Images in Strike. Strike --

¶ … images in Strike. Strike -- Eisenstein's Soviet Montage Sergei Eisenstein's 1925 motion picture Strike is meant to discuss the topic of collectivism as seen in opposition to individualism. Although the film appears to be directed at presenting an international public with a fictional account, it is actually directed at being a propaganda film purposed to promote the concept of communism.

By focusing on an episode set in Russia before the revolution, the motion picture is apparently meant to provide viewers with the harsh reality of capitalism and with how influential individuals are predisposed to exploit the masses when such a political ideology dominates conditions in a country. The director practically provides viewers with an intellectual montage that succeeds in sending the exact messages that he was interested in putting across. Strike was released to the masses in April 1925 and contained a storyline that was separated into six parts.

The moments when the parts are divided are emphasized by introducing a fade to another setting alongside of a dialogue or a descriptive title. Eisenstein apparently considered the fact that many Soviet cinemas and theatres had very little equipment to work with. As a consequence, "the narrative segmentation in Strike probably corresponds to the reel divisions within release prints" (Goodwin 39).

Eisenstein's ideas were most probably unique at the time when he issued the film, but he obviously inspired from work performed by his predecessors and by the environment in which he lived, taking into account the tension present in the Soviet Union in the 1920s. Even with this, Strike is a film that succeeds in inducing intense feelings in a series of audiences, ranging from the one that first viewed it in 1925 to the one in the contemporary society.

It appears that the director is not satisfied with simply providing viewers with information, as he wants them to get actively involved in understanding the events that take place before them and to eventually be left with the feeling that it is essential for them to do something about persons who exploit others.

As the in Strike storyline unfolds viewers are transported in a practically demonic filmmaking environment where Eisenstein provides them with a series of confusing strategies each meant to have individuals feel that they are provided with a first person perspective of events taking place in the motion picture.

Even with the fact that Eisenstein lived in a society that tended to discriminate particular groups and even to torment others, the director's idea of communism was focused on the ideal society where people would not have to answer to unjust rulers and where each individual would be compensated accordingly on account of the work that he or she performs. The director apparently "believed that by creating visual 'jolts' between each cut, the viewer would be 'shocked' into new awareness" (Nelmes 403).

Leaving viewers with the impression that they were witnessing filming techniques and thinking that they never came across before was virtually one of Eisenstein's main intentions when creating Strike. Most sequences meant to trigger intense feelings in viewers present side by side scenes that are in conflict with each other. These shots are introduced during important parts of the film and are most probably intended to emphasize the gravity of the subject under discussion.

Some shots are somewhat confusing and are intended to provide viewers with the opportunity to intervene and interpret the message that Eisenstein wants to express. One of the most important parts of the film is right at its end -- the scene when Eisenstein juxtaposes a scene displaying a bull as it is murdered and slaughtered and a strike started by factory workers as it is ruthlessly brought down by the authorities. This scene makes it possible for individuals to learn more regarding Eisenstein's intellectual montage strategy.

The director used the bull with the intention of highlighting the fact that the government and the shareholders have little to no interest in listening to the problems that the workers are having and simply see them as cattle that needs to be exploited with no interest in how it feels with regard to its condition.

By showing the workers being treated cruelly by the authorities alongside of the scene showing the bull being slaughtered Eisenstein thus wants the audience to become actively involved in revealing the political message regarding how workers are nothing but animals being carried around a slaughterhouse. The film is practically a paradox when considering that Eisenstein uses the intellectual montage technique and does not use concepts like reason or logic with the purpose of putting across his message to the audience.

Instead, he makes use of ideas like farce and parody in an attempt to demonstrate the stupidity related to a capitalist system and its lackeys as they destroy people's lives. Eisenstein certainly loved drama and this is obvious when looking at the numerous tools that he uses with the purpose of dramatizing scenes throughout the motion picture.

It appears that the director intended to address viewers from a psychological point-of-view by appealing to their feelings and by having them think that conditions are much worse than they might be inclined to believe. One of the main ideas in Strike is related to class distinction and to how it can serve as a tool that the authorities can use with the purpose of putting down anyone who is courageous enough to rise against society's major players.

Eisenstein shows workers as individuals who, in spite of being honest and hardworking, are limited as a result of their position. This is visible especially when the plant's managers communicate efficiently and rapidly become acquainted with how workers feel with regard to their leaders. The factory's owners actually communicate with their employees by phone and they never have a direct connection with simple workers.

This further contributes to providing viewers with the feeling that leaders consider their subordinates to be simple machines that need to be exploited until their reach their maximum potential. The strike itself does not represent a threat for the authorities, as they are prepared to deal with such situations and immediately come to control matters by tricking workers into feeling that they sympathize with their thinking.

The part of the movie where metric montage is introduced can be observed during the opening scenes as viewers are provided with workers and with how the factory functions. Tonal montage can be observed when.