I don’t know if this is a film that a lot of you will know... You might if you’re into film history or are a big fan of communist art! This week’s film is called “Battleship Potemkin”, a Soviet silent film from the ‘20s. In five acts, the film depicts a disgruntled but spirited crew mutinying against their royal commanders, siding their allegiance with the distressed population of Russia. It is very much a propaganda piece and very much just—ok.
In Acts 1 and 2, sailors on the Potemkin protest against the maggot-infested meat they’re forced to eat. A batch of sailors are nearly executed for this grumble but an uprising breaks out and the officers are thrown overboard. In Act 3, protest-leader Vakulinchuk (who is killed in the uprising) is laid to rest on the shore in Odessa. The Odessans/Odessians(?) mourn V. and sail to the Potemkin with offerings and supplies. Then, in Act 4, the Russian Royal Army arrives and fires on these sympathetic citizens of Odessa, women and children included. Savage. The Potemkin returns fire and flees to sea where, in Act 5, they face down the entire Russian Navy.
Battleship Potemkin is frequently cited as one of the greatest films ever made. It is particularly lauded for Act 4, “The Odessa Steps”, in which the Russian army fires on citizens on the city’s main steps. I admit, it’s a fascinating and gripping sequence. It innovated editing, montage, and violence in film and has influenced filmmakers and artists alike.
But outside of that sequence, the film didn’t really land for me. I don’t know if it’s because I knew it was manufactured propaganda, or if it's because drama doesn’t carry as well in title-cards, or what. I could be limited in the lens I view films through (likely) or maybe people just think it’s cool/artsy to like stuff like this (possibly) as much as people profess to (once named the greatest film of all time and high up on many lists). Either way, I’m glad to have watched this film as a primary source of history and glad to not watch it again.