ABSTRACT
Pace has been a critical editing tool since D. W. Griffith perfected the chase sequence. Although an existing dramatic climax was Griffith’s goal, the purpose of pace has proved far
more diverse over time. The context of this diversity begins with Sergei Eisenstein. German
expressionists such as F. W. Murnau moved the camera to avoid editing; Eisenstein built upon Griffith’s ideas about pace and brought more rapid editing into filmmaking with a political
rather than an entertainment agenda. In films memorializing the revolutionary spirit (Stachka
[Strike], Bronenosets Potyomkin [Potemkin]) and collectivization (Staroye inovoye [The General Line]), Eisenstein worked out his theory of montage: pace, or metric montage, was one of its
central traits. The core issue for Eisenstein was conflictual-the ordinary sailor against his
officers, the oppressed workers against their rulers, the people against the czar. Pace was used to juxtapose oppression and political action in the most powerful fashion. Eisenstein was not
afraid to exploit the emotionalism inherent in the audience’s relationship with the film
medium. Pace promoted that emotionalism and its exploitation.
