Bronenosets Potyomkin/
Броненосец Потёмкин (1925)

Review

Bronenosets Potyomkin is one of the most powerful motion pictures of all time. It's so filled with passion and temper that it becomes utterly realistic in spite of its stylized visuals and the fact that it distances itself from the viewer.

Narratively, the film is mainly divided in three: The first part showing the build-up and execution of a mutiny – brilliantly paralleling the backdrop for the Russian revolution in itself. The second is a fantastically directed sequence in the city of Odessa (where Eisenstein turns the mood and air of the film with inventive and exquisite cinema techniques). And the third is a slow, suspense-laden finale in which the power of the people is underlined.

Throughout this masterful film, Eisenstein not only puts his theories about montage to perfect practice, he also portrays massive segments of emotion without even exploiting the possibility of acting. Naturally, the film is close to political propaganda (with a simple line of message), but it is also a historical document - today perhaps most importantly for the history of film. And the world-renowned scene at the steps of Odessa still stands as strong as it has been hailed to do for half a century. Bronenosets Potyomkin certainly isn't amongst the most charming or thematically complex movies of the silent era, but it's technical and visual accomplishments are second to none. A must-see for anyone interested in the art of film.