I personally prefer to watch films like Eisenstein's. I say this because there is a plot and a story line. Yes, the Man with the Movie Camera was interesting to watch for a little while. I just felt that I was seeing pointless shots over and over again. I feel that movies need a story line because otherwise the film does not go anywhere (Of course this is a personal preference). I (once again) prefer films like Eisenstein's but that does not mean I feel Vertov's film was lacking importance. Man with the Movie Camera is a unique film that will not be a forgotten movie in Russian Cinema.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
The Unique Style of Vertov
Man with the Movie Camera is perhaps the most unusual film that I have ever seen. The previous statement was not in any way criticism because Vertov was brave enough to venture into a realm of film making that had not been seen before. I am unaware of the impact it had on early viewers. It is easy to imagine them scared or confused for the film is still extremely intense (because many of the things that are shown are so unbelievable even today). However I would like to give the director (Vertov) credit for attempting to create a universal language through film. It may have been a bit unsuccessful but if a consistent attempt were to be made, I feel that it would be possible to "create" a universal language through film.
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As you might imagine, Man with the Movie Camera was not a giant hit amongst the Soviet population, to put it mildly. Which for Vertov might have seemed a bit strange--since he seems to have believe he was celebrating everything Soviet life (indeed, life in general) is about.
ReplyDeleteAnd by the way, I think he would have liked what you say about there being a universal language of film. I think we'll find that it takes a little bit to at first catch onto what he's trying to do--and then when you start to get a feel for it, the rest becomes at least a little more apparent. (And I think you'll see that the shots are usually anything but pointless.)