Man with a movie camera 6th september
How far your chosen films reflect aesthetic qualities associated with a particular movement
The film Man with a Movie Camera comes under the artistic branch of constructivism, specifically soviet montage. Constructivism stresses the importance of the power of industry, usually through construction itself. Its a utilitarian art form in theory and seeks to return art to the worker/ proletariat from the bourgeoisie reflected in its industrial focus; often using industrial materials unlike the canvas paintings before. Soviet montage was a form of propaganda developed by Russian filmmakers, such as Vertov, which aimed to celebrate the proletariat role within the Soviet industrial system.
Man with a Movie Camera embodies constructivism through its depiction of industry and man within industry, seen through the use of editing and various techniques. This includes a sequence with a close up on a rolling mechanism which is juxtaposed in the next scene by a rolling wave, this is graphic matching and compares the force of nature to the power of industry, another sequence utilises rapid cuts and super imposition to show the man with the movie camera within industry, therefore placing art in industry. Close ups of spinning cogs are juxtaposed with the process of editing film to show the art form of constructivism as part of the soviet industrial system, showing it to be part of this larger collective effort which fits in line with communist ideology. This also works to present constructivist art as for the proletariat, as the cogs can also be seen as metaphor for the individual labourers contribution to the collective effort in which they will prosper from, so the proletariat will similarly prosper from this constructivist art which is part of the collective effort. This can also be seen as a rejection of the more bourgeoisie classical art which was not for the common people. This point is further illustrated in the aforementioned sequence with rapid cuts and super imposition, as the camera man.
The film's conclusion captures the propagandist aspect of soviet cinema, with its criticism of the bourgeoisie; this is shown through a diegetic audience in a cinema passively watching the bourgeoisie institution of ballet be essentially destroyed, through using new cinematic techniques like split screen. This is aptly shown when the Bolshoi Ballet HQ is being split in two using the innovative technique of split screen; cinema and its innovation is destroying this old bourgeoisie institution. This therefore shows the new proletariat friendly form of entertainment (cinema) eclipsing this older bourgeoisie institution, thus reflecting soviet values, specifically of innovation associated with industry and the rise of the proletariat
The film Man with a Movie Camera comes under the artistic branch of constructivism, specifically soviet montage. Constructivism stresses the importance of the power of industry, usually through construction itself. Its a utilitarian art form in theory and seeks to return art to the worker/ proletariat from the bourgeoisie reflected in its industrial focus; often using industrial materials unlike the canvas paintings before. Soviet montage was a form of propaganda developed by Russian filmmakers, such as Vertov, which aimed to celebrate the proletariat role within the Soviet industrial system.
Man with a Movie Camera embodies constructivism through its depiction of industry and man within industry, seen through the use of editing and various techniques. This includes a sequence with a close up on a rolling mechanism which is juxtaposed in the next scene by a rolling wave, this is graphic matching and compares the force of nature to the power of industry, another sequence utilises rapid cuts and super imposition to show the man with the movie camera within industry, therefore placing art in industry. Close ups of spinning cogs are juxtaposed with the process of editing film to show the art form of constructivism as part of the soviet industrial system, showing it to be part of this larger collective effort which fits in line with communist ideology. This also works to present constructivist art as for the proletariat, as the cogs can also be seen as metaphor for the individual labourers contribution to the collective effort in which they will prosper from, so the proletariat will similarly prosper from this constructivist art which is part of the collective effort. This can also be seen as a rejection of the more bourgeoisie classical art which was not for the common people. This point is further illustrated in the aforementioned sequence with rapid cuts and super imposition, as the camera man.
The film's conclusion captures the propagandist aspect of soviet cinema, with its criticism of the bourgeoisie; this is shown through a diegetic audience in a cinema passively watching the bourgeoisie institution of ballet be essentially destroyed, through using new cinematic techniques like split screen. This is aptly shown when the Bolshoi Ballet HQ is being split in two using the innovative technique of split screen; cinema and its innovation is destroying this old bourgeoisie institution. This therefore shows the new proletariat friendly form of entertainment (cinema) eclipsing this older bourgeoisie institution, thus reflecting soviet values, specifically of innovation associated with industry and the rise of the proletariat
Paragraph 1:
ReplyDelete"Soviet montage was a form of propaganda" - doesn't have to be propaganda - it's a form of filmmaking pioneered by Russian filmmakers in which meaning is conveyed through editing multiple cuts together.
Paragraph 2:
"This includes a sequence with a close up on a rolling mechanism [...] therefore placing art in industry." - this sentence is over-long and somewhat bitty; it feels like notes rather than flowing prose. Also sounds quite vague - "this includes a sequence" - when does it occur in the film? - "another sequence utilises" - again, vague.
"Close ups of spinning cogs are juxtaposed [...] fits in line with communist ideology." - not entirely sure I follow the argument here. I don't know what point you're making.
"in which they will prosper from" - awkward phrasing - check prepositions
"This point is further illustrated in the aforementioned sequence with rapid cuts and super imposition, as the camera man." - is this sentence finished?
Paragraph 3:
"cinema passively watching the bourgeoisie" - they weren't really 'passively' watching - they seemed to be quite invested in the performance.
"innovative technique of split screen" - remember that the split screen interacts with the camera canting (the lens angles diagonally in each of the split screens) so that the building seems to be 'melting' or collapsing