Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein is born in Riga, then part of the Russian Empire, to a middle-class Jewish family. His father, Mikhail Eisenstein, was a civil engineer and architect; his mother, Yulia Ivanovna Konetskaya, came from a bourgeois background. The family environment, though seemingly stable, was fraught with underlying tensions and would later influence his artistic sensibilities.

Eisenstein is exposed to both the artistic and technical worlds from a young age. His father's architectural work instills an appreciation for form and structure, while his mother's cultural interests cultivate an early love for theater and literature.

Though still a child, Eisenstein witnesses the 1905 Revolution in Riga. This experience plants the seeds of revolutionary sentiment that would later permeate his work. The unrest and social upheaval make a lasting impression on his developing political consciousness.

Following in his father's footsteps, Eisenstein enrolls in the Petrograd Institute of Civil Engineering. However, his interests soon begin to shift towards the arts, signaling a departure from his planned career path.

With the outbreak of the Russian Revolution, Eisenstein abandons his studies and joins the Red Army. He is involved in propaganda and theatrical productions for the army, marking his first foray into the world of performance and visual communication.

Eisenstein enrolls at the GVyRM in Moscow, studying under Vsevolod Meyerhold, a leading figure in avant-garde theater. Meyerhold's biomechanics and experimental approach to acting profoundly influence Eisenstein's developing directorial style.

Eisenstein directs a radical adaptation of Alexander Ostrovsky's play, incorporating circus elements, acrobatics, and other unconventional theatrical techniques. This production demonstrates his rejection of traditional theatrical conventions and his embrace of montage and dynamic visual storytelling.

Eisenstein embarks on his cinematic journey with 'Strike' (Стачка), a powerful depiction of a workers' strike. This film establishes his innovative montage techniques and his commitment to revolutionary themes, marking the beginning of his career as a groundbreaking filmmaker.