Eisenstein is a genius of cinema no doubt about that but this is just an exquisitely directed piece of propaganda. The triumphant tone, the grand mobilization of the masses and all that *beep* we know where it all led. Superficial and heavy-handed!
4 out of 10
A lot of people have trouble with this film. Yes: it was made in the period immediately following the Russian Civil War and probably took a bit of poetic licence with the facts. However - and this is the bit most don't realise - it actually happened and in a manner no less factual than so many films we see today "based on real events". In fact it was probably more accurate.
The other problem people have is that, regardless of when it was made, this is not a film about the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. It's about the revolution of 1905, which was a mobilisation of the masses against the Czar and resulted in a change from absolute monarchy to a form of parliamentary government. So, in actual fact, the sailors were mobilising with the public to fight for democracy. The Czar called out the Cossack Guard - as he usually did whenever there were protests, peaceful or otherwise, and people died.
If you think it is "superficial and heavy-handed" then you need to remember when it was made. In the context of its time, it was a landmark film.
Great thread!
shareJeez I feel so awkward when I see how many people know more about my birth country than me. Need to learn some more of my history.
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