Battleship Potemkin
Battleship Potemkin, albeit a silent film, was full of unexpected action and drama. And not just any drama, but a kind that eats down to your core. The two notable scenes I think most viewers will remember are the rebellion on the ship deck in which sailors were covered in canvas and were about to be murdered and the Odessa Step massacre. These two scenes brought out a new dimension of sadness, a new dynamic of emotions. I was really surprised to see such despair in the characters' eyes, and to see such calamity unfold in such a way.
There is a quote on page 117 of our reading that says "Eisenstein was prepared to romanticize revolutionary action" and I think it is a great description of this film's story and cinematography in particular. The rebellion of the sailors, the mourning of the martyr, and the slaughter of innocent civilians including women and children come together to create almost a melodramatic atmosphere that inspires any indulgent viewer. The text also makes note of how only few of the characters have names, and that most remain intentionally ambiguous as to help the viewer better relate to the people. The quotes like "we are one", "brothers and sisters" and "let there be no differences between us!" have a very unifying ring to them, one that sparks flames in the hearts of the oppressed and isolated. The film really does portray this well in my opinion; I definitely felt a sense of romanticization of rebellion and unity--fitting for a revolutionary film.
As I stated above, there were some very good actions scenes this time around (compared to the other silent films we have watched so far). In addition, there many scenes that made amazing use of quick camera cuts and silhouette shots.
Overall, although the reality of the movie is a little hard to swallow, it was a very compelling film with a lot of emotion that lasts for generations, even to today. It is clear as to why this film has one of the most important scenes of all time for the Silent Film era, if not across all eras. Even movies nowadays such as American Sniper (although controversial) that show graphic scenes aren't seen as such today. Battleship Potemkin was a great watch that really told a story.
There is a quote on page 117 of our reading that says "Eisenstein was prepared to romanticize revolutionary action" and I think it is a great description of this film's story and cinematography in particular. The rebellion of the sailors, the mourning of the martyr, and the slaughter of innocent civilians including women and children come together to create almost a melodramatic atmosphere that inspires any indulgent viewer. The text also makes note of how only few of the characters have names, and that most remain intentionally ambiguous as to help the viewer better relate to the people. The quotes like "we are one", "brothers and sisters" and "let there be no differences between us!" have a very unifying ring to them, one that sparks flames in the hearts of the oppressed and isolated. The film really does portray this well in my opinion; I definitely felt a sense of romanticization of rebellion and unity--fitting for a revolutionary film.
As I stated above, there were some very good actions scenes this time around (compared to the other silent films we have watched so far). In addition, there many scenes that made amazing use of quick camera cuts and silhouette shots.
Overall, although the reality of the movie is a little hard to swallow, it was a very compelling film with a lot of emotion that lasts for generations, even to today. It is clear as to why this film has one of the most important scenes of all time for the Silent Film era, if not across all eras. Even movies nowadays such as American Sniper (although controversial) that show graphic scenes aren't seen as such today. Battleship Potemkin was a great watch that really told a story.
I noticed the quicker camera cuts; but I didn't even think about the silhouette shots and how that might have been a new technique at the time of this movie
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