Strike

Plot

Set in pre-revolutionary Russia in 1903, the film depicts the brutal suppression of a factory workers' strike by Tsarist authorities. When a worker is unjustly accused of theft and commits suicide, his comrades organize a massive strike that paralyzes the factory. The owners and government respond with escalating violence, hiring spies, thugs, and eventually deploying the military to crush the rebellion. The film culminates in a horrific massacre of the workers and their families, ending with a powerful montage comparing the workers' slaughter to the butchering of cattle, serving as both a historical account and revolutionary propaganda.

Historical Background

Made in 1925, just eight years after the Russian Revolution, 'Strike' emerged during a period of intense artistic experimentation in the Soviet Union known as the avant-garde movement. The film was produced under the New Economic Policy (NEP), which allowed limited artistic freedom while maintaining state control over cultural production. Eisenstein was part of the Proletkult movement, which sought to create a new proletarian art form free from bourgeois influences. The film's depiction of the 1903 factory strike served as both historical documentation and contemporary commentary on class struggle. Its release coincided with the consolidation of Stalin's power and the beginning of stricter controls over artistic expression, making 'Strike' one of the last films of the relatively free Soviet avant-garde period.

Making Of

The production of 'Strike' was a revolutionary undertaking in both content and form. Eisenstein, working with cinematographer Eduard Tisse, developed groundbreaking camera techniques including low angles, dynamic compositions, and rapid montage editing. The factory scenes were filmed in a real Moscow factory, with many actual workers participating as extras. Eisenstein insisted on authenticity, often putting his cast and crew in dangerous situations for the sake of realism. The film's most controversial sequence, comparing the workers' massacre to cattle slaughter, required Eisenstein to secretly film in a slaughterhouse after hours. The production faced constant scrutiny from Soviet censors who were concerned about the film's violent imagery, though they ultimately approved it for its revolutionary message. The editing process took months, with Eisenstein and his team experimenting with different rhythms and juxtapositions to maximize emotional impact.

Visual Style

Eduard Tisse's cinematography in 'Strike' was revolutionary for its time, featuring dynamic camera movements, extreme angles, and innovative composition. The film employs wide shots to establish the scale of the factory and the crowd, while using close-ups to emphasize individual emotions and details. Tisse and Eisenstein developed techniques for shooting large crowd scenes that would later be used in epic films worldwide. The visual style emphasizes geometric patterns and industrial imagery, creating a sense of mechanization and dehumanization. The film's black and white photography uses dramatic contrasts to highlight the struggle between light and dark, literally and metaphorically representing the class conflict.

Innovations

'Strike' pioneered numerous technical innovations that became standard in cinema. Eisenstein developed five methods of montage: metric, rhythmic, tonal, overtonal, and intellectual. The film's editing created emotional and intellectual meaning through the juxtaposition of images rather than through narrative continuity. The production used multiple cameras to capture complex crowd scenes, allowing for more dynamic editing possibilities. The film also experimented with superimposition, split screens, and rapid cutting techniques that were unprecedented in 1925. These technical achievements weren't merely stylistic but served the film's political purpose, creating a new cinematic language for expressing revolutionary ideas.

Music

As a silent film, 'Strike' originally had no synchronized soundtrack but was accompanied by live musical performances. The original score was composed by Edmund Meisel, a German composer known for his work with silent films. Meisel's music was highly percussive and dissonant, reflecting the industrial setting and violent conflict. Modern restorations have featured new scores by various composers, including electronic and orchestral arrangements. The film's rhythmic editing creates its own musicality, with the pace of cuts creating a visual rhythm that complements any musical accompaniment.

Memorable Scenes

• The opening sequence showing the factory machines operating in rhythmic unison, establishing the mechanistic nature of industrial labor
• The suicide of the accused worker, filmed through distorted lenses to emphasize his despair
• The spy sequence where provocateurs infiltrate the workers' meetings, using visual metaphors of animals
• The climactic massacre scene with its rapid cross-cutting between soldiers firing and workers falling
• The final montage comparing the workers' slaughter to cattle being butchered, one of cinema's most powerful political statements

What Critics Said

Upon its release, 'Strike' received mixed reviews from Soviet critics, some of whom found its experimental techniques too abstract for mass audiences. However, international critics quickly recognized its groundbreaking achievements. French critics praised its visual poetry and political power, while German Expressionist directors acknowledged its technical innovations. Over time, 'Strike' has been reevaluated as a masterpiece of silent cinema. Modern critics celebrate its formal brilliance, emotional power, and historical importance. The film now ranks among the most influential works in cinema history, regularly appearing on greatest films lists and being studied in film schools worldwide.

What Audiences Thought

Initial Soviet audience reception was mixed, as many workers found the film's abstract editing style difficult to follow. However, the film was popular among intellectual and artistic circles in Moscow and Leningrad. International audiences, particularly in Europe, were more enthusiastic about the film's visual innovations. In the decades following its release, 'Strike' gained a cult following among cinephiles and film students. Today, the film is primarily viewed in academic settings and art house cinemas, where its historical significance and artistic achievements are fully appreciated. Modern audiences often find the film's political message more accessible than its experimental techniques, though its visual power remains undeniable.

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