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Original poster for Narrator: Directed by "" (1925). and released in 1925, "Battleship Potemkin" is one of the first to use what is now referred to as Soviet Theory.

Old stock still images of Narrator: These editing concepts a making set. Several were pioneered by filmmakers such as shirtless men stand behind Kuleshov and Eisenstein himself, and the camera. The huge film were used to make as many as 30 films camera is pointing towards during the 5 year period it was used us. (1925-1930).

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Fade in to still portrait of Narrator: Kuleshov was the first to Lev Kuleshov. use editing to elicit meaning from arranging shots in a certain way.

Stock clip of one of the Narrator: The man’s expression followed videos. by the bowl of soup makes us assume A shot of a man looking he is hungry, or is thinking about his emotionlessly into the camera food. is followed by a bowl of soup.

The same shot of the man Narrator: This time, the girl in the is shown. This time, it is coffin makes us think that the man is followed by a shot showing a somehow related to the girl, and is small girl in a coffin. grieving because of her death.

A still portrait of Kuleshov, Narrator: Kuleshov may not have set to the side with a still realised the importance of what he’d portrait of Eisenstein fading done, but this was to be the basis in after 5 seconds on the for the rise of montage editing, and other side. Eisenstein’s inspiration for pioneering Soviet Montage Theory.

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A still image of the Narrator: Eisenstein joined the State Gerasimov Institute of Film School, now known as the Gerasimov Cinematography, taken in Institute of Cinematography. present day. 2 VIDEO AUDIO

Stock image of Eisenstein Here he learnt from Kuleshov, who had examining a film reel’s joined the institution a year after its negatives with a quizzical founding. look on his face.

A poster for "Strike" (1925). Narrator: While Eisenstein’s first Soviet Montage Theory production was "Strike" (1925), "Battleship Potemkin" is arguably more resonant with the concepts in question.

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Stock from Narrator: In this film, Eisenstein, "Battleship Potemkin". Many who both directed and edited the small ships gather around a masterpiece, uses several different large battleship. There are types of Soviet Montage Theory, medium shots of people waving enhancing the visual impact of the film into the wide shots of and also eliciting more meaning. He the boats on the water. referred to these techniques as "Cinema of Attractions".

A black screen. The following Narrator: The main methods of Soviet words appear as they are Montage pre-Eisenstein were: metric, spoken by the narrator: rhythmic, tonal and overtonal. Metric, rhythmic, tonal, overtonal and intellectual.

A still image from Narrator: All of these methods can be "Battleship Potemkin". 2 seen in "Battleship Potemkin", but one lines of sailors face each method not on this list is possibly the other on the upper deck. The most significant of them all. screen is dominated by two huge cannons.

A portrait of Sergei Narrator: Eisenstein believed that Eisenstein in 1935. He montage was "an idea that derives from is looking content and is the collision between two shots that staring off to the right. are independent of one another”. By editing together two or more images, a "tertium quid" or "third thing" could be created. This was the creation of intellectual montage. 3 VIDEO AUDIO

A stock image of eyes is Narrator: For example, a shot of eyes followed by a stock image followed by water could illicit the of water droplets falling. meaning of crying.

Stock footage from "October". Narrator: Many strong examples of A crowd of people is seen intellectual montage can be seen in the fleeing from an open square, film, particularly those that relate to cut in with shots of a mad the propagandal nature of Eisenstein’s looking man firing a large masterpiece. gun.

Stock footage from Narrator: The first example of Soviet "Battleship Potemkin". As Montage Theory editing comes when a two sailors walk by, the commanding officer of the battleship door next to them opens and a is first introduced. This happens stern looking man in officer through 3 cuts, Eisenstein using uniform steps outside. He rhythmic editing to change angles at first looks over at the key points of movement. This belittling situation below, before shot of the sailors is symbolic of the closing the door. It cuts historical context of the film. The just before he closes the February protest of 1917 overthrew the door, and again as he begins Tsar government, freeing the people to move away from the door. from the oppressive rule of their A low angle, close up shot superiors. Given that "Battleship of the officer looking down Potemkin" is a propaganda film above precedes a match on action everything else, this sequence is meant shot of his view, the sailors to symbolise the Tsarist oppression of grouping and discussing on the times. the deck below. Stock footage from Narrator: The next apparent use "Battleship Potemkin". of Soviet Montage Theory is when Sailors line up on either the rebellious sailors are about side of the upper deck of to be rounded up and killed by the the ship. Two huge cannons commander’s guards. The music is very dominate the centre of the vigorous and implies marching and screen. Guards march into control. It synchronises with the line, and then the tempo of guards’ feet, and with the cuts that the cuts start to conform show the reactions of the commanders to the beat of the music. and the sailors. This is metric Shots of the guards marching editing, as the timing of the shots and the sailors’ reactions goes with the music, and the time of are cut in. Shots that show each cut is not affected by what is dialogue are also included in happening on the screen. the timing of the cuts. 4 VIDEO AUDIO

Stock footage from "Battleship Potemkin". A sequence that shows the rebellious sailors evading and fighting the guards. The cuts work with the movements on screen. Shots of feet running down stairs are followed by shots of said people arriving at the bottom of the stairs. This is all cut very quickly. Many more shots of sailors running around and mocking the guards.

Narrator: Rhythmic montage is used when the sailors escape and begin fighting with the officers who are trying to catch them. The rhythm is kept fairly constant, as the sailors round up all the officers who previously oppressed them. The tone of the music makes the sailors seem like a swarm of insects taking over an enemy hive. This works very well with the ryhthmic montage editing that is evident throughout this scene. Fade to black.

Stock footage from Narrator: The "Odessa Steps" sequence "Battleship Potemkin". A is possibly the most famous sequence crowd flees down the steps in the whole film. This is because it of Odessa. A line of Tsarist uses all the different kinds of Soviet guards appear from the Montage. The sequence lasts around 7 top and start shooting the minutes, and shows how the rebelling escaping citizens. public are dealt with by the government troops. Firstly, rhythmic editing is used throughout, often showing actions of the troops and the fleeing citizens that are happening simultaneously.

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As the crowd initially reacts Narrator: This is one of the major uses to the arrival of the troops of intellectual montage in the film. and starts fleeing down the This is intellectual montage because steps, we see the troops the statue is a symbol for the power of enter the frame of the shot the government and its tyrannical rule from underneath the blocking over its people. The effect is pulled of a statue. This statue is off because the statue is looking out of some important Russian over the steps, the people are running leader, and he is gesturing away from its position, and because the in a manner that makes him troops appear from underneath it. The seem he is encouraging the blocking and the angle of the shot are attack on the people. The the reason this intellectual editing is people then run away from the possible. statue down the stairs, with the statue towering above them in the background.

A woman with a baby in a The music intensifies and increases in pushchair is shot, and the tempo. pushchair starts to roll down the steps. The further it Narrator: Metric editing is also used rolls, the more intense the in this scene. The music here is just music gets, and the faster like the previous scenes, except the cuts are. The music and the tempo is much faster. There is a the visuals cooperate to recurrent trumpet melody being played make the montage a lot more that keeps the tension. intense.

Stock footage from Narrator: The last example of "Battleship Potemkin". The intellectual editing is when the shots of the bombing itself battleship bombs Odessa. These shots are followed by 3 shots of of the lions can be interpreted in a lion statue in different many ways, but one possible reason positions. The first shot for Eisenstein to include this figure shows the lion sleeping, is to symbolise the Russian people’s while the next shot is from uprising, and their realisation that the same angle, but the lion defying the rule of the government is is looking up. The last of not only possible, but currently taking the 3 shots shows the lion place. The lion is a symbol of their full stood up, with a look of spirit and resilience. shock on its face. High tempo music. 6 VIDEO AUDIO

Still image of Eisenstein. He Narrator: "Battleship Potemkin" not is smiling. only pioneered a major film making concept that is synonymous with cinema itself, but also provided a focused commentary on the historical events leading up to its release.

Stock footage from Narrator: The editing techniques "Battleship Potemkin". A Eisenstein used, intellectual editing woman holds her head in in particular, helped to elicit meaning horror. A dead boy is shown from visuals in an unprecedented way. being trampled over by the fleeing crowd.

Stock footage from "Battleship Potemkin". A close up of guards marching. Cut to a shot of the troops marching towards the fleeing crowd from underneath the blocking of the statue.

Stock footage from By creating a propaganda film geared "Battleship Potemkin". A towards portraying the upheaval of missile comes from off the Tsar government and the birth of screen and explodes the stone the , Eisenstein created pillar, the pillar crumbles. the concept now known to us as montage editing.

Same still image from before: Eisenstein looking quizzically at negatives of a film reel.

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