Battleship Potemkin (1925)

Directed by Sergei Eisenstein. Starring Aleksandr Antonov, Vladimir Barsky, Mikhail Gomorov, Grigori Aleksandrov.

Eisenstein’s filmmaking milestone is arranged as a propaganda piece, detailing a dramatized version of the Russian Revolution of 1905; eschews intimate details and character focus for a broad narrative of reactionary events beginning with the mutiny aboard the naval vessel Potemkin. The director’s advanced technique regarding editing rhythm and juxtaposition of images sealed its immortality, and the film endures as one of the most visceral and rousing experiences of the silent era. The famous Odessa steps sequence remains a powerhouse even today, borrowed, copied, homaged and parodied dozens of times since (notably the train station shootout in The Untouchables). Due to its nature of inciting furor through symbols and totems, it resembles a radical newspaper come to life, and lacks the immersion of the greatest fiction films, but it’s still an undeniably brilliant picture.

93/100