The Battleship Potemkin

(Movie Review)

Having watched a lot of junk lately, I thought I’d throw some broccoli into the diet. (Although let’s be honest, the only difference between me and some of you is that I’ve just chosen to blog my viewing habits).

And it’s hard to get more broccoli than “Battleship Potemkin”. Not only is this a classic film, not only is this a classic foreign film, this is a classic foreign silent film.

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.

For anyone interested, the whole movie is on youtube here. Or you can just watch the Odessa Stairs scene here.

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.

Of course if historical accuracy becomes factor, a lot of Hollywood films are in trouble. Granted some of Hollywood’s creative liberties are for narrative or entertainment purposes, but others are more troubling. Remember “Pearl Harbor”, which showed the Japanese planes attacking hospitals, despite the fact that there is no historical record for this? Is the way that movie seeks to manipulate our thoughts and emotions any different than the exaggerated massacre on the Odessa steps?

And one last point on propaganda. It is worth noting that the US army has been actively engaging in its own Hollywood propaganda campaign for years now. Did you know that the US army provides equipment, troops, and technical advisors to any Hollywood film that portrays the army in a positive light? And I probably don’t even need to say that none of these things are provided to any film projects that have a more critical view. So if you were wondering why you haven’t seen any Hollywood anti-war movies recently, that’s a big part of the reason.

Link of the Day
US Abstinence Groups Target Africa

Battleship Potemkin: Movie Review (Scripted)