It's a black and white silent movie about sailors on the ship Potemkin who revolt against bad treatment under Tsarist regime, such as being fed maggot infested meat, which results in a chain reaction of the citizens revolting. This consequently brings about a massacre by the police. The film is based on a true event which took place in 1905.

There are so many people in this film! and so many steps! The steps scene is especially important as it has the montage technique of Eisenstein that has been paid homage to by many directors thereafter. Apparently this is the first film where a silent film acting was as if the camera was a third eye, not the actors acting at the camera. It's amazing how the weak can suddenly change around to become the dominant in a revolution.