I can see how Eisenstein's films can be seen as propoganda, but after seeing them as many times as I have, that is a conclusion I DO NOT come to.

Potemkin holds more power than mere propaganda. (Just like Triumph of the Will). These directors were artists, and as artists their work should be put in that context. Why are these icon films watched so much? Potemkin, Metropolis-silents- are watched & appreciated more today than they were in their time.
It's not because of the propaganda, I can tell you that.

Intelligent filmgoers can see through the thick fog of early 20th century media. Films from this time have a poignant haunting quality. Can you say that "Bad Boys II" will have this quality in 100 years? I think not.