Ideal films for studying compositional relationships in film and visual rhythm
are classics by the Russian director Sergei Eisenstein, such as The Battleship Potemkin
(1925), Que Viva Mexico! (1931–1932), Alexander Nevsky (1938), and
Ivan the Terrible (1944–1946). Eisenstein’s origins as a theater designer made him
very aware of the impact upon an audience of musical and visual design. His sketch-
books show how carefully he designed everything in each shot, down to the cos-
tumes.