This black & white educational silent film is about the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 Russia. This is part 1 of the film OCTOBER re-edited in this version and released internationally in 1928 as TEN DAYS THAT SHOOK THE WORLD. This film was directed by Grigori Aleksandrov & Sergi Eisenstein.

Opening titles: Ten Days That Shook The World (:06-:48). A woman ties rope around a statue. The Czar’s statue is outfitted with rope to be toppled. Happy revolutionaries hold their rifles and lift them into the air. February 1917, the Czar and his government were overthrown (:49-2:29). People are jubilant. The Provisional government is to carry out orders – freedom, bread and land are promised for the people. Bayonets hit the ground. Soldiers in the snow. Russia makes peace and associates with the Germans (2:30-4:53). Soldiers converse and are happy. Men applaud. No peace as war begins again. Soldiers run, get into trenches. Bread lines grow longer during a cold winter (4:54-7:48). Snow falls as people wait in a bread line. People are tired and hungry. April 3, 1917, Finnish Railroad Terminal in Petrograd. Vladimir Lenin returns to see supporters, he has left exile. Lenin speaks to the people (7:49-10:17). Lenin wants to end the Provisional government. During the summer of 1917, demonstrations happen in Russia (10:18-11:39). Lenin speaks, the people support him. Protest banners and signs are paraded around. Kronstadt Marines follow Lenin. Bolsheviks carry weapons (11:40-13:05). The demonstrations in Nevsky Square are fired upon by the army. Guns are fired, people flee. Large crowds break apart. Bullets are fired into the crowd (13:06-14:28). People relax. People fight one another. Some of the rich attack people and signs. A. Konovalov, the Minister of the Interior, talks on a phone. The government orders the working class to be cut off from the city center. Bridges are raised as people charge across them, with the bodies of the Bolsheviks still on them, as the Bourgeoisie throw copies of the Bolshevik newspaper into the river. (14:29-17:35). A draw bridge raises. A dog falls into the water. Machine gun regiment is taken prisoner (17:36-19:48). Prisoners walk. The elitists watch and smile. The Dictator of Russia walks inside a palatial estate (19:49-21:03). A.F. Kerensky. Military officers salute one another and exchange handshakes. Provisional government leader Alexander Kerensky is mockingly characterized as a mechanical peacock (21:04-24:43). Provisional government signs a decree. General Kornilov decides to advance his troops on Petrograd “for God and country” to put an end to this revolution (24:44-27:52). Tanks on the move. Petrograd workers take over the defense of the city. They assist in releasing political prisoners (27:53-29:58). Weapons are handed out to defend the city against Kornilov’s army. People grab weapons. Leaflets spread the messages of the revolution, and workers are trained to use weapons for the “last and decisive battle” (29:59-32:29). Swords are removed from their holsters. The workers talk with soldiers (32:30-35:11). People celebrate and clap with one another. Dancing in puddles, closeups on the way the boots move during the dances (35:12-36:58).