THE “POTEMKIN” FILM.

Grey River Argus, 15 February 1927, Page 6

THE “POTEMKIN” FILM.

AS IN THE ORIGINAL. HISTORIC REVOT/r. Tn spite of the protests of the German Nationalists, the famous “Potemkin” film has been displayed in Berlin, where it roused audiences to fury. This speaks of its success, for the rage was bred of indignation. 'l'he film has a remarkable history, and when the original negative was sold to Germany, it was cut so badly as to be lost to the film-going for ever. The reason for the censorship, as expressed by one critic, is that no country possessing a navy could afford to show such pictures, nor any country with an established religion, boar to see a fatuous fool as a priest, and his crucifix trampled under foot. The story of the film combines the happenings which occurred as early as 1905, when the crew of the battle cruiser Potemkin, a unit of the Black Sea Russian fleet, mutinied. The a dual mutiny was cans ed by an order to eat meat unfit for human consumption, but which had been passed as fit. by the ship’s doctor. On the crew’s refusal a number of ther.i were arrested, forced under a tarpaulin, and threatened with death. The indirect reason for the revolt lay in the wretched state of the country resulting from the Russo-Japanese war. The Potemkin steamed to meet the fleet with the intention of giving fignt, at the same time signalling the other crews to join her. One actually did so, while the unrest on the others so l unnerved the admiral that ho could not bring himself to fire, and the rebels steamed through the fleet unscratched, escaping to Roumania. Woven into tin story are tales of the revolut ion of 1917. One study in honor concerns the poi

gant and tragic death of a baby in a perambulator. The mother is endeavouring to escape down the steps from th.boulevard to the quays in Petrograd, when, mortally wounded by the fire of the military, she drops. Her last thought is for her baby and she turn round to shield it. The “pram.” is on the very edge of the next flight of steps, and as the mother falls, she comes against it with enough force to send it trundling, hurling, down the steps, until it over turns and crashes.

The explanation of the censorship is that the critics say the effect is to make every officer appear a cold blooded fiend and every common sailor a browbeaten hero. Survivors of some of the incidents say that while on minor points the film may diverge from historical accuracy, for the purpose of filling cut a plotless scenario, it is substantially accurate picture of the barbaries of the Zarist terrorism in pre-war Russia. Efit even the presentation of facts can be dangerous propaganda, witness our own war films which do show too many of war’s horrors. And surely, if a film promotes pacifism and disarmament against brutal despotism and militarism, it should be welcomed. The country that could produce the barbarism ruled, in effect, by the Monk Rasputin, has no right to exist. The film contains some very beautiful and humanitarian incidents as well as some horrible ones. There are also some fine pictures of Odessa Harbor at night. It seems a pity that the only remaining copies of the original in Russia are badly worn through countless screening before village audiences and deputations of foreign socialists, and that we in Australia are never likely to see this historic film as originally made by the 1 Russian producers.