if youre a film student and or be one and or be think of become one and the name battleship potemkin have or will have a resonance . sergei eistenstein and like other silent film pioneer like griffith ( although eisenstein innovation be not as commonplace a griffith ) and murnau and have have such an impact on the history of cinema it of course take for grant . the reason i bring up the film student part be because at some point and whether you would like it or not and your film professor 9 time out of 10 will show the odessa stairs sequence of this film . it hard to say if it even the best part of the film several sequence deal with the ( at the time current ) time of the russian revolution . but it do leave the most impact and and it can be see in many film showcasing suspense and or just plain montage ( the untouchable climax come to mind ) . montage and which be not just eistenstein knack but also his life blood early in his career and be often misuse in the present cinema and or if not misuse then in an improper context for the story . sometimes montage be use now as just another device to get from point a to point b. montage be something else for eisenstein while he be try to communicate in the most direct way that he could the urgency and the passion ( s ) and and the ultimate tragedy that be in the russian people at the time and place . even if one doesn not see all of eisenstein narrative or traditional tory idea to have much grounding ( kubrick have say this ) and one can not deny the power of see the ship arrive at the harbor and the people on the stair and and the soldier come at them every which way with gun . some may find it hard to believe this be do in the 20 while it have that power like the passion of joan of arc to over pass it time and remain in importance if only in term of technique and emotion . of course and one could go on for book ( which have be write hundred of time over and not the least of which by eisenstein himself ) . on the film in and of itself and battleship potemkin be really more like a dramatized newsreel than a specific story in a movie . the first segment be also one of the great sequence in film and a a mutiny be plot against the captain and other head ups of a certain ship . this be detailed almost in a manipulative way and but somehow extremely effective while montage be use here as well and but in spurt of energy that capture the eye . other time eisenstein be more content to just let the image speak for themselves and a the soldier grow weary without food and water . he isn not one of those director who will try to get all side to the story while he be and of course and very much early 20th century russian and but he be nothing else but honest with how he see his theme and style and and that be what win over in the end . some may want to check it outside of film school and a the stair sequence be like one of those landmark of severe tragedy on film and display the ugly side of revolution . eisenstein may not be one of the more accessible silent film director and but if montage and detail in the frame and non actor and and bolshevik theme be your cup of tea and it truly one of the must see of a lifetime .