Made to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the unsuccessful 1905 Revolution, Potemkin initially drew a mixed response in the Soviet Union, condemned by some for its formalism. Its reception abroad ultimately ensured both popular and critical success at home. Nevertheless Potemkin’s influence, if undeniable, has often been overstated. The Odessa Steps sequence’s power to excite rather than move reflects a relatively narrow authoritarian view of art. Eisenstein’s preoccupations with typage in performance and with each change of shot (or succession of changes) in construction had little influence on the development of film narrative. They now seem most relevant to the TV commercial and music clip. Also available on 16mm and VHS.
Credits: Director, Sergei Eisenstein ; photography, Edward Tisse.
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How to watch
Collection
In ACMI's collection
Credits
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
F000033
Language
No spoken word
Subject categories
Armed Forces, Military, War & Weapons → Navies
Feature films → Feature films - Soviet Union
History → Soviet Union - History
History → Soviet Union - History - 20th century
Sound/audio
Sound
Colour
Black and White
Holdings
35mm film; Limited Access Print (Section 2)