Which 1925 silent epic film directed by Sergei Eisenstein features the Odessa Steps sequence?

Battleship Potemkin was the 1925 silent epic film directed by Sergei Eisenstein that features the Odessa Steps sequence.

The Soviet film dramatizes a 1905 mutiny aboard the Russian battleship Potemkin. Its most famous episode shows soldiers firing on civilians at Odessa’s steps, including the celebrated image of a baby carriage rolling down the stairs. The sequence is highly stylized rather than a literal reconstruction: the massacre as shown did not occur in exactly that form, although unrest and violence did take place in Odessa.

Eisenstein used rapid editing, repeated visual patterns, and contrasting shots of crowds, soldiers, and individuals to create a sense of collective movement and terror. This approach became a landmark in the development of montage editing and influenced filmmakers around the world.

The film was produced by Mosfilm and first screened in Moscow in January 1926 after an earlier ceremonial screening in December 1925. Because it was silent, later releases used different musical accompaniments and edits. It is often confused with Metropolis or Sunrise, but the Odessa Steps scene uniquely identifies Battleship Potemkin.