Eisenstein’s Mexican Film: Episodes for Study

1955 3h 48m EN

🤯

8.5

MASTERPIECE

★8.5TMDB · 2

Documentary

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

"Eisenstein journeyed to Mexico in late 1930 to begin shooting a film. With backing provided by Upton and Mary Craig Sinclair, the great Soviet auteur planned to make an epoch-spanning pageant of Mexico’s political history and cultural iconography, moving from the pre-Columbian era through colonization and, finally, revolution ... with the project running over budget the film was shut down. Sinclair eventually deposited the film materials at MoMA in 1953, at which point the scholar Jay Leyda assembled and annotated the shots, ordering them according to the filmmaker’s plans and presenting the images just as they had been shot, unedited ... here one is given the opportunity to attend to Eisenstein in an entirely different way, and aspects that might otherwise be overshadowed come to the fore: the way he works with nonprofessional actors, for example, or the striking mise-en-scène." - MoMA

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Sergei Eisenstein
Languages: Spanish
Countries: Mexico, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

At 228 minutes, this is a three-hour-plus commitment — longer than 95% of films ever made.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

ERA

Did you know

71 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Mexico, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Jay Leyda shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0206710 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

Only 2 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Sergei Eisenstein directs. Jay Leyda cuts. A long sit — settle in. Produced in Mexico, United States of America. Dialogue in Spanish.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1At 228 minutes, this is a three-hour-plus commitment — longer than 95% of films ever made.
271 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3International production across 2 countries: Mexico, United States of America.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Editor Jay Leyda shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6IMDB entry: tt0206710 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Only 2 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.