Watch Strike

"Strike," released in 1925 and directed by legendary filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein, is a classic of early Soviet cinema that tells the story of a group of workers in a factory who go on strike after their demands for better working conditions go unmet. The film is considered a landmark in the history of both cinema and the labor movement, as it uses strikingly innovative techniques to depict the struggles of workers and the violence and oppression they face from their bosses and the police.

At the beginning of the film, we see workers toiling away in terrible conditions, forced to work long hours for low wages in a factory that values their labor only insofar as it can be exploited for profit. The workers organize themselves into a union and go on strike, demanding better wages, shorter hours, and safer working conditions. At first, the strike is peaceful, but tensions quickly escalate as the workers' demands are ignored by the factory owners and the police are called in to break up their picket lines.

The film is notable for its use of montage, a technique in which images are juxtaposed in order to suggest meaning and convey emotion. Eisenstein uses montage to great effect in "Strike," particularly in scenes that depict the violent clashes between the workers and the police. By cutting rapidly between images of the workers, the police, and the machinery of the factory, Eisenstein creates a sense of chaos and confusion that perfectly captures the intensity of these confrontations.

Another notable aspect of the film is its use of non-actors, particularly in the role of the workers themselves. Many of the actors in the film were actual factory workers who had never acted before, and Eisenstein's decision to cast them lends the film a sense of authenticity and urgency that is hard to replicate with professional actors.

Overall, "Strike" is a powerful and politically-charged film that remains relevant today, nearly a century after its release. Its depiction of workers fighting against oppressive systems of power is both inspiring and sobering, and its use of innovative filmmaking techniques has influenced countless filmmakers in the decades since it was made. Anyone interested in the history of cinema or the history of the labor movement would do well to seek out this classic film.

Strike is a 1925 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 29 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.6.