Interesting look at a classic

Rating: Null/10 (8 May 2011)

I'll be the first to admit that film is not my expertise, and many of the nuances in Eisenstein's masterpiece may have been lost on me. It is clear that his control of the camera is impressive, and the way in which he creates emotion through the camera is equally as impressive. However, the story seemed a little contrived to me. Although the underlying event was fact, it seemed to intentionally incite emotion rather than draw it out naturally. In the scene at the steps, this behavior is prevalent. The chaotic stitching of shots together insights the desired emotion, but it ignores the fact that the actual event was much more benign than Eisenstein's reenactment. So, if we wan't a realist reenactment of Soviet Russia during this time period, I would recommend looking somewhere else; however, if you want to see one of the greatest innovators in film history, this is a great film to start. Eisenstein's most notable work was definitely in montage. This film allows us to see how these ideas were invented. Since the concept was unpolished at this point, it allows us to see Eisenstein's intent in creating effects through montage.
If your looking for a casual day at the movies, this is not your pick. If you are a scholar of film, then there are a number of interesting points of exploration in terms of composition and exploration in film and narrative techniques. In this aspect, Eisenstein was a true pioneer.
I know that was kind of a continued rant on just one aspect of the film, but it most certainly is a defining featuring. In addition, the film doesn't entertain on some level. The action is interesting and does help to see the discontent manifested under Russian Fascism. The plot plays very basic, and barely held my interest. The authorship is almost peripheral to what makes this interesting though.