The Battleship Potemkin is widely recognized as one of the best films ever made. A silent film by Sergei Eisenstein, it was produced by Mosfilm and released in 1925. Widely believed to be one of the most influential propaganda films ever made, the film concerns the mutiny that occurred in 1905 when those aboard the Russian battleship, Potemkin, mutinied against their Tsarist officers.

Einstein wrote the film very much in the interest of propaganda but also to test his ‘montage’ theories. The Kuleshov school of Soviet filmmakers had been experimenting with the effect of film editing on audiences, and Eisenstein was at the forefront of this investigation. Einstein attempted to edit the film so as to produce a great emotional response in the audience, inciting sympathy in viewers for the rebellious sailors, and hatred for their evil Tsarist overlords. The film was received better internationally than in Russia itself, the film shocking audiences due to the level of violence it contained. Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels recognized the potential of the film to influence thought saying, “anyone who had no firm political conviction could become a Bolshevik after seeing the film”. Get yourself some ipad 3 accessories and watch the film on your ipad!