Cross-listed with Film 151, Section 2.

In this class, presented in coordination with the Pacific Film Archive, we will study the life and works of Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein (1898-1948), one of the most famous and creative filmmakers of the early twentieth century. From Strike to Ivan The Terrible, the films of Eisenstein have reshaped the world’s understanding of cinema. We will examine these films within their historical, ideological, and theoretical contexts. Eisenstein’s writings, especially those on the theory of montage, have had a tremendous influence on film theory around the world. We will follow the entire course of Eisenstein’s career, paying particular attention to the political and aesthetic debates in the Soviet Union that surrounded Eisenstein’s work, as well as to the reception of Eisenstein’s films and theoretical concepts in the West. This will be a rare chance to see theatrical screenings of almost all of Eisenstein’s films and to delve deeply into his images, his thinking, and his world.

Prerequisites: None.