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Sergei Eisenstein's revolutionary sophomore feature has so long stood as a textbook example of montage editing that many have forgotten what an invigoratingly cinematic experience he created. A 20th-anniversary tribute to the 1905 revolution, Eisenstein portrays the revolt in microcosm with a dramatization of the real-life mutiny aboard the battleship Potemkin. The story tells a familiar party-line message of the oppressed working class (in this case the enlisted sailors) banding together to overthrow their oppressors (the ship's officers), led by proto-revolutionary Vakulinchuk. When he dies in the shipboard struggle the crew lays his body to rest on the pier, a moody, moving scene where the citizens of Odessa slowly emerge from the fog to pay their respects. As the crowd grows Eisenstein turns the tenor from mourning a fallen comrade to celebrating the collective achievement. The government responds by sending soldiers and ships to deal with the mutinous crew and the supportive townspeople, which climaxes in the justly famous (and often imitated and parodied) Odessa Steps massacre. Eisenstein edits carefully orchestrated motions within the frame to create broad swaths of movement, shots of varying length to build the rhythm, close-ups for perspective and shock effect, and symbolic imagery for commentary, all to create one of the most cinematically exciting sequences in film history. Eisenstein's film is Marxist propaganda to be sure, but the power of this masterpiece lies not in its preaching but its poetry. --Sean Axmaker
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
8 of 10 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:DVD
Most of the reviews posted here unfortunately review the film, not the product for sale. Little else can be said about Battleship Potemkin, Eisenstein's masterpiece and one of the crown jewels of cinematic history. With all this positive karma, one would think that such a film would get a decent DVD release.
Unfortunately, Battleship Potemkin does not. Granted, the film itself is wonderful, and one of my all time favorites, but this DVD transfer does not do it justice. The famous musical score, banned in many countries at the time of its release, is absent, replaced with a tinny, bombastic score composed thirty years after the fact. The Odessa Steps sequence has also been severly mangled, omitting many of the shots which stuck in my mind the first time I viewed this film so long ago. Do yourself a favor and buy a good VHS copy of this film until a good DVD comes along, hopefully from a big-name group like Kino Video or Criterion.
Unfortunately, Battleship Potemkin does not. Granted, the film itself is wonderful, and one of my all time favorites, but this DVD transfer does not do it justice. The famous musical score, banned in many countries at the time of its release, is absent, replaced with a tinny, bombastic score composed thirty years after the fact. The Odessa Steps sequence has also been severly mangled, omitting many of the shots which stuck in my mind the first time I viewed this film so long ago. Do yourself a favor and buy a good VHS copy of this film until a good DVD comes along, hopefully from a big-name group like Kino Video or Criterion.
Format:DVD
Many silent films are difficult to sit through, even if the film contains a strong message such as The Birth of a Nation. Potemkin, on the other hand, keeps you engaged the entire time, from the mutiny to the massacre on the Odessa Steps. It contains images and clips that will remain with you indefinately, and are used by other film-makers, such as Terry Gilliam in Brazil. It is a must-see for anyone who loves classic cinema.
By M. B. Alcat
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:DVD
"Revolution is war. Of all the wars known in history it is the only lawful, rightful, just, and truly great war... In Russia this war has been declared and begun". Lenin said that in 1905, and the quotation appears on the screen as soon as you begin watching this film. It gives you an excellent idea of what "Battleship Potemkin" is about, that is Soviet propaganda.
All the same, this film is a classic that should be watched, in order to understand why it is considered as such. In my opinion, the reasons are many:
a) To start with, the story of a naval mutiny sparked by rotten food is an interesting one, and it is told in a way that makes the spectator think that that event is happening right before him, even though the film is in black and white, and has no sound.
b) Secondly, the sequences regarding the Odessa massacre are impossible to forget, and some scenes are simply gems of great emotional impact and a profound shocking value.
c) Finally, and from a technical point of view, the ability of Sergei M. Eisenstein to produce such a film in 1925 is something noteworthy, as is his edition technic, and the way in which he uses symbols to impress upon the spectator what he wants to say.
All in all, I think that even though watching this film isn't likely to be something you will do often for fun, it is something you should do at least once. Recommended!
Belen Alcat
All the same, this film is a classic that should be watched, in order to understand why it is considered as such. In my opinion, the reasons are many:
a) To start with, the story of a naval mutiny sparked by rotten food is an interesting one, and it is told in a way that makes the spectator think that that event is happening right before him, even though the film is in black and white, and has no sound.
b) Secondly, the sequences regarding the Odessa massacre are impossible to forget, and some scenes are simply gems of great emotional impact and a profound shocking value.
c) Finally, and from a technical point of view, the ability of Sergei M. Eisenstein to produce such a film in 1925 is something noteworthy, as is his edition technic, and the way in which he uses symbols to impress upon the spectator what he wants to say.
All in all, I think that even though watching this film isn't likely to be something you will do often for fun, it is something you should do at least once. Recommended!
Belen Alcat
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4.3 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars
Russian classic has little for the modern viewer.
A movie that contains some very clever sequences and shots, particularly those of the massacre on the steps of the city. There isn't much of a story though. Read more
Published on Aug 7 2004 by Jonathon Allsopp
2.0 out of 5 stars
Only if you can get it cheap. No special features.
The movie: 5 stars.
The dvd edition: 2 stars, okay picture, good score, no special features, average on the whole.
The dvd edition: 2 stars, okay picture, good score, no special features, average on the whole.
A nice little DVD edition, if you get it cheap. Read more
Published on April 15 2004 by Ben Parker
3.0 out of 5 stars
Massacre at the Odessa Steps.
Whenever the subject of Sergei Eisenstein's "The Battleship Potemkin" comes up, it is virtually impossible not to immediately think of the amazing Odessa Steps sequence, but there... Read more
Published on Mar 26 2004 by Steven Y.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Well worth the effort.
Remembering that the film was both a product and a tool of the Soviet political machine, the hatred of the Tsarists is evident throughout. Read more
Published on Jan 17 2004
5.0 out of 5 stars
Powerful
With modern multi-million dollar blockbusters with computer effects, an OLD film like this can be difficult to watch. Read more
Published on Nov 13 2003 by Sara Swihart
2.0 out of 5 stars
Eisestein's Genius is hard for modern audiences to watch
Battleship Potempkin is an historic milestone, and is useful for future directors to watch, but the film itself shows too many flaws to be in itself entertaining. Read more
Published on Oct 28 2003 by Drew Olds
5.0 out of 5 stars
I Loath Communism but This Movie is Great
Sergei Eisenstein's (1898-1948) most memorable contribution to the craft of filmmaking undoubtedly is the concept of the montage along with other important editing techniques that... Read more
Published on Sep 24 2003 by Jeffrey Leach
5.0 out of 5 stars
It simply blows your mind.
I had the opportunity recently here in Germany to watch Potemkin in the big cinema with live music - played by a combo from Berlin (violin, drummer, bass and piano), that had... Read more
Published on Jun 17 2003 by Dr. William Boehart
4.0 out of 5 stars
Above-average presentation for a vital silent film
The need for serious film-buffs to own this film is so obvious that I hardly need reiterate it. Too many have called it the greatest film ever, or nearly so. Read more
Published on Mar 2 2003 by Rodney Molnar-Pohdap
5.0 out of 5 stars
Plain and Simple
Yes, it is plain and simple the greatest of all films. My criteria is personal and I do not want to get pretentious with the viewer. Read more
Published on Jan 19 2003 by Matthew A. Miller
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