tension. 

No surprise then that since watching it I have discovered that Eisenstein was experimenting with the idea of montage with the expressed intent of leading the viewer emotionally. He wanted the audience to clearly distinguish between the heroes, the villains and the victims. Small wonder as this is a propaganda film after all. So I may have been lead by the nose but I think I can live with that...

The Odessa Staircase

The scenes of the Odessa staircase have been copied or paid homage to in numerous films including; 'The Untouchables', 'Brazil' and even Woody Allen's 'Bananas'. Allen also uses much of Eienstein's montage style and imagery in his film 'Love and Death'

Classic scene - Even with all of the nods to it in other films nothing prepares you for sheer drama and outstanding cinematography on the Odessa staircase...

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