A classic

Since this movie was directed by Sergei Eisenstein, I was quite eager to check it out. Indeed, I did see ‘Battleship Potemkin’, arguably his most famous movie, but it was maybe 20 years ago, it was really neat to finally see another movie from this great master, especially after all these years. I was surprised to find out that it was actually his directorial debut as the damned thing was quite complex and ambitious for a first-timer. Still, to be honest, I have to admit that I had actually a rather hard time to get into the damned thing though. The fact that such Soviet propaganda movies actually never focused on the characters individually and instead handled the working class as one single character probably didn’t help. On the other hand, I have to admit that it was just quite inspiring and exhilarating to see this crowd of working men rising up all together against their bosses but also the whole system in general. Even if you believe that Communism and Socialism were the worst possible thing in the world, there was a time when an alternative was actually possible. At least, for a short while, it was explored and this alternative did provide something else than our current endless chase after financial profits and personal gain. The final act during which the ruthless repression took place was also strong and, unfortunately, felt quite realistic. It’s interesting that, when you read other reviews, they mostly focus on the technical aspects of this movie which was, for the time, apparently quite groundbreaking, but, to be honest, I didn’t focus too much on that. Anyway, to conclude, even though if it didn’t really grab me, it was still an interesting watch and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you are interested in Eisenstein’s work