I was never a fan of this movie mainly because I miss the dialog, there is no nudity and dramatic music that substitutes for the soundtrack gets old really quick, but it features one of the most-known sights in my city -- the Potemkin Stairs.
I’ve seen both Battleship Potemkin and All Quiet on the Western Front a number of times: both are taught in film school. Hell, at one point in my life I could have told you who made the pram rolling down those steps as well as the name of the little boy who takes a round and then gets trampled….
There is a great Polish-Soviet comedy “Deja Vu”, where an American killer is coming to Odessa to get rid of a mobster at the same time they are filming the “Battleship..” (the stairs scene and more). Since it was only a few years after the revolution some citizens decide that the White Army returned, hide the Soviet crap,pull out all conveniently stored pre-revolution stuff and start saluting the “tsarist” troops parading around town.
Well, my memories of Mayday are not so grand: As a child in Iowa, my mom would buy these tiny plastic baskets and we’d put candy and perhaps some violets in each one. Then Mother drove me around the countryside (it was a rural area) and I was to run to the door, put down a basket, knock or ring the doorbell, and run like crazy, because the schoolmate who lived inside was supposed to come running after me and kiss me! Only one little boy ever came after me, and I was scared to death. I don’t recall if he caught me or not, but I’m sure my mother had a big laugh out of the pursuit. She was always forcing me into something I’d rather not have been doing.
Not religious at all, and once I moved to Missouri I never heard more about it. I do recall in Iowa some girl, a classmate, had a party and since it was around or on Mayday, we made paper May baskets and then went out and picked dandelions and violets and such to put in them.
I kinda miss all the old gray men on top of Lenin’s Tomb… and the west trying to guess who was up and who was down based on who was there. Usually nice missile parade too.
Missiles were displayed on what you call VE day on May 9th and on the Revolution anniversary on November 7th. May 1st was for peaceful demonstrations to show you people how much happier we are.
I’ve seen both Battleship Potemkin and All Quiet on the Western Front a number of times: both are taught in film school. Hell, at one point in my life I could have told you who made the pram rolling down those steps as well as the name of the little boy who takes a round and then gets trampled….
There is a great Polish-Soviet comedy “Deja Vu”, where an American killer is coming to Odessa to get rid of a mobster at the same time they are filming the “Battleship..” (the stairs scene and more). Since it was only a few years after the revolution some citizens decide that the White Army returned, hide the Soviet crap,pull out all conveniently stored pre-revolution stuff and start saluting the “tsarist” troops parading around town.
Well, my memories of Mayday are not so grand: As a child in Iowa, my mom would buy these tiny plastic baskets and we’d put candy and perhaps some violets in each one. Then Mother drove me around the countryside (it was a rural area) and I was to run to the door, put down a basket, knock or ring the doorbell, and run like crazy, because the schoolmate who lived inside was supposed to come running after me and kiss me! Only one little boy ever came after me, and I was scared to death. I don’t recall if he caught me or not, but I’m sure my mother had a big laugh out of the pursuit. She was always forcing me into something I’d rather not have been doing.
; ‘ )
Sounds like good fun. Will have to give it a peek…
Donna, was it some kind religious thing? Obviously it wasn’t related to the labor movement
Not religious at all, and once I moved to Missouri I never heard more about it. I do recall in Iowa some girl, a classmate, had a party and since it was around or on Mayday, we made paper May baskets and then went out and picked dandelions and violets and such to put in them.
I did find one mention of the baskets on doorknobs and the kiss thing here: http://familycrafts.about.com/cs/mayholidays/a/aa041700a.htm
I kinda miss all the old gray men on top of Lenin’s Tomb… and the west trying to guess who was up and who was down based on who was there. Usually nice missile parade too.
Missiles were displayed on what you call VE day on May 9th and on the Revolution anniversary on November 7th. May 1st was for peaceful demonstrations to show you people how much happier we are.
Donna, my folks are from Iowa and my dad and mom talked about it. I wonder if it’s kind of a German/Lutheran thing?
Cara, possibly. And from the links I found (which I included in a post on my blog), it seems to have been a mid-1900’s fad.