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4:3 Full Frame
Russian
Region 2
English
Russian
Region 2
English
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
27 of 30 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Do my eyes deceive me or did reviewers expect to watch this and not see pro-revolutionary content?
This film is unique and stands alone in the history of film-making as the closest thing to a record of one of the most defining moments in the history of mankind. Not only is it groundbreaking in its mechanics and methodology, but it broke all the moulds in cinematic history and formed the template for the next 20, 30 years of moviemaking.
Even watching as a non-committed political animal, you have to agree that the drama and tension transmitted in this document is unsurpassed; the transfer of the considerable lands, wealth and assets of Russia from a handful of privileged aristocrats to the people is a story which even the most seasoned narrator could not help but get worked up at. The October Revolution shaped the world for the 20th century, and unwittingly shaped an agrarian sleeping giant into the advanced industrial monolith we see still today. Indeed, were it not for the birth of the (eventual) USSR, Hitler may well have been victorious in 1941 after all, and picked off North america at will.
See this film for what it is - a fantastic historical document of its time. Forget the rhetoric behind the content, the story of the biggest political event in history is told well and forged its rightful place in cinematic history.
This film is unique and stands alone in the history of film-making as the closest thing to a record of one of the most defining moments in the history of mankind. Not only is it groundbreaking in its mechanics and methodology, but it broke all the moulds in cinematic history and formed the template for the next 20, 30 years of moviemaking.
Even watching as a non-committed political animal, you have to agree that the drama and tension transmitted in this document is unsurpassed; the transfer of the considerable lands, wealth and assets of Russia from a handful of privileged aristocrats to the people is a story which even the most seasoned narrator could not help but get worked up at. The October Revolution shaped the world for the 20th century, and unwittingly shaped an agrarian sleeping giant into the advanced industrial monolith we see still today. Indeed, were it not for the birth of the (eventual) USSR, Hitler may well have been victorious in 1941 after all, and picked off North america at will.
See this film for what it is - a fantastic historical document of its time. Forget the rhetoric behind the content, the story of the biggest political event in history is told well and forged its rightful place in cinematic history.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
For historians of Russian history and of this period and with its political and social implications, then "October" remains a must. For those of us who aren't, we the ones who've worked our way backwards from more popular Russian films and of Sergei Eisenstein, in particular, how does it appeal to us?
Silent film can be hard to follow and difficult for us 21st century media moguls to connect with. We're used to seeing Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton being sped up, here it is convincingly racing. This breakneck speed is exciting, but is it interesting?
Those of us who know their classic Russian cinema a bit will be aware of their superb, almost geometrically composed compositions and framing - as a photographer myself, I've seen many that really have taken my breath away. And, the techniques of cutting and superimposition and many more that were seen in Dziga Vertov's 'Man With a Movie Camera' made two years after this (1929). After the classic and much more widely seen (and available) 'Battleship Potempkin' from this same director, Eisenstein, we can presume that we'd be getting at least some of those characteristics here.
Well, we do, of course. After a frenetic start on the streets of Leningrad and to the strains of Shostakovich, it does simmer down a bit. As is commonly known, it is all propaganda and these sorts shown in cinemas were like newspapers to a largely illiterate, peasant population.
Downsides, well, the picture quality isn't too clever and doesn't look very restored. The written notices, that were in lovely old and elegant font in D W Griffiths' and many others, are simply standard, boring and modern text on a plain grey background. A small matter, maybe, but they spoil both the continuity and period feel.
Is it worth buying? My copy of 'Battleship Potempkin' was issued by a Sunday newspaper as a 'Freebie' and I rented 'Man With a Movie Camera' from my local lending library as it's a kind of educational classic. I bought "October" DVD quite a lot cheaper than Amazon sell it themselves, so that reduced its sting in that aspect. I don't begrudge spending what I did on it but probably wouldn't have spent more. The film, as films go, is good, but not great and it really helps if you have a vested interest in buying it, as mentioned before.
Silent film can be hard to follow and difficult for us 21st century media moguls to connect with. We're used to seeing Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton being sped up, here it is convincingly racing. This breakneck speed is exciting, but is it interesting?
Those of us who know their classic Russian cinema a bit will be aware of their superb, almost geometrically composed compositions and framing - as a photographer myself, I've seen many that really have taken my breath away. And, the techniques of cutting and superimposition and many more that were seen in Dziga Vertov's 'Man With a Movie Camera' made two years after this (1929). After the classic and much more widely seen (and available) 'Battleship Potempkin' from this same director, Eisenstein, we can presume that we'd be getting at least some of those characteristics here.
Well, we do, of course. After a frenetic start on the streets of Leningrad and to the strains of Shostakovich, it does simmer down a bit. As is commonly known, it is all propaganda and these sorts shown in cinemas were like newspapers to a largely illiterate, peasant population.
Downsides, well, the picture quality isn't too clever and doesn't look very restored. The written notices, that were in lovely old and elegant font in D W Griffiths' and many others, are simply standard, boring and modern text on a plain grey background. A small matter, maybe, but they spoil both the continuity and period feel.
Is it worth buying? My copy of 'Battleship Potempkin' was issued by a Sunday newspaper as a 'Freebie' and I rented 'Man With a Movie Camera' from my local lending library as it's a kind of educational classic. I bought "October" DVD quite a lot cheaper than Amazon sell it themselves, so that reduced its sting in that aspect. I don't begrudge spending what I did on it but probably wouldn't have spent more. The film, as films go, is good, but not great and it really helps if you have a vested interest in buying it, as mentioned before.
14 of 43 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
If you expect realism, you won't get it. This is pure propaganda, as in The Battleship Potemkin, and not as good. There are several excellent scenes, some totally unbelievable baddies, and an inexplicable ability by the reactionaries to carry on oppressing everybody despite the incredible number of goodies who have rallied to the bolshevik cause.
The plus side is a series of crowd scenes that look forward to Alexander Nevsky, and the real-time slow burn of the wait before storming the Winter Palace.
The picture quality is excellent.
Worth seeing, if you like Eisenstein, but is it worth buying?
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