Mia and Jonathan man with movie camera essay

A Man With a Movie Camera by Vertov as a documentary has connotations of both realism and expressionism. In A Man With a Movie Camera, Vertov expresses his passion for social change shown throughout the whole film, demonstrating a celebration of the capabilities of the movie camera and the editing process as an art form – this means Vertov breaks away from the realist intentions of the documentary and creates a expressionistic and modern piece of art.

Vertov’s decision to reveal the editing process to the audience not only celebrates individual achievement but constructivism as an art movement. The focus on the woman editing who was Vertov’s editorial assistant, Svilova, demonstrates Vertov’s fetishisation of the editing process, revealing in the inner workings of how the film is made to the audience which a clear example of expressionism, coinciding with the celebration of film, as the work done by ordinary people has equal importance in society rather than a divide of the class system limiting how realistic the film portrays the lives of these people.

In the sport and leisure section in Vertov's 'Man with A Movie Camera', through the groundbreaking techniques used the modern viewer is able appreciate the contemporary potential of what a film could do. Like the shots of Vertov’s editor, this sequence begins with an establishment and candid shot of a carousel, using the 'match dissolve' effect to signify that time has moved forward, thus linking back to the idea of expressionism through the abstraction of reality: the spectator experiences a trancelike notion that they have time-travelled into the near future. At the time it was regarded as a very experimental technique, compared to simply cutting between shots. The effect it would have had on the contemporary audience would be that it dazzled them and equally had a "magical" impact on them, presenting an alternate reality that could be seen as an optimistic interpretation of their own.  

During the athletics segment, Vertov uses slow motion once again show off the potential of what not only the film camera can do but also film as an excellent example of contemporary expressionism. Using a long shot of the woman throwing a discus. The connotations of using this effect is to allow the spectator to admire a Russian woman demonstrating her skills, robustness and athleticism to ultimately bring forward the context of how different the “Eastern"/socialist woman differed from that of the western/capitalist woman who were largely secluded within their home and subordinate to the male authority of said household. For a contemporary audience, especially amongst women, this would have been a source of patriotism while also serving as a realistic depiction of the achievements done by women who are given the opportunity to succeed, thus highlighting the realistic advantage of providing women with the freedom to thrive within a previously male dominated aspect of life. The use of slow motion also highlights just how groundbreaking Vertov's film was. Slow motion are now commonly used in contemporary sports broadcasting, and its origins can be traced backed to the pioneering filmmaking of the silent era. Essentially, then, filmmakers like Vertov, embracing this new form of technology, essentially reinvented the language of film as we understand it today. This can be seen as key evidence of the films expressionistic elements.

Vertov eschews classical forms of art, and instead conforms to constructivist and modernist forms of art and filmmaking. During the entertainment/leisure segment, which occurs 54 minutes into the film, Vertov displays his virtuoso in film making. As the sequence begins, a fast motion long shot introduces to the 'Proletarian Film Theatre'. This fast motion can be seen as Vertov’s way to express how quickly society is changing as a result of the successful implication of industrialisation and modernism. The shot ending on the film theatre can be argued to illustrate how industrialisation and modernism have led to the growth of film as a 'contemporary' and more expressionistic art form. The significance of the 'Proletarian Film Theatre' directly correlates with constructivist ideology by emphasising the importance of the breaking away from traditional bourgeoisie ideas that revolve around leisure and life. Wanting to broaden art forms away from bourgeois art forms such as the easel, and make art more accessible to a larger demographic successfully enforcing an acceptance of expressionistic art and its purpose to reimagine the audience conceptions of their reality.

Within the lifecycle sequence in the Man with a Movie Camera, Vertov manages to celebrate the modern lifestyle in the USSR in what socialists believed to be the major parts of life. Initially, using a high angle establishing shot, to place the audience into a familiar setting that they would be excepted to recognise. The camera is personified to be a powerful panopticon and the gaseous perception of authoritative social order, presenting it to be more important or relevant than the hundreds of smaller individuals below. This is used to demonstrate the power of the new technology reflecting constructivism, which could be seen as Vertov’s part of construction of his film language. The Kuleshov effect is used to show the camera looking one way and then the other, first seeing marriage and then divorce. This is a celebration of the development of modern society in which divorce was more possible than ever and ancient traditions had been deconstructed for the building of the new industrial era. Furthermore, Vertov expresses the ability of this new technological breakthrough to have a massive impact on society, which be attributed to Vertov’s somewhat accurate portrayal of the reality of this new industrial era.Vertov also then shows a medium shot of a birth that has a shallow depth of field forcing it to be the focus of the shot and can be seen as graphic for the contemporary audience. These images are intercut with shots of the camera as a prop peering over the city and thus are used to make us feel a sense of voyeurism. Highlighted by the Brechtian distanciation, the feeling of intrusion on the audience helps to separate us from previous societal norms, such as how births usually take place in private; however, now it has been filmed for everyone to see. This builds towards Vertov’s demonstration of the society as changed by technology and helps to express his modernist ideology, leaning towards an era of less censorship of that nature.

The opening sequence of the film, which explores the theme of waking up occupying  the first twenty minutes, culminates in a series of shots focusing on the accomplishments of society during 1920’s, by highlighting the successes of the socialist revolution that occurred in Russia, through relatable and realistic depictions of ordinary people waking something that could be seen as realistic as it something that the audience recognises and relates to. 

The repeated motif of transport establishes the interweaving relationship of individuals and the effect of the new regime has on these relationships, highlighted by a variety of shots lengths and angles presenting a diverse group of people walking, riding carriages, and driving cars. This organised mess of transportation creates an energetic ‘city symphony’. Another technical aspect of editing that Vertov used is the Kuleshov effect, transitioning from trains to people to horses to cars; this soviet montage could symbolise Vertov’s belief in the beginning of an industrial revolution without having to directly explaining his opinion, the concept of this particular montage can be seen as an example of the use of expressionism in Man with a Movie Camera.

 In conclusion ‘Man With a Movie Camera’ can be considered more expressionistic piece of art then an attempt to capture the reality of life in socialist Russia. During the first decade of The Soviet Union, nationalism and patriotism was on a high as well as the celebration of the socialist movement after the recent revolutions. Man with a movie camera can be seen as a piece of propaganda rather than a realist attempt. The mesmerising and unique film editing makes it clear that the intention behind the film had means of expressing Vertov’s views rather than showing the real situation in the country. Therefore, it can be deduced that Man With a Movie Camera is expressionist to a large extent and can only be viewed as realist as it attempts to cover all aspects of society in the USSR.