Battleship Potemkin: A Deep Analysis

The use of text screen subtitles was a really important part of the film as it played several parts, such as ‘filling in the gaps’ for the audience.How was it used? – The titles introduced the genre and setting –even using a quote from Lenin as a formal, but also original introduction; as well as using the titles as conjunctions and introducing a movement in day. The titles also introduced characters and their names, also using the use of subtitles for interpretational speech. Though, I find that the written dialogue to be too formal in some circumstances, but I understand why they used a more composed approach. I believe the reasons being were:

A. As not many people were convinced by the whole idea of film, as it bought uncertainty to many with new interventions; so, using formal words on the screen acted like a formal introduction – luring in the audience and making them think: “This isn’t too bad”.

B. The topic of the film needed to be handled with great care as such graphic scenes could have given the film a false name.

C. The film takes a documentary approach to the telling of the story, and formal wording is a convention of documentaries –including dramatised documentaries. Without this, it could be interpreted as insensitive.

The film has to tell a visual narrative, so the shots have to be specific in what is to be conveyed. I found that the film was really good at establishing the scene and setting, using strong long shots. I also thought that the film established the ‘true grit’ through visual imagery, such as showing the conditions that the men lived and slept in.

Also, the film made good use of another silent film convention: music, through big orchestral pieces. For example, they put the loud and dramatic parts in where it was loud and dramatic visually. Another good use of the music was when a sailor played the trumpet early on in the movie and a member of the orchestra played, as though the sailor in the film was playing what you could hear. It’s as though the instruments become the voices of the characters.

With a solemn film, sometimes it’s necessary to add some humor; at appropriate times of course. Sometimes it’s needed so the audience don’t lose focus and so that they don’t feel disconnected; as it can feel unrealistic at times when there are too many sad scenes.

The film also ran heavily on character stereotypes, such as: The clumsy one falling around, the brave one, standing up and becoming a hero. The strict captain that shows no mercy, much alike to his men that he commands so fiercely.

The film also used a dream-like sequence using cross fading which, is especially useful for shorter films; as it places a hint in the audiences’ mind of what has/could happen without dragging on the time which could consume too much of the film.

As the film crescendo to the big street massacre, the speed of the shots quickened and crossed cut on different lines of action, showing all the chaos.

The film doesn’t portray a ‘fake image’ that was commonly manufactured with battles and leadership –I think it was brave for the era to do as even decades after the film, movies stuck to the ‘easier roots’ of keeping the reality ‘clean’. The film also touches on the sensitive topic of Political debate. However, on the flip side, one might say that in the early uses of moving picture –such as frontline WW1 reports, graphic imagery was a common aspect in reports. Perhaps showing disturbing imagery was a way of teaching and raising the emotions of the public so that they are provoked to ‘fight back’ to the enemy, making me think that some films in general are created to get a response.