Epic Propaganda

Rating: Null/10 (16 October 2005)

Undoubtedly one of the most influential movies from the silent years of cinema, Sergei Eisenstein's recounting of the 1905 naval mutiny by sailors on the Potemkin has been referenced by so many other movies that you'd be forgiven for thinking that much of its power would have faded over the years. It is perhaps then a measure of the technical accomplishment of the 27-year-old director that the film looks remarkably fresh today and still possesses the ability to move modern-day viewers.
The story is a deceptively simple one, focusing more on the actions of the people/proletariat as a whole than any particular individuals, and yet it is laden with a symbolism that relentlessly hammers home the propagandistic ideology of its Communist party backers. It is impossible to see the events unfold with an unbiased eye because all who fall outside of the Party's rigorously defined circle of revolutionary heroes are portrayed as weasel-like characters who stroke their waxed moustaches while caring nothing for the plight of those beneath them. No doubt there must have been an element of this at the time, but this one-sided depiction simply reinforces the impression that we are watching a none-too-subtle exercise in what can perhaps most charitably be described as occasional deviation from reality.
Technically, however, the film excels. While abandoning any particularly characterisation, Eisenstein focuses on the human face of the revolution by having Eduard Tisse's camera pay close attention to the faces of the participants. He constantly uses close-ups on a wide range of characters to show us the heroic stoic features of the young sailors, the seamed faces of grieving women, the heartless smirks of ship's officers and even the hypocritical standards of the church. Eisenstein's pioneering of montage and overlapping editing is much in evidence. The first rebellious act, the smashing of a plate by a disgusted sailor is shown from different angles, giving an action that would take only an instant in real time a power and resonance that would otherwise be difficult to create. Later, when a sneering member of the bourgeoisie sneeringly heckles a woman protester, the reaction shot of a man turning around is edited so that a close-up frame is sandwiched been medium shots, giving the moment an immediacy and element of threat. It's the mark of a cinematic genius and must have been incredibly heady stuff to see back in the 1920s - it isn't difficult to see how such mastery of editing technique would have inspired a generation of movie makers.
The film is packed with memorable sequences, the most intense and powerful of which is the famous Odessa Steps sequence. If ever the genius of Eisenstein was in doubt one would only have to point at this incredible sequence that still manages to excite and horrify an audience eighty years after it was filmed. While mainstream audiences might find this film difficult to watch today, true cinema aficionados will recognise it for the early masterpiece it is. It's just a shame so few of us will get the opportunity to experience its power on a full-size cinema screen