Man with a Movie Camera Revision

Scene 1 - 9:11 - Train/Morning RoutineExam Questions

● The impact of different viewing contexts on the spectator experience● The critical awareness of the spectator

Scene Analysis● A clear juxtaposition is shown as there is a quick cut montage of the two routines, one being

very peaceful and the other dangerous and chaotic - This represents the vast differences between how people live their lives in the city

● “We see a hole being dug between two train tracks, and later a train racing straight towards the camera. We’re reminded that when the earliest movie audiences saw such a shot, they were allegedly terrified, and ducked down in their seats.” - Roger Ebert’s review

● Avant garde - Viewers had never seen anything like this before, similar techniques such as shot length are more commonly found within modern Hollywood cinema

● Critical response - “The producer, Dziga Vertov, does not take into consideration the fact that the human eye fixes for a certain space of time that which holds the attention.” - Mordaunt Hall, The New York Times

● Similar in style to a classical silent film or a melodramatic piece when the foot is ‘trapped’ in the tracks

● At the time this style would be expected within a different genre with more fictional elements, it wouldn’t typically be associated with a documentary film.

● By rapidly cutting between a sleeping woman and the cameraman creates a dream like state, resembles her waking up in the morning.

● Within the first shots of the woman in bed shows her being rudely awakened by what seems to be a bad dream or nightmare, the train could symbolically be referring this dream state of hers.

● The context in which spectators view this film is also crucial - Audiences in 1929 would find this style of film very intense and before it’s time meaning they wouldn’t fully appreciate the advances within documentary as it blurs the line between fiction and reality. Compare this to a modern day audience, they would be able to appreciate the modern day ASL and realise that the film itself is stylistically similar to documentaries today.

● Link with The Thin Blue Line due to their use of performative elements and fictional undertones throughout, both films are engaging audiences dramatically

Scene 2 -32:19 - Ambulance PursuitExam Questions

● Similarities with fiction films, particularly regarding narrative and character● The pleasures of a documentary● The relationship between spectator and screen

Scene Analysis ● The cameraman is presented to be the hero of the film - putting his

life on the line to capture these shots by standing in the car.● “The only continuing figure- not a character- is the Man With a Movie

Camera.” Roger Ebert Review● Paired with the intense orchestral score, it embodies typical features

of action or fictional film, not a documentary.● Right in the beginning inter-titles Vertov lets the audience know what

kind of film to expect. He informs us the film is an experiment in the cinematic communication of visible events, without the aid of inter-titles

● It can be argued that the camera itself is the star of the film which would be supported by the kino eye theory, during this scene especially audiences witness the importance of the camera as it is being supported by 2 men whilst driving at speed with ambulances - crowds of spectators can also be seen standing at the side of the road suggesting the shooting process itself had hardly even been seen

● The scene itself could be interpreted as being very intense and dramatic for audiences due to the almost theatrical soundtrack and the fixed focus of the medical team/workers whilst the background of these shots are constantly changing at high speed.

● The ambulance pursuit itself offers audiences a window into a very important role within society that many would never have experienced, enlightening audience both then and now about the role these people play in society

● The shots within this scene are either stationary on the road positioned behind one of the cars or are focusing on the moving vehicles. Two of these cars appear to be driving side by side, in one shot you see the cameraman capturing the action and the other you see what the cameraman is capturing, the workers.

Scene 3 - 55:05 (Used throughout the whole film)Exam Questions

● The importance of micro features: cinematography, sound, editing, etc.Scene Analysis

● “In 1929, the year it was released, films had an average shot length (ASL) of 11.2 seconds. ‘MWAMC’ had an ASL of 2.3 seconds, the same as Michael Bay’s ‘Armageddon’.” - The film was far before it’s time in terms of editing and the impact the film itself had at the time.

● The cinematography of the film was by his brother, Mikhail Kaufman, who refused to ever work with him again

● "Never had I known that these mechanical noises could be arranged to sound so beautiful. Mr. Dziga Vertov is a musician," Charlie Chaplin (After the premiere)

● The sound in Man with a Movie Camera corresponds very well to what is being portrayed on screen as well as acting to enhance the atmosphere.

● It is important to note though, that the original movie had an accompanying orchestra and this soundtrack was added at a much later time than the film was released (2002), adding a compelling layer for moviegoers.

● The shots all have an organizing pattern that goes along beautifully with the rhythm of the boosting Alloy Orchestra that Vertov has written, composed and accompanies for us.

● Being a silent film, meaning there is no dialogue, the non-diegetic music aids in carrying the narrative and creating the ambience of the various montages.

● The soundtrack to the film enables a very dramatic ambience, during scenes like the train scene mentioned previously, the music creates a tense life or death feel much like a fiction film.

● Effects used throughout the film that are still used today: The dissolve, slow motion, stop motion, split screen and double exposure

● Eerie music is played while showing industrial parts of the city gave a distinct sense of coldness and unnaturalness.

● Fast and upbeat songs play as the busy streets of the city are shown. ● Rhythmically galloping music starts as horses are taking the camera for a ride. ● Conflicting musical pieces are being produced by people at work at various jobs of the time

while the camera quickly switches between them creating new and changing sounds giving the viewer a sense of the city and environment.

● Compare with the juxtapositional montage to ‘What a Wonderful World’ in Moore’s BFC and Spurlock’s ironic use of patriotic American music in the opening of Supersize Me - All of these films use music to reinforce their argument and set the tone of the scene or film