Review of Battleship Potemkin (1925) by Mitchell W — 24 Mar 2008
It was supposed to be propaganda, no more than a historical re-enactment, but what Eisenstein accomplished is tremendous. It's even more impressive given his technical constraints. The camera is static in all but 2 or 3 shots, yet the picture moves quickly; every second is compelling and dynamic, a triumph of editing and composition.
The Odessa Steps sequence is legendary, and rightfully so. Montage is often interpreted as a loose jumble of images, a sloppy attempt at stream-of-consciousness imagery, but here it's tightly controlled and masterfully orchestrated, the perfect example of Eisenstein's theories on film editing.
This review of Battleship Potemkin (1925) was written by Mitchell W on 24 Mar 2008.
Battleship Potemkin has generally received very positive reviews.
Was this review helpful?
