Battleship Potemkin

Amazon.com essential video

Sergei Eisenstein's revolutionary sophomore feature has so long stood as a textbook example of montage editing that many have forgotten what an invigoratingly cinematic experience he created. A 20th-anniversary tribute to the 1905 revolution, Eisenstein portrays the revolt in microcosm with a dramatization of the real-life mutiny aboard the battleship Potemkin. The story tells a familiar party-line message of the oppressed working class (in this case the enlisted sailors) banding together to overthrow their oppressors (the ship's officers), led by proto-revolutionary Vakulinchuk. When he dies in the shipboard struggle the crew lays his body to rest on the pier, a moody, moving scene where the citizens of Odessa slowly emerge from the fog to pay their respects. As the crowd grows Eisenstein turns the tenor from mourning a fallen comrade to celebrating the collective achievement. The government responds by sending soldiers and ships to deal with the mutinous crew and the supportive townspeople, which climaxes in the justly famous (and often imitated and parodied) Odessa Steps massacre. Eisenstein edits carefully orchestrated motions within the frame to create broad swaths of movement, shots of varying length to build the rhythm, close-ups for perspective and shock effect, and symbolic imagery for commentary, all to create one of the most cinematically exciting sequences in film history. Eisenstein's film is Marxist propaganda to be sure, but the power of this masterpiece lies not in its preaching but its poetry. --Sean Axmaker

Description

Stylistically, The Battleship Potemkin serves as a revolutionary film, not only in its subject matter, but also in its unique use of montage. As a pioneer who championed a new purpose for cinema, Eisenstein proposed a "kino fist" approach to filmmaking, one in which the film attacks the viewer's senses with symbolic metaphors, rhythmic editing, and highly-charged melodrama. Includes a rare documentary on Eisentein.

DUAL LAYER DISC
Collectible poster included

Customer Reviews:

Battleship Potemkin DVD .......2007-09-17

This Battleship Potemkin DVD is a glimpse into the lives of Russians just at the time when the era of the Tzars was coming to an end. Black and white, and a SILENT film, often a bit dull, but it will give you a perspective of Russian life that you will probably not be able to see anywhere else. Especially for fans or students of Russian history.

Delta edition that sells for $6.99--a good buy.......2007-08-28

There are currently two versions of this film available, and I see that Kino is releasing a version in October on two discs. I am specifically commenting on the inexpensive Delta edition. This seems to be the official Soviet edition of the film. The opening title sequence says that it is copyrighted 1976 by Sovexportfilm. The musical score is by Dmitri Shostakovich with a string of copyright dates from 1942 to 1967. This edition of the film lasts one hour and thirteen minutes.

The picture quality is quite acceptable but far from ideal. (Perhaps the forthcoming Kino edition will give us the restored version this film deserves.) The images are mostly easy to see although there are the usual old-film dirt and scratches. There are one or two brief scenes with noticeable visual problems. The very poor quality of the documentary shows just how bad the transfer could have been. All in all, this does not look any worse than when I first saw this film in a theater many years ago.

The intertitle cards are in Russian with English subtitles added.

The sound of the musical score is the usual poor quality heard in Soviet films in the 1930s and 1940s.

The untitled documentary is another story. There is no title and credit sequence. Internal evidence suggests it was made around 1955, but its visual quality is very poor. The narration, in English, suggests that this is a Soviet film, particularly as it comments on Eisenstein's occasional ideological lapses, especially in the second part of "Ivan the Terrible"!

I hadn't seen this film, which is so important in the history of cinema, in many years. But recently an acquaintance went to Odessa and brought me a postcard of the famous steps. Seeing them again made me want to see the film again, too. I'm glad I did.

As a bonus, a nice 9 1/2" by 14 1/2" reproduction of the original movie poster is included on folded heavy paper.

One final note, a better transliteration would be "Potyomkin" rather than "Potemkin", but I guess that's a lost battle!

Requisite film for any serious study of the medium, though not the best quality film to DVD transfer........2007-07-13

In the context of the 21st Century, the film "Battleship Potemkin" would undoubtedly fall flat, but given the available technology and the infancy of the medium when the film was produced, Sergei Eisenstein had indeed created an epic motion picture.
While the modern DVD incarnate features a less than remarkable transfer, the fact that it is available attests to its endurance even as a silent film.
Like most any film, it cannot capture the overall story of the 1905 Potemkin Mutiny, or the 1905 revolution. If you have read one of the few books in English on the subject you will without a doubt be disappointed. I would recommend following the film with the recent book "Red Mutiny," by Neil Bascomb, this will put the film in greater context for historical purposes.
For film studies, "Battleship Potemkin" can be analyzed in the realm of other silent greats like "The General," "Metropolis" and "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" among others.
Eisenstein's masterpiece ranks with the best international films of the day, but I prefer the simplicity of American silent films overall.
A deep and interesting film that is required viewing for the "film snob" in your home or family.

A Classic.......2007-06-19

My first (and until now only) encounter with this film was in a high school film studies elective I took. The teacher showed the scene of the massacre on the Odessa stairs, and the baby carriage, and then showed us clips from various other movies that had imitated it.

In the years since I've always been glad I knew that little piece of film trivia, because it does pop up every now and again, everywhere from the Naked Gun movies to the most recent Star Wars film.

And that one scene alone probably makes this movie worth watching, if for no other reason than to be able to catch the various references to it in other films, and then pat yourself on the back for what a cultured person you are.

As for the rest of the movie...
I'd love to say that it was actually really interesting once you get into it, but lets face it, this is a silent film made for a generation with longer attention spans and lower expectations. I'd be lying if I said there weren't any parts I yawned through. However once the action does get started, it is surprising intense, especially given how old this film is.

This movie is also one of the first examples of film propaganda, and so is interesting in that respect as well. Obviously as one of the first attempts it's not perfect, and hits you over the head a little bit too hard. (The art of good propaganda is not letting the audience realize they're being propagandized). My favorite is the over the top portrayal of the evil priest.

Then again, I can think of several Hollywood movies that lack subtlety. Maybe we only notice how ridiculous this movie is because it is old and because it's communist.

I suppose it's probably pointless to debate the moral qualities of this movie because it is now nothing more than an historical oddity. It is old, the techniques it employees are no longer effective on the modern audience, and the regime that created it no longer exists.

And yet, perhaps because of my protestant upbringing, I still have the urge to examine this film and classify it as either good or bad.

Obviously this film is tainted by its association with Stalin, but the actual events portrayed in the film (the failed 1905 Russian Revolution) are safely removed from the evils of the Bolshevik regime. Can a person with progressive politics watch this movie and simply appreciate the story about soldiers who refused to open fire on the people when ordered, and instead joined in a popular uprising? This is, after all, not only the story of the Russian Revolution, but Europe in 1848, Paris in 1871, and the German Revolution in 1918.

The various historical liberties the film takes makes it slightly harder to defend. Apparently there was no actual massacre on the Odessa steps, although there were a few demonstrators killed in scuffles with the army. And the circumstances of the Potemkin mutiny are also in debate.

Battleship Potemkin.......2007-06-18

Oppressed by their commanding officers, the enlisted crewmen of the Battleship Potemkin stage a mutinous revolt in 1905 Russia, led by charismatic young sailor Vokulinchuk (Antonov). When he is killed during the violent skirmish that results, the citizens of port town Odessa join the struggle against the Czarist regime.

Eisenstein's exhilarating, world-renowned masterpiece re-creates the ill-starred 1905 Russian Revolution that presaged the Bolshevik uprising twelve years later. Celebrated for its brilliant rapid-cut montage techniques, "Potemkin" is a rousing film of great emotional and symbolic richness whose visual sweep and driving energy were unparalleled at the time. The famous Odessa Steps sequence, in which a baby carriage goes careening down stairs as the Cossacks massacre rebellious townsfolk, has been imitated many times, most recently in "The Untouchables." For 69 minutes of pure, visceral cinema, board Battleship Potemkin.

Battleship Potemkin (The Ultimate Edition) (2pc) (Full B&W)

Average customer rating:

A LEGENDARY FILM BY A LEGENDARY FILM MAKER gets top treatment!

Battleship Potemkin (The Ultimate Edition) (2pc) (Full B&W)
Director: Sergei Eisenstein
Manufacturer: Kino International
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Classics | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video

Ultimate Editions | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B000V7HFL4
Release Date: 2007-10-23

Product Description

For eight decades, Sergei Eisenstein s 1925 masterpiece has remained the most influential silent film of all time. Yet each successive generation has seen BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN subjected to censorship and recutting, its unforgettable power diluted in unauthorized public domain editions from dubious sources. Until now. Kino is proud to join the Deutsche Kinematek in association with Russia s Goskinofilm, the British Film Institute, Bundesfilm Archive Berlin, and the Munich Film Museum in presenting this all new restoration of BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN. Dozens of missing shots have been replaced, and all 146 title cards restored to Eisenstein s specifications. Edmund Meisel s definitive 1926 score, magnificently rendered by the 55-piece Deutches Filmorchestra in 5.1 Stereo Surround, returns Eisenstein s masterwork to a form as close to its creator s bold vision as has been seen since the film s triumphant 1925 Moscow premiere. Odessa 1905. Enraged with the deplorable conditions on board the armored cruiser Potemkin, the ship s loyal crew contemplates the unthinkable mutiny.
Seizing control of the Potemkin and raising the red flag of revolution, the sailors revolt becomes the rallying point for a Russian populace ground under the boot heels of the Czar s Cossacks. When ruthless White Russian cavalry arrives to crush the rebellion on the sandstone Odessa Steps, the most famous and most quoted film sequence in cinema history is born.

Customer Reviews:

A LEGENDARY FILM BY A LEGENDARY FILM MAKER gets top treatment!.......2007-09-14

The Battleship Potemkin uprising happened in June, 1905, when the ship's crew rebelled against their oppressive officers. It is usually regarded as one of the first leading events to the 1917 Russian Revolution.

This legendary film was produced in 1925 by Mosfilm, at the height of the silent cinema period and is, perhaps, the most famous example of the Soviet school of editing whose style and theories are deeply influential even today!

The film is divided in five episodes: "Men and Maggots" (showing the sailors revolting when forced to eat rotten meat), "Drama at the Harbor" (which shows the revolt being smashed and its leader killed), "A Dead Man Calls for Justice" (showing the people of Odessa crying the loss of the revolt's leader), "The Odessa Staircase" (showing the Army marching over the people - and killing them) and the final episode: "Rendez-Vous with the Squadron" which closes the film.

Now, the problem with BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN is that, being regarded as a masterpiece (like METROPOLIS, BIRTH OF A NATION, PANDORA'S BOX, INTOLERANCE and CABIRIA), it is also a work with a high degree of political content (like TRIUMPH OF THE WILL) and, like many of those films, it has been censored, cut, re-cut several times... until virtually none of the several circulating versions of it (most in public domain and lousy shape) meets the version made by Eisenstein.

Kino joined forces with the Deutsche Kinematek, the Russia's Goskinofilm, the British Film Institute, Bundesfilm Archive Berlin, and the Munich Film Museum in order to present this all new restoration. Shots have been replaced, and all 146 title cards restored to Eisenstein's specifications.

Edmund Meisel's definitive 1926 score, magnificently rendered by the 55-piece Deutches Filmorchestra in 5.1 Stereo Surround, returns Eisenstein's masterwork to a form as close to its creator's bold vision as has been seen since the film's 1925 Moscow premiere. In fact, a funny story goes that BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN opened in Moscow alongside ROBIN HOOD (the 1922 version with Douglas Fairbanks) and the Soviet government expected it would earn more money than the American film... representing the power and revitalization of Soviet cinema. It lost. (laughs) :p

Featuring on this double disc edition are:
1) "Tracing Battleship Potemkin," a 42-minute documentary on the making and restoration of the film.
2) The restored film with newly-translated English intertitles.
3) The restored film with original Russian intertitles (and optional English subtitles).
4) The original 1926 Edmund Meisel score, performed by the Deutsches Filmorchestra, presented in 5.1 Stereo Surround.
5) Photo gallery.

This film is a landmark in Film History and deserves to be seen by anyone who's serious about film making.

Average customer rating:

Battleship Potemkin DVD
Delta edition that sells for $6.99--a good buy
Requisite film for any serious study of the medium, though not the best quality film to DVD transfer.
A Classic
Battleship Potemkin

Battleship Potemkin
Starring: Aleksanteri Ahola-Valo , Grigori Aleksandrov , Aleksandr Antonov , Vladimir Barsky , and Ivan Bobrov
Director: Grigori Aleksandrov
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Classics | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

ASIN: 6305090033
Release Date: 1998-10-07

Amazon.com essential video

Description

Based on the unsuccessful 1905 Russian Revolution, Sergei Eisenstein's masterpiece "Battleship Potemkin" is often voted one of the ten greatest films ever made, this program includes a powerful musical score by N Kruikov.

Customer Reviews:

Battleship Potemkin DVD .......2007-09-17

Delta edition that sells for $6.99--a good buy.......2007-08-28

Requisite film for any serious study of the medium, though not the best quality film to DVD transfer........2007-07-13

A Classic.......2007-06-19

Battleship Potemkin.......2007-06-18

Average customer rating:

Battleship Potemkin
Starring: Del Rey & the Sun Kings
Manufacturer: Phantom Domestic
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000MV90GM
Release Date: 2007-02-13

DVD:

DVD

DVD