The Secret Life of Sergei Eisenstein

A biographical film in English throughout telling the story of film director Sergei Eisenstein 18981948 from his childhood in Riga Latvia to receiving the Stalin Prize in Moscow Based on his own writings the film uses actual film clips of Eisenstein at various points of his life as well as photographs illustrations and archival film of a variety of locations around the world Eisensteins talent as a satirical cartoonist and later an artist is particularly highlighted with many photographs of his work Films discussed include Strike Battleship Potemkin Oktober The old and the new Alexander Nevsky and Ivan the terrible There is a detailed account of Eisensteins world tour during which time he met and worked with other leading filmmakers writers and personalities including Einstein James Joyce D W Griffith and Walt Disney Includes anecdote on his visit to High Table at Trinity College Cambridge and its inspiration for a scene in Ivan the terrible