Odessa Steps in Battleship Potemkin by Eisenstein

Table of Contents

Introduction
Main body
Conclusion
Works Cited

Introduction

Eisensteins theory of montage establishes how a film must be built to convey a certain brand of politics by stating that the viewers emotions can be directed through the juxtaposition of images (Eisenstein 2). To illustrate, in the Odessa steps sequence in Battleship Potemkin, the audience sees the juxtaposition of images that bear the given meaning of horror caused by the callous behavior of the tsars soldiers. In the following paper, the Odessa steps sequence in Battleship Potemkin will be discussed in detail to identify how Eisensteins theory of montage conveys the idea of hatred of the tsarist regime. Overall, analysis of this film shows that Eisenstein used the intellectual, metric, rhythmic, tonal, and overtone montages, mise-en-scene, typage, body positioning, and inflammatory images to denote the violence promoted by the tsarist regime.

Main body

Eisensteins theory of montage assumes the process of film creation as the process of building, for instance, building of a bridge. At that, each brick or cadre is important to convey particular ideas (Eisenstein 3). In the Odessa steps sequence in Battleship Potemkin, there are multiple examples of techniques aiming to manipulate viewers perception such as metric, rhythmic, tonal, overtonal, and intellectual montage. In addition, the sequence demonstrates other effective techniques of emotional manipulation including the use of the mise-en-scene, typage, body positioning, and inflammatory images.

Metric montage in the Odessa steps sequence, where the massacre of common people by the tsarist soldiers is shown, can be seen in the editing tempo. The tempo of editing increases when the annihilation reaches its peak. The rhythmic montage applies when the tsars soldiers marching in the military order appear in contrast to the chaos of the victims fleeing to escape death. An example of tonal montage shows up when the director shots conflicting planes of soldiers with rifles in the dark and the fleeing citizens in the light. Overtonal montage in the Odessa steps sequence can be seen in the aggregation of multiple minor details that produce the overall emotional effect of hatred to the brutal tsarist regime.

The vivid illustration showing intellectual montage is a part demonstrating how the battleship fires three times in the end of the sequence. Mariners hit the three marble lions the one sleeping, the one waking, and the one rising. These lions may appear to a viewer as a single beast arising from sleep. This symbol is a remarkable example of intellectual montage because it has a far-reaching implication in history which is the event of the revolution against the tsarist regime.

The mise-en-scene in the Odessa steps sequence serves to make an emphasis on the cruel nature of the tsarist regime and the possible well-being and joyfulness that people may have without it. In the first part of the sequence, the viewer sees the good weather and the shining sun in the background of the happy people with the rising spirit who are glad to support the mariners opposing the tsar. In the second half of this sequence, the viewer experiences a striking contrast in the mise-en-scene when the sudden darkness covers the light and the cruel massacre begins.

The choice of typage is yet another technique utilized by the director to convey the idea that tsars politics is the evil for the common people, and the Soviet reality is the best solution for all. In Battleship Potemkin, the audience may notice the focus on the typage of the people of the proletariat rather than nobility or stars and the rich citizens. The director shoots the large planes of the mothers with their children, the elderly people, common men, and women, showing their sincere and kind faces. Such usage of typage invokes the viewer to feel for the common people and their tragedy.

One more example of how Eisenstein manipulated the spectators perception is the usage of the concept of body positioning. In the large crowd scenes of the sequence under consideration, the viewers see tsars soldiers as the faceless creatures, robots, who slay everything in their path, and the common people as the horrified victims, who plead for the mercy but instead get the bullets.

Finally, inflammatory images are one of the most powerful means that move the audience. The slain innocents, the old lady shot in the eye, the little boy with his mother, and the baby in the carriage whose mother is killed and who is rushing down the stairs into perdition, appeal to the viewers mind and heart more than other techniques and develop the feeling of aversion to the violent actions of the tsarist regime.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Odessa steps sequence in Battleship Potemkin features multiple cases of the juxtaposition of images that bear the given meaning of hatred to the actions of the tsarist regime in the viewers mind. Examples of the methods achieving such effect are the intellectual, metric, rhythmic, tonal, and overtonal montages, mise-en-scene, typage, body positioning, and inflammatory images.