MAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA - NOTES
MAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA - Dziga Vertov
QUESTION FOR TESTS
Discuss how far your chosen films reflect aesthetic qualities associated with a particular film movement.
NOTES
Discuss how far your chosen films reflect aesthetic qualities associated with a particular film movement.
NOTES
- All happy when they get married which is shown via the major key with the music.
- It then switches to a minor key of the same wedding song but shows that they are having a divorce.
- Reflects uncomfortable situation.
- Mikael Kaufman was the camera man in the film.
- Ellie sviolva (wife) edited the film.
Techniques
- Cross-cutting
- Fades
- Dissolves
- Straight cuts
- Rapid cuts
- Split screen
- Dutch angles
- Slow motion/speeded up
- Reverse motion
- Stop motion
- Double exposure
- Superimposition
Motifs and Themes
- Russia is powerful as they are able to control the elements such as water; (39:00), fire: (40:00)
Tram scene + split screen (18:00 - 19:42)
Notes:
- Split screen
- Hectic cuts
- Speed up: daily routine everyday
- Cross cutting for different days
- Spinning of camera, spinning of sewing machine, spinning of bike
- Tracking of bicycle
- Industrial revolution with all trams
- Transport revolution: everyones equal as they all take it
- The mannequin doing the sewing represents the new industrial inventions of Russia
- Slowing down inventions as they are moving too fast.
- Constant movement within the scene - hectic nature of society.
- Canted and split screen put together = split and confusion in society. Rich vs Poor. People don't know the differences.
- Technological advance - mixing two different camera styles.
- Denounces the past.
- Italian futurism.
- Taking individual elements and putting them together in a different way.
- All about movements and energy and dynamism.
- Constant movement within the scene - hectic nature of society.
- Canted and split screen put together = split and confusion in society. Rich vs Poor. People don't know the differences.
- Technological advance - mixing two different camera styles.
- Denounces the past.
- Italian futurism.
- Taking individual elements and putting them together in a different way.
- All about movements and energy and dynamism.
Discuss how far your chosen films reflect aesthetic qualities associated with a particular film movement.
Roughly a third of the way through the film, Vertov uses a sequence involving trains and trams in order to celebrate communistic expansion and innovation in the Soviet Union. He praises this new technological advance via the use of muscular filmmaking and experimentation of different individual elements in film. One of the ways this is most prevalent is through the use of split screen and a canted camera angle. This is reflective of the social hierarchy as the rich on the right get richer whilst the poor on the left get poorer.
The Kuleshov effect, in which meaning is created via the juxtaposition of shots, is evident in the cut between the bicycle and the train in which we can see the old technology compared to the new technology. This enlightens the idea of futurism in which the soviet union dismisses the old technology of the bicycle and praises the new transport of trains. This technological advance reflects constructivism within the soviet union. The next scene starts to speed up whilst we see trams move past multiple times. This reflects time moving very quickly as society starts to speed up with new advances in life. This is also a praise for the soviet union advancing at a quicker pace than other countries. This is reflective of the ideal that Vertov holds of the trains and trams presenting the ideas of society moving forward and advancing. This is juxtaposing to the traditional architecture behind which represent the 'old ways' which was run by the borgioursie. These methods are seen as outdated and Vertov tries to get that idea to the spectator through his work.
Futhermore, in this sequence, Vertov shows a horse and a cart 'disappearing' into the split screen, itself a technical innovation. How created this new 'split-screen' by filming the scene with half covered and repeating with the other covered. Therefore the horse disappears behind as Kaufman advances forward. This is reflective of the constructivist and futurist inspirations behind this film: the idea of leaving the old technology such as horse and carts and moving forward to a modern equal society, with technological advances such as trains and tram leaving behind the social hierarchy that plagues the society in the past.
[more detail here on exactly how the effect has been achieved: how did Vertov create the split screen? How does the horse and cart 'disappear'?]
The Kuleshov effect, in which meaning is created via the juxtaposition of shots, is evident in the cut between the bicycle and the train in which we can see the old technology compared to the new technology. This enlightens the idea of futurism in which the soviet union dismisses the old technology of the bicycle and praises the new transport of trains. This technological advance reflects constructivism within the soviet union. The next scene starts to speed up whilst we see trams move past multiple times. This reflects time moving very quickly as society starts to speed up with new advances in life. This is also a praise for the soviet union advancing at a quicker pace than other countries. This is reflective of the ideal that Vertov holds of the trains and trams presenting the ideas of society moving forward and advancing. This is juxtaposing to the traditional architecture behind which represent the 'old ways' which was run by the borgioursie. These methods are seen as outdated and Vertov tries to get that idea to the spectator through his work.
Futhermore, in this sequence, Vertov shows a horse and a cart 'disappearing' into the split screen, itself a technical innovation. How created this new 'split-screen' by filming the scene with half covered and repeating with the other covered. Therefore the horse disappears behind as Kaufman advances forward. This is reflective of the constructivist and futurist inspirations behind this film: the idea of leaving the old technology such as horse and carts and moving forward to a modern equal society, with technological advances such as trains and tram leaving behind the social hierarchy that plagues the society in the past.
- the Kuleshov effect - what is the significance, at 18:57, of the cut between the bicycle and the train? How does this relate to constructivism?
- In the next cut, at 19:04, note how the sequence has been sped up - what is the effect of this? And why does Vertov show trams in front of a church and classical portico (think bourgeoisie)?
- the next cut is a low angle show of a train speeding by. How does this add to the dynamic quality of the sequence? Think speed, technology - link it to constructivism.
Then link, via the Kuleshov effect, to the next sequence below:
[more detail here on exactly how the effect has been achieved: how did Vertov create the split screen? How does the horse and cart 'disappear'?]
Complete the paragraph by referring to what happens next: Kaufman on the edge of the train (muscular filmmaking); the train speeding overhead (link to the Lumiere brothers; the cameraman endangering himself)
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