David Desser comments: "The laserdisc of _Birth of a Nation_ looks almost as if Griffith shot the film to be shown in slow-motion in many parts, especially the non-battle scenes. However, I am reasonably certain that there's no slo-mo in _Potemkin_, but some scenes *feel* like slow motion due to overlapped action or repeated action. The same thing occurs in _October_ in scenes like Karensky going up the staircase in the Winter Palace, or the draw bridge opening as the horse and buggy hangs precariously over the side. Slow motion often has a lyrical feel to it (e.g. _Elvira Madigan_) or an ironically lyrical feel to it (e.g. Kurosawa and Peckinpah). Eisenstein, in _Potemkin_ and _October_ at least, didn't go in for lyricism, and I don't remember any slo-mo in _Strike_, but plenty of scenes extended dramatically to *feel* like time has been expanded. That's the best I can tell you on that score." It just struck me that the mechanics of slo-mo may be one reason that Eisenstein *did* use overlapping editing--it was actually easier to ensure the manipulation of time via the editing table than the projector, which also depended on the speed and timing of the cameraman and the projectionist. (Of course, it also perfectly accords with E's theories of montage--but how many of those were written after the fact, as an explanation of what might have been created on a more contingent basis?) Was standardized, electric projection readily available by the time that Clair and Leger were doing their experiments? I can't think of examples from Melies or Griffith's Biograph shorts either, although they did just about everything else between them (and I'm *not* making any claim about them "inventing" anything here!). BEZHIN MEADOW is particularly problematic, because--as far as I know--it only exists in the documents and some still shots (there is a reconstruction of the film using those stills). Don Larsson, Mankato State U (MN) ---- To signoff SCREEN-L, e-mail [log in to unmask] and put SIGNOFF SCREEN-L in the message. Problems? Contact [log in to unmask]