Takeover of the System

Rating: Null/10 (25 June 2002)

Spoilers herein.
Eisenstein significantly contributed to the invention of film editing. He thus changed how we dream.
This film is often considered his best. I think that a mistake, and would like to recommend to viewers that they put two others higher on their lists -- one very early and one very late.
`October' is highly experimental. Extreme even. In it, Eisenstein tried everything and with committed youthful passion. Not everything works. Not everything was carried over into future work. But the film has soul compared to mere competence. It lives rather than just points to life.
`Ivan Part 1' is much later. Apparently by this time, Eisenstein has abandoned the montage and (because beaten all his life) has adopted the relaxed, `normal' style. But this is not so. It has instead been so completely absorbed it is invisible, But it is there with shocking mastery. If you are interested in film and editing.
Don't flock to "Battleship:" it is too obvious to be interesting -- not yet mastery and too late for the exuberance of invention. See one of the others instead, better both, Ivan first.