Fantastic movie

Rating: 9/10 (7 February 2011)

I normally can't stand silent movies, most of the time I just can't connect to any of the characters and I'm always frustrated by the slow pacing and exaggerated "acting" characterized by the period. Battleship Potemkin, however, really struck a chord with me.
The cinematography was consistently fantastic, and the story was simple and elegant. I also found eisenstein's use of non professional actors to be an incredibly smart move. Instead of giving the usual over-the top theatrical performances of the typical stage turned film actors of the time, they gave realistic, natural performances that I found were much easier to relate to than someone flailing their arms in the air to show that hey are angry.
Obviously, the editing was near perfection. It's amazing to see just how far ahead of it's time this movie was as far as editing goes. Whether it was the film's complex juxtaposition of images (like the priest during the uprising or cutting from the doctor being thrown overboard to the rotten meat) that form a whole greater than the sum of it's parts, or the legendary Odessa steps sequence, the editing is never short of spellbinding. Battleship Potemkin should be required viewing for anyone who considers themselves a film buff.