Sergei M. Eisenstein
Books
Bergan, Ronald. Sergei Eisenstein: A Life in Conflict. London, UK: Warner Books, 1997.
Informative biography written in 1997 and therefore able to take advantage of materials only available after the end of the Soviet period. Less interested in film theory or aesthetics than in biographical events, it focuses instead on the relationship between Eisenstein’s personal life and his films, along with the larger historical context.
Bordwell, David. The Cinema of Eisenstein. New York, NY: Routledge, 2005.
Detailed analysis of Eisenstein’s films and their relationship to his theoretical writings, which are also discussed in depth. Special attention is also paid to the cultural ferment created by revolution which provided the context for Eisenstein’s filmmaking.
Bulgakowa, Oksana. Sergei Eisenstein: A Biography. San Francisco, CA: Potemkin, 2001.
Eisenstein, Sergei. Film Form [and] the Film Sense; Two Complete and Unabridged Works. New York, NY: Meridian Books, 1957.
A series of essays written by Eisenstein between 1928 and 1945 which demonstrate key points in his film theory and, taken together, is one of the major texts on film aesthetics.
Gordon, James. Eiusenstein, Cinema and History. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press, 1993.
Leyda, Jay and Zina Voynow. Eisenstein at Work. New York, NY: Pantheon Books, 1982.
Mitry, Jean. S.M. Eisenstein. Paris, France: J.P. Delarge, 1978.
Nizhny, Vladimir. Lessons with Eisenstein. New York, NY: Da Capo Press, 1979.
O’Mahony, Mike. Sergei Eisenstein. London, UK: Reaktion, 2008.
Seton, Marie. Sergei M. Eisenstein: A Biography. New York, NY: A.A. Wynn, 1952.
Articles
Beller, Jonathan. "The Spectatorship of the Proletariat." Boundary.2.22 (1995): 171-228.
In his article, Beller is concerned with the idea of cinematic production as revolutionary tool, as demonstrated by a Marxist reading of Eisenstein's Strike. Beller argues that by synthesizing Taylorism and Pavlonian logic, Eisenstein strives for both psychological and industrial reformation in the spectator.
Biltereyst, Daniel. “’Will We Ever See Potemkin?’: The Historical Reception and Censorship of Eisenstein’s Battleship Potemkin in Belgium (1926-32).” Studies in Russian & Soviet Cinema. 2.1 (2008): 5-19.
Bohlinger, Vincent. “Engrossing? Exciting! Incomprehensible? Boring! Audience Survey Responses to Eisenstein’s October.” Studies in Russian & Soviet Cinema. 5.1 (2011): 5-27.
A statistical examination of the audience reception of Eisenstein's October during its first three nights of theatrical exhibition in 1928. The analysis is composed of data from a survey given to exiting theatre goers by the Society of Friends of the Soviet Cinema.
Burns, Paul E. “Cultural Revolution, Collectivization and Soviet Cinema: Eisenstein’s Old and New and Dovzhenko’s Earth.” Film & History. 11.4 (1981) 84-96.
Crofts, Stephen. “Eisenstein and Ideology.” Framework: The Journal of Cinema & Media. 7-8 (1978): 12-16.
Doise, Eric. “Unorthodox Iconography: Russian Orthodox Icons in Battleship Potemkin.” Film Criticism. 33.3 (2009): 50-66.
Eisenstein, Sergei M. “The Middle of the Three.” Studies in Russian & Soviet Cinema. 1.2 (2007): 211-233.
Goodwin, James. “Eisenstein’s Creative Process.” Quarterly Review of Film Studies. 1.1 (1976): 56-62.
---. “Ideology and Intellectual Cinema.” Quarterly Review of Film Studies. 3.2 (1978): 169-192.
Gordon, Mel and Alma H. Lewis. “Eisenstein’s Early Work in Expressive Behavior: The Montage of Movement.” Millennium Film Journal. 3 (1979): 25-29.
Kepley Jr, Vance. “The Evolution of Eisenstein’s Old and New.” Cinema Journal. 14.1 (1974): 34-50.
Lefebvre, Martin. “Eisenstein, Rhetoric and Imaginicity: Towards a Revolutionary Memoria.” Screen. 41.4 (2000): 349-368.
Polan, Dana B. “Eisenstein as Theorist.” Cinema Journal. 17.1 (Fall 1977): 14-29.
Discussion of Eisenstein’s writings that examines the differences and similarities between his theories and his films.
Ropare-Wuilleumier, Marie-Claire. “The Function of Metaphor in Eisenstein’s October.” Film Criticism. 2.2-3 (1978): 10-34.
Sanchez-Biosca, Vicente. “Montage and Spectator: Eisenstein and the Avant-Garde.” Semiotica. 81.3-4 (1990): 277-289.
Selden, D.L. “Vision and Violence: The Rhetoric of Potemkin.” Quarterly Review of Film Studies. 7.4 (1982): 309-329.
Sorensen, Janet. “Lef, Eisenstein and the Politics of Form.” Film Criticism. 19.2 (1994-95): 55-74
Taylor, Gregory T. “'The Cognitive Instrument in the Service of Revolutionary Change’: Sergei Eisenstein, Annette Michelson, and the Avant-Garde’s Scholarly Aspiration.” Cinema Journal. 31.4 (1992): 42-59.
Online articles
Bulgakowa, Oksana. “Eisenstein, the Glass House and the Spherical Book.” Rouge. 7 (2005).
Lindop, Jason. “Eisenstein: ‘Intellectual Montage,’ Poststructuralism and Ideology.” Offscreen. 11.2 (Feb 2007).
Shari, Kizirian. “October: the End of a Revolution.” Senses of Cinema. 58 (2011).
Stojanova, Christina. “Three Films by Eisenstein.” Offscreen. (May 1999).
Bergan, Ronald. Sergei Eisenstein: A Life in Conflict. London, UK: Warner Books, 1997.
Informative biography written in 1997 and therefore able to take advantage of materials only available after the end of the Soviet period. Less interested in film theory or aesthetics than in biographical events, it focuses instead on the relationship between Eisenstein’s personal life and his films, along with the larger historical context.
Bordwell, David. The Cinema of Eisenstein. New York, NY: Routledge, 2005.
Detailed analysis of Eisenstein’s films and their relationship to his theoretical writings, which are also discussed in depth. Special attention is also paid to the cultural ferment created by revolution which provided the context for Eisenstein’s filmmaking.
Bulgakowa, Oksana. Sergei Eisenstein: A Biography. San Francisco, CA: Potemkin, 2001.
Eisenstein, Sergei. Film Form [and] the Film Sense; Two Complete and Unabridged Works. New York, NY: Meridian Books, 1957.
A series of essays written by Eisenstein between 1928 and 1945 which demonstrate key points in his film theory and, taken together, is one of the major texts on film aesthetics.
Gordon, James. Eiusenstein, Cinema and History. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press, 1993.
Leyda, Jay and Zina Voynow. Eisenstein at Work. New York, NY: Pantheon Books, 1982.
Mitry, Jean. S.M. Eisenstein. Paris, France: J.P. Delarge, 1978.
Nizhny, Vladimir. Lessons with Eisenstein. New York, NY: Da Capo Press, 1979.
O’Mahony, Mike. Sergei Eisenstein. London, UK: Reaktion, 2008.
Seton, Marie. Sergei M. Eisenstein: A Biography. New York, NY: A.A. Wynn, 1952.
Articles
Beller, Jonathan. "The Spectatorship of the Proletariat." Boundary.2.22 (1995): 171-228.
In his article, Beller is concerned with the idea of cinematic production as revolutionary tool, as demonstrated by a Marxist reading of Eisenstein's Strike. Beller argues that by synthesizing Taylorism and Pavlonian logic, Eisenstein strives for both psychological and industrial reformation in the spectator.
Biltereyst, Daniel. “’Will We Ever See Potemkin?’: The Historical Reception and Censorship of Eisenstein’s Battleship Potemkin in Belgium (1926-32).” Studies in Russian & Soviet Cinema. 2.1 (2008): 5-19.
Bohlinger, Vincent. “Engrossing? Exciting! Incomprehensible? Boring! Audience Survey Responses to Eisenstein’s October.” Studies in Russian & Soviet Cinema. 5.1 (2011): 5-27.
A statistical examination of the audience reception of Eisenstein's October during its first three nights of theatrical exhibition in 1928. The analysis is composed of data from a survey given to exiting theatre goers by the Society of Friends of the Soviet Cinema.
Burns, Paul E. “Cultural Revolution, Collectivization and Soviet Cinema: Eisenstein’s Old and New and Dovzhenko’s Earth.” Film & History. 11.4 (1981) 84-96.
Crofts, Stephen. “Eisenstein and Ideology.” Framework: The Journal of Cinema & Media. 7-8 (1978): 12-16.
Doise, Eric. “Unorthodox Iconography: Russian Orthodox Icons in Battleship Potemkin.” Film Criticism. 33.3 (2009): 50-66.
Eisenstein, Sergei M. “The Middle of the Three.” Studies in Russian & Soviet Cinema. 1.2 (2007): 211-233.
Goodwin, James. “Eisenstein’s Creative Process.” Quarterly Review of Film Studies. 1.1 (1976): 56-62.
---. “Ideology and Intellectual Cinema.” Quarterly Review of Film Studies. 3.2 (1978): 169-192.
Gordon, Mel and Alma H. Lewis. “Eisenstein’s Early Work in Expressive Behavior: The Montage of Movement.” Millennium Film Journal. 3 (1979): 25-29.
Kepley Jr, Vance. “The Evolution of Eisenstein’s Old and New.” Cinema Journal. 14.1 (1974): 34-50.
Lefebvre, Martin. “Eisenstein, Rhetoric and Imaginicity: Towards a Revolutionary Memoria.” Screen. 41.4 (2000): 349-368.
Polan, Dana B. “Eisenstein as Theorist.” Cinema Journal. 17.1 (Fall 1977): 14-29.
Discussion of Eisenstein’s writings that examines the differences and similarities between his theories and his films.
Ropare-Wuilleumier, Marie-Claire. “The Function of Metaphor in Eisenstein’s October.” Film Criticism. 2.2-3 (1978): 10-34.
Sanchez-Biosca, Vicente. “Montage and Spectator: Eisenstein and the Avant-Garde.” Semiotica. 81.3-4 (1990): 277-289.
Selden, D.L. “Vision and Violence: The Rhetoric of Potemkin.” Quarterly Review of Film Studies. 7.4 (1982): 309-329.
Sorensen, Janet. “Lef, Eisenstein and the Politics of Form.” Film Criticism. 19.2 (1994-95): 55-74
Taylor, Gregory T. “'The Cognitive Instrument in the Service of Revolutionary Change’: Sergei Eisenstein, Annette Michelson, and the Avant-Garde’s Scholarly Aspiration.” Cinema Journal. 31.4 (1992): 42-59.
Online articles
Bulgakowa, Oksana. “Eisenstein, the Glass House and the Spherical Book.” Rouge. 7 (2005).
Lindop, Jason. “Eisenstein: ‘Intellectual Montage,’ Poststructuralism and Ideology.” Offscreen. 11.2 (Feb 2007).
Shari, Kizirian. “October: the End of a Revolution.” Senses of Cinema. 58 (2011).
Stojanova, Christina. “Three Films by Eisenstein.” Offscreen. (May 1999).