Brought about a whole new generation of cinema

Rating: 10/10 (5 November 2006)

The Battleship Potemkin is one of those few films that can truly be said changed cinema forever. The story focuses around sailors aboard the Potemkin Battleship, a Tsarist ship in 1905. The crew is heavily mistreated and are fed rotten meat. Eventually revolution breaks out and mutiny occurs. The events lead the crew into sailing for Odessa where one of the most famous scenes of the 20th century occurred.
Battleship Potemkin is one of the most influential films I have ever seen. The power behind the words and actions of the sailors in vigor the crowd. Any person watching this film could easily see why revolution came about in Russia just from the Odessa Steps sequence. Few directors are able to captivate crowds but Einstein does it with relative ease.
The film gave brought forth many new elements to films. Violence is the biggest of all. Films before 1925 did feature violence but in a way in which it did not bother a crowd. Battleship Potemkin's violence is straight forward and overall in your face. The Odessa Steps scene is one of the most violent and saddest scenes I've ever seen.
Battleship Potemkin is a film not to be missed by anyone. The story is top notch and based on the actual mutiny aboard the Potemkin in 1905. The acting is outstanding for its time with no central character which makes the picture a lot better in my opinion. But by far the greatest part of the film is the extravagant cinematography and camera work. The Odessa Steps is filmed in such a way to make you feel as if your actually being chased and doing the shooting.
5/5 Stars