Reception and cultural impact Revolutionary Mass Festivals

storming of winter palace: still sergei eisenstein s october: ten days shook world, 1928

the mass celebrations permeated air of carnivalesque joy , people s notion of achieved freedom. may appear highly paradoxical in midst of violence , economic hardship revolution had brought about. participatory spectatorship @ “storming of winter palace” vivid example of how mass spectacle created historical myth, , replaced reality of less dramatic events of 1917 revolution more impressive memory. accordingly, 1928 movie october: ten days shook world, sergei eisenstein chose represent not accurate picture of 1917 storming of winter palace, rather evreinov’s re-enactment.

in analysis of revolutionary mass spectacle, susan buck-morss discusses dual nature of these stagings , complicated relation state power. perpetuate historical past present , not clear, whether power on past lies in hands of masses longer or whether instead orchestrated state, paradoxically achieved power through revolutionary actions. in re-staging revolution, state seeks confirmation of power, @ same time stagings inevitably lack liberating character of spontaneous revolution. inherent ambivalence of revolutionary mass festivals explains why, genre, later eschewed in favor of more uniform annual soviet holidays such may day, anniversary of revolution, , - after world war ii - victory day.