Man With a Movie Camera
Film: Man With a Movie Camera (Vertov, 1929, 68m)
Readings: Film History, Ch. 12: Cinema and the State: the USSR,
Germany, and Italy; Annette Michelson, Introduction of Kino-Eye: The
Writings of Dziga Vertov
Write a 700 to 800-word analysis of the film. You must incorporate at least ONE READING. Your response should demonstrate your understanding of the reading and the film, including its historical significance. Do not simply summarize the film. Rather, discuss how that film has contributed to the aesthetic and/or technical innovations in film history. Also, consider how each film reflects and influences its socio-political context. You must use proper citations for all sources in your response. Below are some questions to serve as prompts for reflection. You do not have to address all of these questions in your response.
What are the central arguments made by the films and/or the texts and how do they relate to each other?
What social, cultural, political, or historical issues are brought into focus in the films and how?
What themes emerge from the films or texts and how do they relate to the historical context?
Describe the aesthetics of the film and discuss how they contribute to the development of film language.
What role does this film play in the history of film in terms of its aesthetic, technological, and or socio-political contributions?
Man with a Movie Camera
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Man with a Movie Camera
The “Man with a Movie Camera” is a 1929 film by Dzgiva Vertov. Vertov uses this film to represent the scenes of the ordinary day-to-day lives of people in Russia. The producer triumph over the city's modernity with several buildings, a massive population, and growing industries. The film does not utilize any characters or a plot and thus is known as an introductory film study in the 21st century.
One of the main arguments of the film is man and cinema. The producer describes factories and machinery and feels there is a camera. The machine constantly moved, crawled under, and climbed onto objects while the camera recorded the motion at 16-17 frames per second (Vertov, 1929). Vertov indicates that there is massive production and consumption of images. This combustion engine provided humanity with a new speed exposure. The film gave us a new speed of creation and perception. The film is also sexy. The bodies at the beach are sexy. Alternatively, the camera makes everything else sexy and thrilling.
The film critically describes the notion of truth. Producer Vertov uses the concept of reality that remains and is rooted in the concept present in today's life, making the film the best subject for filmmakers. The film purport that the most effective method to cope with the material was to move outside and shoot it as it unfolds. Besides, Vertov purports that society is an invention of their background. The design in which the shots were obtained represents the filmmaker's dedication to filming the Soviet cities. The deployed scene changes the usual purpose into a surrealistic image. Furthermore, Vertov illustrates the loss of emotional depth and loss of character. For instance, he emphasizes that objects and human beings perform similar functions. Also, workers and machinery are twisted into machines that lack emotions while attempting to replace mechanisms using their physical effort.
This film contains significant themes and describes how they connect to the historical context. Rapid industrialization is one of the significant themes. Via the eye of the camera, Soviet Russia is experiencing massive industrialization through an elevating perspective. With Vertov's background (a newsreel producer), it is clear that the film could feature the positive influence of the communist revolution on Soviet life. The film industry represents mechanical industries that drive the advancement of the Soviet Union.
Another present theme in t...