Man With A Movie Camera: Social Commentary and Technological Influence

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“Man With A Movie Camera” by Dziga Vertov is an experimental montage-documentary that was made in 1929. This film is one of the most interesting films I have ever seen and kept my attention throughout its entirety. I was most astonished by the extremely advanced film techniques and editing style, and can definitely see how this film has influenced popular films styles of today.

My initial reaction to the film was one of confusion, as I thought it was just a random montage of Russian life. However, during our discussion of the film, I started to realize the juxtapositions and cultural commentary that “Man With A Movie Camera” was conveying. The quick and choppy editing was by design and aimed to showcase the industrialist society of Russia. The juxtapositions between industry and recreation depicted the separation of different social classes.

I also believe that “Man With A Movie Camera” is a film that intended to inspire Russian workers and fuel nationalistic ideologies. This film is essentially a tribute to the hard working laborers of Odessa. I think Vertov wanted to show the strength of the Russian manufacturing industry as a way to inspire its citizens. Moreover, Vertov chooses to shoot recreational activities, such as a bar or a beach, in order to show how great the lives are of Russia’s citizens. I think one could definitely make the case that “Man With A Movie Camera” was used as a form of propaganda, which was especially common in Lenin era.

The cultural commentary and significance of “Man With A Movie Camera” are very important, but I also believe the cinematography and technologies used in filming are just as important.

Vertov uses many different filming techniques to disorient the viewer, contextualize the scene, and symbolize an idea. One of the most symbolic fixtures of “Man With The Move Camera” is the double exposure shot of a silhouetted man with a camera in the clouds. Vertov, who we assume is the man, uses his camera to peak into the everyday lives of Russian citizens, just as a man, or “God” in the sky would.

Another scene that astonished me was when the horse was galloping around the track. During this scene, Vertov used a carriage to track alongside the horse, and then slowed the frame rate down so the horse galloped in slow motion. I did not know that slow motion filmmaking existed in the 1920s, so to see it done so well was an amazing experience.

“Man With A Movie Camera” definitely struck a chord with me because I am fan of montage filmmaking. Another film I really enjoy that is similar to
“Man With A Movie Camera” is “Koyaanisqatsi,” which is a city-montage film directed by Godfrey Reggio in 1982. Both of these films aim to show the culture and society of the time, while also commenting on certain societal trends. “Koyaanisqatsi” aims to highlight the relationship between humans, nature, and technology, while “Man With A Movie Camera” comments on industrialization and the juxtaposition of Russian social classes.

Vertov created a film that was extremely influential in terms of cinematography, storytelling, and film technology, and I believe the film industry would not be the same had “Man With A Movie Camera” not been produced.

26 thoughts on “Man With A Movie Camera: Social Commentary and Technological Influence”

  1. I also wrote about Man with a Movie camera for my first blog. I had a really hard time enjoying the movie and seeing any merit to it. After reading your blog I really like the idea that it was a film to showcase the strengths of the Russian population. The film definitely did have a lot of cuts between people and machinery, maybe I just didn’t quite pick up on the connection Vertov was trying to make. I also like the fact that you took into account the technology used to get the shots in the film. I didn’t even consider it when watching the movie but the techniques he use were influential in later years.

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  2. I really enjoyed reading about your thoughts on the deeper meaning of the film. One of the things I had completely overlooked, when watching the film, was Vertov’s depiction of the recreational activities. When revisiting the scenes, he really does portray an overall happiness and worry-free lifestyle that the Russian citizens were and I fully agree with your link to the Lenin era linked and propaganda.

    I was very impressed with your ability to pick up on the detail behind the silhouette shot of the man in the clouds. This was a scene that really seemed to capture the larger meaning behind the film, and did it in a very technical way for the time. I also believe the advancements in both technique and equipment used played a large role in giving this film the ability to hold our attention, even in 2014, to ensure that the lack of speaking did not hold the film back from providing depth in content and visuals.

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  3. Honestly, I am impressed you found this film interesting and attention grabbing! I had the chance to watch it twice and even by the second time my mind would wander off. But that is probably because I was letting myself get distracted. There is definitely a lot to analyze, question and read in the movie.
    By the end of the movie, I knew that if I was a citizen of the Soviet Union at the time, I would take great patriotic pride in the developments and organized industrial changes that were depicted in the film.
    I definitely think it showed the growing strength of the Soviet Union. Also I think it did show various sectors of society and how they can be quite different, but still come together as a functional progressive society as a whole.
    I did not even think about the shot of a silhouetted man with a camera in the clouds. That has added even more to my analyzing of the movie.
    I really enjoyed reading your reflection of the movie! It has added to my thoughts of the movie and made it even more meaningful and helped me understand why it is such an important movie to watch at some point in our lives.

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