October is a dramatized version of the Bolshevik revolution in Russia in 1917. If you're planning on watching this, be sure to read up on your history of the event before hand. I really wish I had brushed up on the details of the Soviet revolution before watching this. I've read that Eisenstein stretched the truth often and took lots of liberties when making this. This is understandable. He changes the truth to make the story work better for an exciting movie and also because this is a pro-Soviet film.
For those used to the Hollywood style, this can be tough to enjoy. October is filmed to like it is a documentary and we are constantly being introduced to many minor unnamed characters who are then never seen again. Its Hollywood counterpart would be a movie like The Longest Day, about the invasion of Normandy in WWII. In The Longest Day, we are also introduced to real historical figures and fictionalized minor characters, but unlike October, we really feel like we get to know them all. And movies like The Longest Day in Hollywood are not filmed like it were a documentary. I felt as if I didn't care as much for what happens to the many characters of October. However, I would probably feel much differently if I were a Bolshevik sympathizer during the time of its release.
There is some very interesting symbolism all throughout this movie. There is a scene were troops of the Provisional Government fire machine guns on a crowd of Bolshevik supporters and the draw bridges in the city are raised. First of all, the editing is very interesting – quick cuts between the machine gun's muzzle and the machine gunner creates a great effect and helps emphasize what you're seeing playing out in the scene – a crowd being mowed down by machine gun. A white horse is standing on the bridge and is shot and killed. Its body falls down into the crack of the separating parts of the bridge and is hoisted up with the one half of the bridge. It's a disturbing image – a symbol of what is happening to the Bolsheviks under the Provisional Governments rule. This is just one example of interesting symbolism throughout the film.
The Montage style takes some getting used to. I get more enjoyment out of watching a traditional drama, but the great symbolism is great to see. For what it is, it is very good and gets a 9/10. It is also good to put yourself in the shoes of audience that was intended for and the time period.
For those used to the Hollywood style, this can be tough to enjoy. October is filmed to like it is a documentary and we are constantly being introduced to many minor unnamed characters who are then never seen again. Its Hollywood counterpart would be a movie like The Longest Day, about the invasion of Normandy in WWII. In The Longest Day, we are also introduced to real historical figures and fictionalized minor characters, but unlike October, we really feel like we get to know them all. And movies like The Longest Day in Hollywood are not filmed like it were a documentary. I felt as if I didn't care as much for what happens to the many characters of October. However, I would probably feel much differently if I were a Bolshevik sympathizer during the time of its release.
There is some very interesting symbolism all throughout this movie. There is a scene were troops of the Provisional Government fire machine guns on a crowd of Bolshevik supporters and the draw bridges in the city are raised. First of all, the editing is very interesting – quick cuts between the machine gun's muzzle and the machine gunner creates a great effect and helps emphasize what you're seeing playing out in the scene – a crowd being mowed down by machine gun. A white horse is standing on the bridge and is shot and killed. Its body falls down into the crack of the separating parts of the bridge and is hoisted up with the one half of the bridge. It's a disturbing image – a symbol of what is happening to the Bolsheviks under the Provisional Governments rule. This is just one example of interesting symbolism throughout the film.
The Montage style takes some getting used to. I get more enjoyment out of watching a traditional drama, but the great symbolism is great to see. For what it is, it is very good and gets a 9/10. It is also good to put yourself in the shoes of audience that was intended for and the time period.