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Eisenstein’s October
The movie, October: Ten Days that shook the world, is a film on the 1917 October Revolution in Russia. The film takes a narrative approach, and describes the events that shook St. Petersburg. The film then encompasses the roar of ravaging crowds, the sounds of soldiers marching past, the shots of guns that killed millions, the noise of the crowded buses and trains that took away the fleeing millions. With each of these symbolic representations, Eisenstein brings alive the anguish, desperation and plight of the contemporary Russians, who were struggling to cope with the fall of an incompetent monarchy, as well as come to terms with the establishment of a new government. The movie, sans any dialogue and background score, puts across the consequences of the Revolution pretty effectively, for us to relate to the agonies of the past.
The film opens with a scene wherein an angry mob vandalizes a statue of Tsar Nicholas, and symbolizes the fall of the autocratic Russian monarchy. The newly elected Prime Minister Kerensky announces Russia’s loyalty to the allies, and its continued participation in the Russian Civil war. The soldiers are rendered homeless, and penniless. They wander around on foot, and have nothing to eat- not even a morsel of bread. Lenin arrives back in Russia, and pledges to progress Russia towards a new dawn. The economic condition of the country goes from bad to
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worse, and the soldiers abandon the war and come back home. Huge demonstrations take place across the country, and millions are gunned down. There is unprecedented massacre, and bloodshed. The lives of innocents were lost, and Eisenstein never fails to represent the truth as it is; naked and gritty. (October: Ten Days that Shook the World, 2014)
The film then represents how this massacre actually pushes for Lenin’s arrest. The Bolsheviks come into power, overthrowing the Kerensky power. Prime Minister Kerensky runs away, abandoning his supporters. The ten days in the month of October, when the Bolsheviks infiltrated the Kerensky palace and the attacks that finally placed the Bolsheviks in power is finally the theme of the film. The movie talks about how the relatively minor and powerless Bolsheviks gradually gained support. On the night of 6th October, the Bolsheviks arranged a coup, led by Trotsky, captured all the government buildings and the Winter Palace in Petrograd. A cabinet was set up for an interim government, and the chairman was Lenin. Moscow was taken over, and several progressive steps took place. The old laws were nullified, and the economy was revamped. The banks were nationalized, and an economic council was set up. The country gradually came into the light, however, it also cost millions of lives, and lots of futile bloodshed.
The movie, with its usage of real life footage, actually comes into its own, and expresses its point very clearly. Even though there are a few lead actors essaying the roles of Lenin, Kerensky, and Trotsky; the majority of the film uses real-life montage. In 1928, when the film released, the situation in Russia was still tumultuous. However, the film symbolizes Lenin as a god, as a true savior of mankind. Many may disagree with its ideologies, but Eisenstein strongly believes in Bolshevism.
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The political ideologies of Bolshevism were that Lenin believed in action rather than theory. Lenin strongly condemned terrorism, and believed that things could get done by proper and thoughtful intervention by responsible citizens. Bolsheviks wanted Russia to improve, rather than go backwards. They wanted Russia to progress towards social and economic success. They hated Polemics, and strived to attain excellence by their own hard work and determination. Eisenstein has also showed the same in the movie October. He silently praises Lenin’s ideologies, and condemns the ones by Kerensky. Being one of the greatest filmmakers the world has seen, Eisenstein has the capability to direct and edit scenes realistically, and make them believable. The audience feels as if they are really in the midst of the Bolshevik revolution. There is certainly an aorta of doubt in Eisenstein’s mind that his ideologies might not be accepted by everyone. However, he overcomes these fears and goes ahead and makes the film with full conviction and manages to hook the audience into the Bolshevik world. October: Ten Days That Shook the World is such a deeply intriguing film that it needs repeat watches to absorb the flair, the style and the conviction of its director. It is too much to take in; the entire entourage of the October Revolution. (October, 2014)The real montages add to the sheen and glory of the film. There is a feeling of eeriness to realize that these people, whom we are seeing on the screen, were actually there in Russia, actually were going through the experiences as portrayed, rather than acting them. This feeling of realism makes the film hard-hitting and artistic. The opening sequence where the mob breaks the monarch’s statue is enough to give one goose bumps, because the torment and the pain and the revolt everything was history, and we are seeing the past; with its brutality, and nakedness. Eisenstein uses “intellectual montage” for this film. This technique basically encompasses a
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series of unrelated montages edited together to create a comparison between these seemingly unobvious objects. The film has a shot where a baroque image of Jesus Christ is compared to those of Hindu deities, Buddha, Allah and finally to an ancient idol to show that God is all the same, irrespective of religions. Again Kerensky is compared with a preening and mechanical peacock to show the angst against him. (October, 2014)When Eisenstein reaches his climax, the 10 days of October have ended the plight and pain of millions and brought in a new era of hope and change. Like October brings spring to most people, this particular October has brought freedom to millions of underrepresented Russians. The director tries to involve his audience with the shots, the sound, and the gritty narrative. However, many people might feel bored with the series of shots, and montages. They may miss a particular story. But the artistic freedom of representing the October Revolution, as it actually was, is the triumph of the movie. The film gives the real picture, and takes no creative liberties. It just gives the truth as it interprets it. For any cinema lover, who wants to experience the thrill of history, this movie is a must. Eisenstein has done a commendable job in portraying the October Revolution is such a real way, and his artistic independence and freedom are really valuable for any creative and precocious mind.
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Works Cited:
- October: Ten Days that Shook the World.imdb.com.n.p.,n.d.Web.19 December.2014
- October.fandango.com.n.p.,n.d.Web.19 December.2014
- October.silentsaregolden.com.n.p.,n.d.Web.19 December.2014
