The guy basically invented the use of montage in film.
His status as a great of cinema is primarily based on the fact that his works are the building blocks with which all movies that came afterwards are built with. The Odessa Steps sequence in Battleship Potemkin may not seem extremely thrilling now, but keep in mind that it is the first important appearance of montage in world cinema - montage, as in "an idea that arises from the collision of independent shots...each sequential element is perceived not next to the other, but on top of the other", as Eisenstein explains.
Check out the history of montage theory. That might help you better appreciate the esteem in which Eisenstein is held.
robintaxidrivvr t1_j9ekcw8 wrote
Reply to Was Sergei Eisenstein an overrated classic director? by AChocolateHouse
The guy basically invented the use of montage in film.
His status as a great of cinema is primarily based on the fact that his works are the building blocks with which all movies that came afterwards are built with. The Odessa Steps sequence in Battleship Potemkin may not seem extremely thrilling now, but keep in mind that it is the first important appearance of montage in world cinema - montage, as in "an idea that arises from the collision of independent shots...each sequential element is perceived not next to the other, but on top of the other", as Eisenstein explains.
Check out the history of montage theory. That might help you better appreciate the esteem in which Eisenstein is held.