Čelověk s kinoapparatom
Directed by:
Dziga VertovScreenplay:
Dziga VertovCinematography:
Mikhail KaufmanCast:
Mikhail KaufmanVOD (1)
Plots(1)
Not merely a cinematic portrait of a day in the life of a city, cinema pioneer Dziga Vertov's MAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA is an experimental manifesto of vision. Controversial when it was created in 1929, the film still pulses with the unruly energy and innovation of Vertov's genius. Subverting and criticizing the conventions of capitalist fiction filmmaking that he so despised, Vertov and his revolutionary Kino-Eye crew (including his wife as editor and his brother as cameraman--both of whom appear in the film) created a plethora of filmic devices in order to comment on vision, life, Marxism, and modernity. Differing film speeds, superimposition, evocative and manipulative editing, and rhythmic graphic composition all blend seamlessly in a magic show of life above and below the city. Shooting shops, traffic, children, coal miners, workers, human bodies, and nature, Vertov creates visual rhymes and graphic portraits of the structure of life and the explosion of perception. MAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA took part in the city symphony genre that was popular at the time (BERLIN: SYMPHONIE OF A GREAT CITY is another example) but transcended it in its critical distance, sheer innovation, and sublimely fluid vision of man, machine, and society. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (3)
One of the few films where you can see just how important the work of an editor is, in this case, a female editor. Rearranging it completely, the film would take on a new, different meaning. Additionally, interesting contrasts, such as between life and death, old and new, might not occur. The title of the film is perfect, Vertov and his brother-cameraman capture life and they succeed in doing so with complete splendor, with its speed and slow tempo, with its beauty and disgust, importance and uselessness.
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No explanatory subtitles, no story, in fact without much of what one would expect, and yet such an enthralling and engrossing affair. For an hour and seven minutes I stared at Man with a Movie Camera in mute amazement. By the way, I saw the version with the Alloy Orchestra score, which was really great, but I'm glad there are other soundtracks. All the more reason to keep coming back to this film (about the film).__P.S. In a number of scenes I seem to recognize the inspiration for Reggio's Koyaanisqatsi. Coincidence? Hardly.
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A revolutionary film, basically, it’s impossible to say whether it is "bad", "excellent" or "passable" because of its heavy experimental character. A picture book with no script and no story that doesn’t get boring is a big win, and what's more, it’s a particular piece of work that will make more than a few film enthusiast get an insatiable desire to grab a camera and head out into the social jungle in search of a perfect, concise and beautiful shot... To be honest, I was expecting a more significant foray into the practice of the Soviet montage school, which continues to be dominated by Comrade Eisenstein, but Man with a Movie Camera is undoubtedly a remarkable contribution to that unique cinematic era.
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Gallery (18)
Photo © VUFKU
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