ALL HANDS ON DECK - the borscht's gone bad

Rating: 6/10 (3 February 2011)

While Battleship Potemkin is considered Soviet propaganda, the modern, westernized film viewer is unlikely to be so motivated by this film that they would consider taking up arms against our contemporary capitalist structures. However, the viewer will definitely experience a sense of compassion for the crewmen and the village people massacred at the hands of the ruthless Cossacks. In this regard, the film is highly efficient propaganda despite its revisionist take on the first failed revolution and the arguably larger ideological failures of Communism.
Eisenstien in this film uses vivid imagery and creative editing in line with the "montage" style of film making prevalent during the time of the film's production. Eisenstein's method of film making indeed elicits an intellectually engaging film experience that calls the viewer to question, sympathize with, and appreciate the crew-members' and peoples' political consciousness. By making the "masses" as the film's protagonist, the viewer will gain considerable insight into the collective mentality so pivotal to Communist ideology. One instance of this was the part where a random man in the film seems to mock the crowd's reverence for the fallen revolutionary seamen and their inspiration to fight back. "Crush the Jews" the man says, only to be crushed himself by the motivated crowd hell-bent on finishing what their revered comrade started (and unwilling to give in to tangential and irrelevant anti-Semitism). Indeed, the idea of the "masses" and "revolution" in this film seems to take on a climatic "snowballing" effect starting with the crew-members' meat inspired mutiny, spreading to the common workers in the street, and culminating with the solidarity with the Admiral's fleet.
While the viewer will indeed see the collective nature of the film, they will also see the "us versus them" mentality elicited by the film's antagonists (be it the naval officers or the ruthless Cossacks). All in all, the film is a piece of history that should be viewed and respected at a distance. If one is seeking greater insight into the Communist ideology and the implementation of propaganda, then this film is highly recommended.