Petric does not just an analysis the man with the movie camera he also looks in depth at the political and artistic conditions that gave rise to constructivism. An analytical account of the state of the soviet union at a crucial transitional stage, this is one of the most seminal and therefore controversial films in the history of cinema. More widely known as man with a movie camera, this radical for its time, freewheeling russian documentary depicts the city of moscow from sunrise to sunset. With the exception of sergei eisensteins battleship potemkin, which is often reserved for the film students to endlessly moan about, russian cinema seems like a wonderfully wellkept secret that defies trends and builds new ones of its own. How man with a movie camera changed documentary filmmaking. Man with a movie camera, released in 1929 after having been filmed over a period of three years in urban u. Man with a movie camera a six reel record on film produced by vufku in 1929 excerpt from a camera operators diary attention viewers this film is an experiment in cinematic communication of real events without the help of intertitles without the help of a story, without the help of theatre. A man with a movie camera is one of the earliest plotless documentaries that had no actors to perform reenactments or even a specific story. Other sequences show cinema transforming traditional craft into industrial production through the juxtaposition of a series of images. Below are five of the film s most influential effects, the impact of which are still being seen on the silver screen today.
The stunning thing about this movie is that is was released in 1929. Man with a movie camera students name communications and media institutional affiliation man with a movie camera the film by dziga vertov entitled man with a movie camera is a film that impressed and brought fascination to audiences and it. Why would i begin a discussion of a silent classic by discussing such a. Man with a movie camera what makes something cinema. Directed by dziga vertov, edited by his wife elizaveta svilova, man with a movie camera is a 1929 experimental film. If vertov stopped here, of course, man with a movie camera would be fairly standard socialist propaganda, a bit more dynamic, perhaps, but nothing genuinely innovative. The film also lends some interesting incites to the nature of cinema. A breathtaking musical score has been recorded for the reissue of this movie a few years ago. Director dziga vertov set out to make a documentary collage of urban life in the soviet union. From dawn to dusk soviet citizens are shown at work and at their leisure, living a new, more modern lifestyle. What follows is so startling, even in 2016, that it quite literally transforms the viewers perception of what film can do. The film uses radical editing techniques and cinematic pyrotechnics to portray a typical day in moscow from dawn to dusk. Man with a movie camera is very simply a film about a man capturing life in the day of the lives of people from kiev, kharkov, moscow, and odessa.
Dziga vertovs 1929 film man with a movie camera is the perfect example of this and though it may not. Why would i begin a discussion of a silent classic by discussing such a mundane matter. The silent, avantgarde documentary man with a movie camera pushed the boundaries of cinematic visual language and opened up the world of filmmaking. A man with a movie camera 1929 writers without money. Information from its description page there is shown below. The many cinematic effects on display in the movie were just not common in 1920s filmmaking, and some were invented for this movie. Man with a movie camera chelovek s kinoapparatom, 1929. Man with a movie camera discussion guide influence film club. The man with a movie camera 1929 part documentary and part cinematic art, this film follows a city in the 1920s soviet union throughout the day, from morning to night.
The man with a movie camera is a 1929 russian movie directed by dziga vertov. Overview of man with a movie camera, 1929, directed by dziga vertov, with mikhail kaufman, at turner classic movies. Pdf deconstructing man with a movie camera researchgate. The spirit of punk throbs in this extraordinary silent classic from 1929, now on cinema rerelease. Through various formal techniques he creates an organic unity, a communist ideology that puts. This silent documentary is the creation of director dziga vertov, a truly revolutionary force in early soviet cinema. Man with a movie camera 1929 dziga vertov synopsis. This playful film is at once a documentary of a day in the life of the soviet union, a documentary of the filming of said documentary, and a depiction of an audience watching the film. Sep 29, 2012 man with a movie camera 1929 analysis by jocelyn stelzer directed by dziga vertov, edited by his wife elizaveta svilova, man with a movie camera is a 1929 experimental film. It is a representation of the soviet world through a futuristic city using an experimentation in the cinematic communication without the use of intertitles, without.
The great benefit of forcing myself to watch and write about cinema from only the 1920s this year is getting around to. How the bbc makes planet earth look like a hollywood movie duration. With the rise of communism dominating politics, filmmakers concerned themselves with constructing a socialist film industry exposing authorial innovation and political inferences. The film then takes its viewer on a humorous, kaleidoscopic ride through soviet cities while drawing parallels between the moviemaker and the factory laborer. Analysis of dziga vertovs city symphony man with a movie camera. Part documentary and part cinematic art, this film follows a city in the 1920s soviet union throughout the day, from morning to night. The film is a dazzling mix of imagery and technique, inviting the viewer to see the city through the eyes of the cameraman, and to share his perception of the events and visions that he encounters through the filmmaking process. Dziga vertov the man with the movie camera chelovek s kinoapparatom 1929 not on view. Man with a movie camera 1929 analysis by jocelyn stelzer directed by dziga vertov, edited by his wife elizaveta svilova, man with a movie camera is a 1929 experimental film. Director dziga vertovs claim that narrative cinema was inadequate to present real life is certainly arguable. Jan 16, 2017 directed by dziga vertov cover a day in the life of a russian city from sunrise until sun set, but it is much more than that.
The man with a movie camera 1929, directed by dziga vertov. In dziga vertovs city symphony man with a movie camera 1929, the city rises, works and spends leisure time as one united force, like a machine, each person is an integrated part of society. Accompanied by a bombastic score by english composer michael nyman, man with a movie camera for all the world resembles a music video. This scene in man with a movie camera is a precursor to generations of extremely popular special effects, from ray harryhausens monsters in clash of the titans 1981, to star wars 1977 and the terminator 1984 not to mention the plasticine exploits of wallace and gromit back in 1924, vertov directed the soviet unions first ever animated film, called soviet toys, and it was a. If your interest in film extends beyond the multiplex, you have no doubt heard of, and probably seen at least a clip from, dziga vertovs 1929 documentary the man with the movie camera.
As the man with the movie camera begins, the cameraman climbs out of the head of the camera. Man with a movie camera is the fourth album by the cinematic orchestra. In independent study in world cinema, a selfeducated film nerd attempts to fill in some fairly serious gaps in his selfeducation. The stagehands are busy, but the theatre itself is motionless until its hinged seats begin moving downward on their own. Aug 05, 2014 man with a movie camera, dziga vertovs feature, whose running time is 69 minutes, presents urban life in the ukrainian cities of odessa, kharkiv, and kiev. Fascinated with machinery, the technicalities of the world and the possibilities the camera itself offered to. The documentary man with a movie camera also known as chelovek s. It was produced in 1929 as a silent film by the studio vufku. Though you wont know it till the end, all of man with a movie camera is contained in its first big scene, set in a movie theatre. Directed by dziga vertov cover a day in the life of a russian city from sunrise until sun set, but it is much more than that. If your interest in film extends beyond the multiplex, you have no doubt heard of, and probably seen at least a clip from, dziga vertovs 1929 documentary the man with the movie cameraif you. Man with a movie camera 1929 from tony costa aip plus.
Chelovek s kinoapparatom is an experimental 1929 soviet silent documentary film, directed by dziga vertov and edited by his wife elizaveta svilova. Apr 14, 2010 though you wont know it till the end, all of man with a movie camera is contained in its first big scene, set in a movie theatre. I am conscious that it demands a peculiar effort to the 1999 movie fan, but the reward is great. The man with a movie camera by dziga vertov made in 1929 is a silent film that clams to break away from the use of film cards, actors, and all other theatrical aspects that the film industry had been using as it has been developing. This film takes place over the course of one day, and presents how extraordinary everyday life. Vertov was the editor of the soviet state newsreels. It was produced vufku film studio, and it presents urban life across the soviet unions city of moscow.
Dziga vertov so believed in cinema, he renamed himself for the cameras motion, from the ukrainian for spinning top. As a document of pure cinema that favors the visual over the aural, the man with a movie camera is a tremendously exciting work that soars over its limitations as a product of the soviet state system. It made explicit and poetic the astonishing gift the cinema made possible, of arranging what we see, ordering it, imposing a rhythm and language on. This scene in man with a movie camera is a precursor to generations of extremely popular special effects, from ray harryhausens monsters in clash of the titans 1981, to star wars 1977 and the terminator 1984 not to mention the plasticine exploits of wallace and gromit. In the 1920s fascination with the city resulted in an unprecedented increase in movingimage works that encapsulated the dynamics of modernity.
Man with a movie camera is an experimental 1929 soviet silent documentary film, directed by. A man travels around a city with a camera slung over his shoulder, documenting urban life with dazzling invention. An impression of city life in the soviet union, the man with a movie camera is the bestknown film of experimental documentary pioneer dziga vertov. In 1929, the year it was released, films had an average shot length asl of 11. Man with a movie camera soviet cinema senses of cinema.
Jan 24, 2012 man with a movie camera 1929, directed by dziga vertov, is a unique film. His faith in the mechanical eyes ability to capture actualities as they happened, free from any need for characters or narrative, formed the basis for his goals in man with a movie camera. Stills must not be reproduced, copied or downloaded in any way. In this sixth entry in the series, we look at russian filmmaker dziga vertovs experimental 1929 documentary man with a movie camera. The film was written and directed by dziga vertov, and edited by vertovs wife, elizaveta svilova. But vertov isnt just recording reality, he transforms it through the power of the cameras kinoglaz cinema eye. Man with a movie camera 1929 analysis by jocelyn stelzer. Feb 07, 2018 how the bbc makes planet earth look like a hollywood movie duration. Man with a movie camera dziga vertov 1929 celluloid.
You will also find in this dvd a really instructive commentary which is absolutely necessary if. Dziga vertov without actually knowing anything about the man or his work and this book is an excellent way to learn more. Man with a movie camera 1929 directed by dziga vertov. Dziga vertovs the man with the movie camera remains a. Man with a movie camera 1929, directed by dziga vertov, is a unique film. Man with a movie camera dziga vertov, 1929 in 1927 while soviet cinema was celebrating the tenth anniversary of the bolshevik revolution, one of its most fervent directors was sidelined. Erik gregersen this playful film is at once a documentary of a day in the life of the soviet union, a documentary of the filming of said documentary, and a depiction of an audience watching the film.
Quick warning, im going to cover the film from start to finish in my analysis so please do take the time to watch it if youd rather see it first. Man with a movie camera 1929 man with a movie camera is perhaps the best example of a film id heard of, knew roughly what it was about, understood it was considered very influential and had no intention of ever watching. Pdf man with the movie cameraconstructing visions of. Man with a movie camera study guide contains a biography of dziga vertov, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Man with a movie camera by dziga vertov 1929 on vimeo. Dziga vertovs man with a movie camera 1929 is a stunning avantgarde, documentary metanarrative which celebrates soviet workers and filmmaking. If your interest in film extends beyond the multiplex, you have no doubt heard of, and probably seen at least a clip from, dziga vertovs 1929. Man with a movie camera 1929 adopted a constructivist approach by utilising experimentalist technique in what was considered to be the early stages of modernism. A man with a movie camera, analysis a man with a movie camera amwamc is a silent documentary film that was released on 8th january 1929. At a time when soviet film was instrumental in communicating state propaganda, dziga vertov, the films director, experimented with editing techniques and stylistic decisions as a way to rid cinema of its bourgeois elements. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own. Such formalistic experimentationwith the iconography of urban landscapes is generically referred to as.
Man with a movie camera, directed by dziga vertov in 1929, is a film with the essence of getting the perfect shot. Ontologybased metadata annotation for nonacted, montage moving image works about urban. These notes were contributed by members of the gradesaver community. Man with a movie camera 1929 an impression of city life in the soviet union, the man with a movie camera is the bestknown film of experimental documentary pioneer dziga vertov. A man with a movie camera analysis mcgavin israel medium. Vertovs feature film, produced by the film studio vufku. It takes place over the span of one day and is a montage of the urban life in and around a russian city. But the assertion that this film is an unmediated presentation of daily life is. Man with a movie camera, a film from 1929 directed by dziga vertov, is a film unlike any contemporary movie we would see today that may hold more significance than most modern blockbusters from hollywood. I still have this music in my head three days after having seen the picture. More than 85 years after its release in 1929, it is difficult to watch his most famous film, man with a movie camera, without being bowled over. It was a mere experimental work that aimed to experience some new editing and shooting techniques. In a double image in chelovek s kinoapparatom man with a movie camera, the eye is superimposed on the camera lens to form an indivisible apparatus fit to view, process, and convey reality, all at once.