Battleship Potemkin

With its timeless theme of uprising and mutiny against oppressing forces, BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN has stood the test of time and is rightly regarded as one of the great masterpieces of silent cinema. In celebration of the film’s 100th anniversary, BFI are about to release the film in Blu-ray format together with an accompanying CD with music from the Pet Shop Boys - specially commissioned score first revealed back in 2004 during an outdoor screening in London’s Trafalgar Square.

Divided into five acts, the horror of the events about to unfold begin on the Potemkin, anchored off an island in the Black Sea.

ACT I: Men and Maggots
Two sailors, Vakulinchuk (Aleksandr Antonov), a Bolshevik, and Matyushenko (Mikhail Gomorov) are passionately discussing the need for the entire crew of the Potemkin to support the Russian revolution, before their shifts ends and they are free to enter slumberland for a few hours. Suddenly, a bad-tempered officer enters and inspects the quarters when he accidentally trips over something. Annoyed over his own clumsiness, he takes the mishap out on a sleeping sailor which in turn causes Vakulinchuk to wake up. Seizing the moment, he urges his fellow comrades to speak out, and stand up for themselves because “all of Russia has risen!” The following morning, the sailors are disgusted about the maggot-infested meat they expect to eat. Sensing unrest, Commander Golikov (Vladimir Barsky) orders Smirnov (Maksim Shtrauth), the ship’s doctor, to inspect the meat, which he deems perfectly okay to eat - remarking that the maggots aren’t worms and can simply be washed off by rinsing the meat with brine before consumption. As far as Golikov and Chief Officer Giliarovsky are concerned, the doctor’s statement marks the end of the discussion and the unfortunate ship’s cook is tasked with preparing borscht soup. Not surprisingly perhaps, the crew refuse to eat the borsch, eating bread and tinned food instead.

ACT II: Drama on the Deck
Seeing how the Potemkin belongs to the Imperial Russian Navy’s Black Sea Fleet, Captain and Commander aren’t happy about some of the crew members refusing to eat the borscht. Insubordination is simply not tolerated and the ‘rebellious’ crew members are brought on deck and forced to kneel, before the ship’s priest utters the last rites. Then, a huge cover made of canvas is thrown over the condemned men and Giliarovsky orders the members of his firing squad to execute the unfortunate crew members. However, when brave Vakulinchuk challenges the firing squad, the shooters lower their rifles. Encouraged by this and realising that the officers are outnumbered, the sailors seize the chance to take control of the ship, with their superiors ending up thrown into the sea. Despite the fact that the rebels won the upper hand, their leader (yes, Vakulinchuk) is killed in the conflict.

ACT III: The Dead Man calls out:
Vakulinchuk is now officially hailed as a ‘martyr to the cause’ and when the Potemkin anchors at the port of Odessa, the dead man’s body is taken to shore and publicly displayed, with a sign on his chest on which ‘For a spoonful of borscht’ is scribbled. The shocking display, and the general political unrest which has been simmering for some time, finally stirs the citizens of Odessa into action as they stand up against Tsar, government and government sympathisers. While some remain on land, others sail to the Potemkin to support the sailors on sea.

ACT IV: The Odessa Steps
The ensuing mutiny is quickly quelled when a detachment of Cossacks attack the citizens from the top of the Odessa Steps, a gigantic stairway and famous symbol of this Ukrainian port town. At the same time, a government cavalry attacks the crowd, now fleeing from the top, at the bottom of the steps. This is of course the scene for which ‘Battleship Potemkin’ will always be remembered for, namely the utter savagery with which the unarmed civilians (not even women and children are spared) are literally slaughtered by the Cossacks and the cavalry. The scene in which a pram with a baby inside rolls down the steps after the mother has been killed by the cossacks, clearly inspired director Sergio Leone, who staged a similar scene in his 1984 gangster thriller ‘Once Upon A Time In America’. As the frenzied assault continues, the sailors of the Potemkin make good use of the ship’s cannons and aim at the grand opera house, where Tsarist military leaders have just assembled for a meeting.

ACT V: One Against All
Now in true fighting spirit, the sailors of the Potemkin leave the port of Odessa to take on the almighty Tsar’s fleet - surely not a clever idea…. The crew even have the nerve to hoist a red flag, symbol of anarchy and the only bit in the film that’s in colour. To the surprise of the Potemkin crew, the Tsarist squadron decides not to open fire - instead shouting words of solidarity and allowing the Potemkin to continue its course unharmed.

Cinematographer’s Eduard Tisse was responsible for the film’s truly memorable camera work, in particular the harrowing close-up shots of the unarmed Odessa civilians in their desperate attempt to flee the Cossacks. The Pet Shop Boys soundtrack lends itself surprisingly well to the film although the few passages during which there is singing involved seem unnecessary: the film’s images are so strong and really speak for themselves, they don’t need to be emphasised with additional lyrics!

Special Features include:
Hochhaussinfonie (2017, 68 mins): documentary about the Dresdner Sinfoniker and the Pet Shop Boys as they prepare for a unique musical production, utilising a prefabricated building in former East Germany / Trafalgar Square highlights (2004, 4 mins): a short film capturing the build-up and performance as Pet Shop Boys (together with Dresdner Sinfoniker) premiered their newly composed score of the film in London / CD featuring the score by Pet Shop Boys and Dresdner Sinfoniker / Trailer (2025) / Illustrated booklet (limited edition).