Battleship Potemkin

The world of cinema is shaped by a number of iconic scenes that we see sampled, sent up, or recreated time and time again. Whether it be the raving primate scene from 2001 (1968) or Hitchcock’s killer shower scene, it’s the significance of these snippets and the works they hail from that characterise and shape modern cinema. Sometimes we may recognise a scene, but not know where it comes from and receive such a surprise when we learn the history. For me, one such example of this is the baby carriage scene from Battleship Potemkin. 

You all know the scene: a baby carriage (or stroller) bumping down flights of steps against a background of absolute chaos. It’s a thrilling and oftentimes stark event, but when you watch it in it’s natural habitat, it has so much more behind it. Battleship Potemkin depicts civil unrest and rebellion in Soviet Russia, which is finally brought to a head after an uprising on board the Battleship Tavrichevsky. When a sailor is slain and laid to rest on the shores of Odessa the village flies into rebellion and a bloody massacre ensues between Cossacks and the civilians. The final stage of revolution falls to the Battleship Potemkin that sails out to confront a squadron of army ships, either to fight for their freedom or convert their sailor brothers to the cause. 

Divided into five chapters, Battleship Potemkin is considered one of the most influential silent films of all time, and when you actually sit down and watch it, it’s not hard to see why. There are so many elements of the mise-en-scene and shot composition that are a) recognisable from contemporary movies and b) really quite ‘modern’ when you consider the film’s year of release (1925). 

Whilst it’s a dramatic (though not accurate) retelling of Russian history that still delivers the excitement and suspense of such a story, it’s celebrated more as a piece of cinematic significance rather than just plain historic. Eisenstein paved the way for a new class of filmmakers, ones who understand that large historical, political, and ethical points can be made through simple metaphors and images on screen. Indeed two of the most significant scenes in the movie are the baby carriage tumbling down the Odessa steps and a young boy being shot by a Cossack and then trampled by the people. Both scenes pack a heavy punch that forces you to realise the brutal loss of innocence, peacefulness, and childlike naivety in the world of adults. 

We then have iconic close-ups of maggots in meat and canons staring right at the camera (and, by extension the audience), which both increase the excitement and suspense of the movie as well as forcefully convey the horrors of political oppression once upon a time. Most modern movie-goers would not think that they would be emotionally put through the wringer in a silent film, but Battleship Potemkin really shakes the foundations of what we know about the power of movies and art imitating life. 

Aesthetically, it’s a rich and stunning drama that actually stars a whole village (we’re talking Metropolis scale) and as much as I can try and recreate the awesome power that it has through words, I would just have you all find a copy and watch it. If you’re in any way, a fan of cinema: its movements, history, and style, Battleship Potemkin is a movie that you must watch!

Starring: Aleksandr Antonov, Vladimir Barsky, Grigori Aleksandrov, Mikhail Gomorov, Ivan Bobrov, Beatrice Vitoldi, N. Poltavseva, Julia Eisenstein

Rating: PG