Sergei Einstein, 1928
I've been watching a chockful of Eisensteins lately -- both Ivans, Alexander Nevsky -- hoping they would match the masterful strokes of Potemkin. October, ostensibly celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Russian Revolution is the only one that comes very close.
October prides itself on it's accuracy -- filmed inside the actual Winter Palace with the cooperation of those revolutionary guard who were actually involved -- but in the most major, obvious way October lacks the courage of it's convictions. Revolution, no matter how necessarily and noble, often requires terrible and brutal sacrifice. Sparing the viewer the execution of the Romanovs whitewashed and diminishes what was achieved.
Aside from the whole "Bang bang he shot me down," element, I would guess that October captures the political aspects of the Revolution with at least a feeling if not a degree of accuracy. I studied all this in 9th grade but most of it washed over me here. I almost think it's better that way; you get the abstract oblique notions of strife discord and momentum build and wash over you, aided and augmented by the montage of Eisenstein's eccentric twisted faces of the common man. And as always Eisenstein's acute sense of construction and momentum sweeps you along in the emotion of the story even if you don't fully grasp the ramifications .
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