Have film schools been wrong all these years? Well, maybe not on most things, but the oft-taught “Odessa steps” sequence from this milestone silent masterpiece definitely hasn’t been available in the exact manner that Sergei Eisenstein intended until now. That sequence and several others containing brutal or unpleasant imagery were edited by German censors in 1926, and their changes were included in the official prints that have been distributed around the world for 80 years. The preceding is revealed in a 42-minute German documentary included in this indispensable two-disc set. The set also contains two versions of the 2005 German restoration of the film, which duplicates the 1925 Moscow premiere, one with English inter-titles and another with the original Russian, supplemented by English subtitles. The film retains its visceral power, particularly in its two set-pieces, the rebellion aboard the Potemkin and that famed steps sequence, which is now bloodier than it has ever been.

Shelf Talk: This package is a must-have for schools and libraries, but it also will do quite well with avid collectors and alternative outlets. This version of the film supplants all previous releases and is an important acquisition for a well-stocked foreign-film section.