Director Sergei Eisenstein

The first time I’d seen this film, but some scenes – the maggots, the Odessa Steps, the significance of spectacles – are so well-known that I was already familiar with them. It’s an absolute tour de force – visually innovative and powerful. I was swept along with its message and ignored the little voice that noticed the manipulation of emotions. One might say the same of “It’s a Wonderful Life”. It’s set me thinking about the theory of film montage and how it creates atmosphere and feeling.

The film though was almost ruined for me by the over-insistent, distracting score – composed specially by The Pet Shop Boys, who obviously don’t do piano or have volume control . . . or even understand how to use silence.