Week #2: Released in 1925, directed by Sergei Eisenstein, 75 minutes. Watched about 20 years ago, but don’t remember it at all, so more or less new to me.

LetterBoxd score: 4 stars

The big moments still work: the mutiny at sea feels visceral and real; the Odessa steps sequence is relentless; and the finale is exhilarating in a fist pumping way. But the moment work in a way that feels legitimately dangerous; from my safe placid life, it is jarring to see the celebration of violence in this way. The mutiny aboard the Potemkin is particularly unsettling. Yes, we quickly establish the officer corps of this ship is vile – they are happy to let the sailors get shot for refusing to eat rotten food! But watching them grapple for their lives, to avoid getting tossed into the sea (to drown for sure), it’s hard not to recognize something we have in common.

The little stuff is also interesting; the use of closeups feels modern and stands in sharp contrast to the omnipresent wide shots in Sherlock, Jr. And frankly, it’s just interesting to peer back in time nearly 100 years.

Some of it feels off to a modern viewer, but I think that says more about the film conventions I have subconsciously absorbed. For example, sometimes the film has text to explain what is happening, not merely what we can’t here. Today, that kind of violation of show, don’t tell, feels like bad film-making. But there are situations where the juxtaposition of words and imagery can be very powerful.

Another thing: none of the characters are really fleshed out at all, which makes it hard (for me) to feel invested in their fate. That undermines the effectiveness of the Odessa Steps in some ways; in a modern film, putting a baby in a massacre is a sign of laziness, that you screwed up the characterization. But again, this is intentional here. It’s a story of class struggle, not a story of individualism. It doesn’t resonate with me, but it’s a choice.

Why would someone think it’s one of the ten greatest films ever made?

At first, this seemed to me a clear case of “you made the cut because you were original for the time and highly imitated”, and some critics care about that kind of thing a lot. But it doesn’t have much to say to a modern viewer. I wouldn’t be surprised if I never watch this again.

But afterwards I read this commentary (by Ebert, I am basic) that made me see how incendiary and dangerous this could feel in a setting where discontent has reached a boiling point and revolution feels around the corner. For the right context, I can see it being very powerful.

In a parallel universe, I can see myself voting this one of the 10 greatest movies ever made. But not in this one.

Next week: The General