(Review originally written at 29 September 2007)
All of the places and rooms still existed at the time and were basically still in the same state as 10 years before, during the actual events. It of course helps to give the movie a certain bit of extra and adds to the realism of it all. Most of the people in this movie actually participated during the real revolution, including revolutionist 'hero' Nikolai Podvoisky.
What I like about the movie is that it's completely made in documentary style. It doesn't really focuses or any main character, or tries to tell a story in a cinematic scripted way, even though it obviously dramatizes and romanticize elements, such as the storming of the Winter Palace. Some sequences really look as if they were actually shot in 1917, during the actual events. No wonder that some sequences from this movie are often used in real documentaries about the Russian revolution.
Still of course the movie also features Communist propaganda in it. After all, this movie was made in honor of the 10th anniversary date of the Russian October revolution. In its core it's a pretty patriotic movie to watch but how could you mind if it's done in such a beautiful way. Stalin himself also closely kept an eye on the production of this movie and actually ordered to remove most of the sequences featuring old comrade but later turned 'enemy' Leon Trotsky. It's funny how only the sequences that make Trotsky look 'bad' and weak were kept into the movie.
Some of the camera-work is totally amazing! The movie features some beautiful and innovative compositions, also often with the purpose of symbolism. The fast editing is also present once more and truly helps to tell the story in this case. The directing, camera-work and editing are the reason that this movie works out so fantastically and is an absolute delight to watch.
The mass-sequences, as you would expect from an Eisenstein movie, are grand and spectacular looking. Literly thousands of extras were used for this movie, with of course as the ultimate highlight the storming of the Winter Palace at the end.
Really one of Eisenstein's best work and great if you want to learn about the Russian October revolution and the events leading up to it in 102 minutes, as long as you're also capable of watching past the propaganda elements of the movie.
10/10
No comments: