Sergei M. Eisenstein'sPotemkin, a vivid account of the mutiny of Russian sailors on a Czarist battleship in 1905, is universally acknowledged to be one of the greatest films of all time. Until now, however, Potemkin's astonishing vividness and artistry has never been translated satisfactorily into print. David Mayer's precise, shot-by-shot re-creation of Potemkin, the product of five years' work, is unquestionably definitive. For the student, it is a complete and faithful guide to the film. For the non-initiate, it can be read as a novel—a magnificent story of revolution and repression. With nearly three hundred illustrations, it can be used as a screenplay by film lovers. Mayer's concise introduction analyzes Eisenstein's innovative montage concepts and illustrates them with sequences of frames from the film. Now, with descriptions of each of the more than 1300 shot that make up the authoritative Museum of Modern Art version, even the smallest particulars of Eisenstein's directorial genius can be discovered and studied without losing Potemkin's narrative and visual flow.

"Through detailed examinations of passages from classic films, Marilyn Fabe supplies the analytic tools and background in film history and theory to enable us to see more in every film we watch"--Page [4] of cover.

Sovjetregisseur en filmtheoreticus Sergei M. Eisenstein werkte in 1946 en 1947 een jaar voor zijn dood aan een algemene geschiedenis van de cinema. De manier waarop hij de geschiedschrijving van van de cinema benadert, is tegelijk fascinerend in haar ambitie en uiterst modern in haar methode. Eisenstein presenteert hier een virtuele wereldkaart van alle aan de bioscoop gerelateerde media, en ontwikkelt op hetzelfde moment een methode voor het schrijven van een geschiedenis die net als de cinema is gebaseerd op montage. De teksten van Eisenstein worden begeleid door een reeks kritische essays, geschreven door enkele van 's werelds meest gekwalificeerde Eisensteinkenners.

A renowned Soviet director discusses his theory of film as an artistic medium which must appeal to all senses and applies it to an analysis of sequences from his major movies.

A classic on the aesthetics of filmmaking from the pioneering Soviet director who made Battleship Potemkin. Though he completed only a half-dozen films, Sergei Eisenstein remains one of the great names in filmmaking, and is also renowned for his theory and analysis of the medium. Film Form collects twelve essays, written between 1928 and 1945, that demonstrate key points in the development of Eisenstein’s film theory and in particular his analysis of the sound-film medium. Edited, translated, and with an introduction by Jay Leyda, this volume allows modern-day film students and fans to gain insights from the man who produced classics such as Alexander Nevsky and Ivan the Terrible and created the renowned “Odessa Steps” sequence.