COMPONENT 2 SECTION C "SILENT CINEMA"

 SILENT CINEMA

- Man with a movie camera (Vertov 1929) 

- A Propos de Nice (Vigo 1930) 

Our study will take us to a study of:

• Early days of Silent Cinema and its distinctiveness 
• Modernism in the context of filmmaking 
• Soviet montage filmmaking and constructivism 

Starting points:

By the mid 1920's Silent Cinema was mature, established and creative as a visual medium 

It was never entirely silent - although there is no recorded sound, most films were accompanied by soundtracks which matched the visuals and enabled spectator interaction 

Some filmmakers even feared that the coming of sound would drag the narrative - driven features of cinema down 

The lack of recorded dialogue can be seen as a strength, not a weakness 

The argument is that the lack of recorded dialogue draws the spectator into a much more active engagement with the film

Even when we ave inter-titles, these rarely do more than provide a summary indication of what is being spoken between characters

Emphasis of movement and gestures, intrinsic qualities which tell the story 

By the mid 1920's Silent Cinema was mature, established and creative as a visual medium. Though it was never entirely silent, most films were accompanied by soundtracks thus matching the visuals and enabled spectator interaction. There is an emphasis of movement and gestures, being intrinsic qualities which tell the story. Man With A Movie Camera and A Propos De Nice are both films emerging from the wave of Modernism and Avant Garde  impacting society as a whole. To influence or educate is a strong argument regarding these two films. Perhaps one is a more a social commentary and the other is a political propaganda. 

Challenges for the contemporary spectator:

Silent film can appear as a form of "slow" cinema where a simple story is expanded or dragged out

Silent film depends on what might be called visual amplification: gestures and detail are used to make a narrative point, and then the point is reinforced and possibly reinforced again. The shot is often held for longer. 

Challenges:

The spectator is given room. This is not "primitive" as a form of filmmaking but is different. 

This is a different kind of cinema with different techniques that offer a challenging experience for spectators

Try to appreciate where the medium was at the time period. Relative about the process of cinema 

"KEY ELEMENTS" 

- Men setting up a theatre - what is this reference to?

- Poverty - men living rough on the streets exterior shots

- Babies 

- Maxim Gorky 

- Music score "they symphony" - bringing harmony or continuity as the sequence of shots is speedy, seemingly random and unconnected 

- Poster of a couple 

- Intermittent cuts to man with the camera - drawing attention, self-referential 

- Prominent percussion sounds

- Cut

- Machinists in factory 

- Cross-section of people in different occupations 

WIDER CONTEXTS: 

Social and cultural 

• The first 20 years of the history of filmmaking, from 1895, can be characterised as a period of constant experimentation - modernism and Avant Garde 

Production contexts 

• From around 1915 the institutional mode began to establish itself in Hollywood through the refinement of continuity editing, and the successful adaptation from popular theatre of the three-act melodrama narrative model 

Historical and political contexts 

• In parts of Europe these experiments into the nature and possibilities of film continued through the 1920's, an artistic restlessness that can partly be explained as a coming to terms with the 1914-18 World War and its political and social aftermath 

Celebration of diversity of life 

- 27:00 couple in registry office - wedding

- Funeral procession - outside 

- Patient in bed

- Babies being delivered 

- Movement - transport - trams 

- Rhythm of life - accented through percussion 

31:00 - Cut - Eye / camera 

- Beating drum - police

- The everyday, even the less "political": hair salons and barbers, shoe shine stalls 

- 38:00 a more frenetic pace of life - mirrored in editing / cuts 

Working classes hard labour, continuous, relentless - mirrored in the pace if the editing bolstered by the sound 

Through these moments where we move from docomunteray to experimental film form 

Abandons the realism - surrealism - Avant Garde and Modernism 

Overseeing eye - religious connotations (omnipresent / omniscients)

Point of vantage - objective "truth" not individual truth 

FORM - refers to the cinematic equipment - draws attention to how the film is made 

CONTENT - refers to what we see - ideas and themes 

Challenges for the spectator when viewing Man with a Movie Camera 

- It doesn't provide narrative continuity 

- Contemporary spectators can't engage without dialogue - hard to engage with what is on screen 

- Political purpose of the film extending back about 100 years 

- If you don't engage with is as propaganda you are not fully taking part in it 

- Montage editing as a stylistic choice creates the illusion of narrative continuity - whereas in actual fact narrative continuity is absent and this makes the film very hard to view 

Is MVAMC Realist or Expressionist?

Vertov and his contemporaries working in the mature phase of Silent Cinema regarded its purpose to be:

- An attempt to represent the real world

- To reveal the "truth" 

- To be as unmediated" as possible

- The film aesthetic is to be as simple as possible 

EXPRESSIONISM 

• A visual canvas - highly constructed representations 
• Exaggeration: performance/acting, the set design 
• Representation is highly mediated 
• To agitate the spectator 

REALISM OF SOVIE CINEMA + MODERNISM AND CONSTRUCTIVISM 

• Art to directly reflect modern industrial world 
• Using the machinery of modern society to reflect a brave new world
• Th machinery of cinema is a reflection of this innovation 
• The idea is to draw attention to the mechanics of the process of filmmaking - 11:43 changes the lens 
• Ins soviet cinema it comes with political agenda 

Title sequence sets out cinematic intentions:

- No scenario 

- No inter titles 

- An international language of camera

- Cinema is distinct from theatre and literature - it has its own language 

- An experiment in cinema 

- 3:00 first moment, setting up the camera, seeing the camera man

- 3:48 getting film reels ready 

- Begins with spectators arriving in the cinema and ends with a focus on spectators viewing the screen 

OVERVIEW OF THEMES:

- 5:36 - 13:00 - walking/morning/washing 

- 14:00 transport no music (sounds of trams, the city, noise, voices the man with the camera matches through the city holding the camera) 23:00 tracking people in a horse and cart 

- 26:55 Cycle of life, marriage, both, divorce

- 33:00 leisure and work - intersecting 

- 45:00 culture and sport 

Moment/ sequence	Realist cinema	Modernism	Expressionism	Key elements
leisure and work	Aims to reflect life of real people  In reality not as happy as shown	Shots of factory workers and machinery to showcase that they are on board with inventions of the future	Exaggeration of happiness	Uses music as a way to communicate ideas and emotions instead of dialogue.  Music replicates sound of machinery - metallic
Transport	The vehicles show a realistic presentation of society.  Trams, buses, trains, planes, boats, cargo ships Unscripted, keno-eye	Movement, transaction, physical transportation of people.   Celebration of Constructivism and machinery Machinery of man and cinema	Presented in an exaggerated way, multiple shot angles, symbolises intensity by drawing our attention  Slomo/fast pace Abstract	Birds eye shots  We are voyeurs  Fast paced non diegetic percussion music, matches the visuals
Culture and sport	Privileged are watching  Synchronised sport - collectivism of Soviet Union  Working class are entertaining  unison and togetherness	Propaganda of everyone smiling  Sport promotes joy	Slo-mo, demonstrates what the camera can do, shape the spectators view	Camera moves around the sport as if you were in the audience

REALIST: Italian Neo-realism / British 

- Real people, unscripted 

- Celebration of technology 

EXPRESSIONISM: 

- Symbolic circle of life 

How far does your film reflect the aesthetic qualities associated with a particular film movements? 

Man with a Movie Camera (1929) suggests an argument regarding particular film movements. Realism and expressionism seem intensely separate, yet MWAMC combines the two within it's aesthetic qualities. The bustling environment of the Soviet Union in this time period is certainly portrayed through the filmmaking of Soviet Montage, ultimately, spectators are watching a selection of "real-life" moments joined together to create an accumulation of day to day experience. The film aims to reflect real people throughout, yet becomes increasingly psychedelic in the atmosphere it manifests. There is an essence of British realism and Italian Neo-realism through the jolly unscripted montage, however, regarding our contemporary knowledge on the Soviet Union spectators cannot help but consider how MWAMC may have a distorted interpretation of what society really is. Perhaps propaganda is more relevant within these smiles on screen. For example, culture and sport is a main section of the film; slomo shots are used when showing athletes, people participating in a synchronised manner, this could be suggestive of collectivism in the Soviet Union. There is this ideology of union and togetherness here, but the section is truly a promotion for sport creating "joy". The slomo editing demonstrates what the camera can do, a reference to constructivism, yet shapes the spectators view by presenting a more utopian suggestion of how it feels to be included. How privileged someone is to be part of this new society. 

A Propos de Nice

Context: 1920-30s

Social

- Pre-great depression

- Wealth inequality 

- Roaring 20's "Gatsby Era" 

Political 

- Social discontent

- His of Marxism / Socialism

- Russian communist Regime

- Beginnings of European Fascism (Mussolini, Hitler, Bohemond) 

Cultural 

- Art Deco

- Cinema as "art" or as a social force 

Style: 

• Modernism and Constructivism 
• City Symphony
• Mise-en-scene - all outside, the most banal aspects of life 
• Editing - use of jump cuts, juxtaposition and montage editing to create meaning 
• Handheld and "hidden" camera - sense of social realism and unmediated 
• Angles - who are we "amongst" or "separated" from? Participants or spectators? 

REVIEW 

Juxtaposition between rich visiting and the poor city - film features: filming and editing, movement from rich to poor and back, critical of rich

Reflects wider aspects of society: reflection of wealth and prosperity - holiday makers 

Expressionist form - analysis of bodies - abstractness (shifts in cinema) 

Forward thinking - progressive 1920 "flappers" 

Rich are unaware of the hardships endured by the poorer population 

Watch between 9-14 mins

What do you notice about the form? (editing, mine en scene, sound)

Challenges: what meaning does Vigo construct?

Montage of people sleeping, reclining near the beach - emphasises contrast between rich and poor 

Naked body, many women in same position beforehand, suggestion of how as humans we are all the same underneath the clothing we put on (perhaps a metaphor of the layers that grow from us due to the circumstances we live in) 

Lack os sound when showing the injuries of the working class, diminishing into a whistle 

SOUND:

- Use of the accordion - romance and partying

• Modernism 
• Art Deco
• Realism vs expressionism 
• Constructivism 

"In this film, by showing basic aspects of a city, a way of life is put on trial, the last gasps of a society so lost in it's escapism that it sickens you and makes you sympathetic to a revolutionary society" 

Vigo has a specific framework in his cinematography, he doesn't intend for cinema to take spectators to a different world, he embarks on a political mission quite consiously, through purposeful directorial choices. His statement inherently depicts the immense class divide, in which Vigo weaves into the film through juxtaposition. Vigo powerfully "sickens" spectators through a close up analysis of insane indulgence.

In the time of the pre-great depression, a hysteric wealth inequality also known as the "Roaring 20's"; there is social discontent, particularly from the poor lower classes, meanwhile the rich perform extravagant parties simply avoiding the problems being faced by the sufferers of this in-balance. Vigo's social commentary through the use of film also falls into the cultural contexts of the time period - cinema is evolving rapidly, becoming a "social force" to certainly be reckoned with, using the machinery of cinema to increase our understanding. A "revolutionary" solution is not necessarily intertwined with war or blood, instead an interest for change and education through Vigo's montage and movement throughout the film. 

The use of editing contributes to the expressionism in performance, contributing to Vigo's criticism of "the last gasps of a society so lost in its escapism". The moment where a selection of women sit in the same chair in the same position, interchanging through the use of a fade in and out shows their dress attire, then abruptly shows a naked woman in the same position and location. This moment is Vigo's analysis of the body and a suggestion of how as humans we are all the same underneath the clothing we put on, creating the meaning that no matter rich or poor we all have the same biology, the way we present ourselves as humans reflect our status and circumstances we live in. Connecting ideas on the social and political issues of the early 1930's - perhaps the lack of understanding around class within the wealthy "bourgeois", their decadence makes them blind. 

Furthermore, sound creates an interesting interpretation of the society that we witness as spectators. The use of an accordion manifest's vibrancy, romance and partying - the non-diegetic sound is specifically used when the wealthy lifestyle is being portrayed on screen. Vigo's statement of the upper class being "lost in it's escapism" certainly relates to this use of film form. The accordion romanticises their abundance, yet these people are so tragically unaware of the suffering taking place "on the other side". When Vigo's displays the poverty of the lower class the sound of the accordion distorts then slowly fades away, the silence is captivating yet projects a sense of realism; the fact that no sound had been used to modernise or gloss what is truly hardship and labour. Vigo criticises the differences, however, he avoids putting a blame on the wealthy, instead highlighting ignorance by putting them "on trial". 

In conclusion, Vigo's use of strong language in his statement suggests his unhappiness about the inequalities of society. 

Explore how your film option might be considered as either a realist or an expressionist kind of cinema. Make reference to a particular sequence in your answer (20)

Man With A Movie Camera and A Propos De Nice are both films emerging from the wave of Modernism and Avant Garde  impacting society as a whole. The possibilities of film from 1920's onwards has formed many purposes in what the world of cinema can contribute. To influence or educate is a strong argument regarding these two films. Perhaps one is a more a social commentary and the other is a political propaganda. 

In A Propos De Nice, it is the time of the pre-great depression, a hysteric wealth inequality also known as the "Roaring 20's"; there is social discontent, particularly from the poor lower classes, meanwhile the rich perform extravagant parties simply avoiding the problems being faced by the sufferers of this in-balance. Vigo's social commentary through the use of film also falls into the cultural contexts of the time period - cinema is evolving rapidly, becoming a "social force" to certainly be reckoned with, using the machinery of cinema to increase our understanding in an expressionist visual form yet inherently realistic representation. A "revolutionary" solution, as he says, is not necessarily intertwined with war or blood, instead an interest for change and education through Vigo's montage and movement throughout the film. Man With a Movie Camera is also in the time period of the pre-great depression, yet focuses on the "superb" Soviet Union, or so they say in the way it is filmed. The film has an invocation of political effect, with implications of both partial expressionism and realism.  MWAMC is an attempt to represent the real world or "truth" using Soviet Montage, to be as unmediated as possible. However, expressionism doesn't necessarily have to be abstract (though there are small abstract elements) as film is a visual canvas. For example the highly constructed representations throughout the film which are in fact highly mediated, certain parts of the film do agitate the spectator, this is purposeful in propaganda. 

In A Propos De Nice, the use of editing contributes to the expressionism in performance, contributing to Vigo's criticism of "the last gasps of a society so lost in its escapism". The moment where a selection of women sit in the same chair in the same position, interchanging through the use of a fade in and out shows their dress attire, then abruptly shows a naked woman in the same position and location. This moment is Vigo's analysis of the body and a suggestion of how as humans we are all the same underneath the clothing we put on, creating the meaning that no matter rich or poor we all have the same biology, the way we present ourselves as humans reflect our status and circumstances we live in. The expressionist approach connects ideas on the social and political issues of the early 1930's - perhaps the lack of understanding around class within the wealthy "bourgeois", their decadence makes them blind. Yet this abstract interpretation of displaying how humans are equal behind the facade is a blatantly realistic fact, the expressionism is an entertaining method in portraying truth and food for thought - highlighting how cinema can contribute to society. 

Man with a Movie Camera  suggests an argument regarding particular film movements. Realism and expressionism seem intensely separate, yet MWAMC combines the two within it's aesthetic qualities. The bustling environment of the Soviet Union in this time period is certainly portrayed through the filmmaking of Soviet Montage, ultimately, spectators are watching a selection of "real-life" moments joined together to create an accumulation of day to day experience. The film aims to reflect real people throughout, yet becomes increasingly psychedelic in the atmosphere it manifests. There is an essence of British realism and Italian Neo-realism through the jolly unscripted montage, however, regarding our contemporary knowledge on the Soviet Union spectators cannot help but consider how MWAMC may have a distorted interpretation of what society really is. Perhaps propaganda is more relevant within these smiles on screen. For example, culture and sport is a main section of the film; slomo shots are used when showing athletes, people participating in a synchronised manner, this could be suggestive of collectivism in the Soviet Union. There is this ideology of union and togetherness here, but the section is truly a promotion for sport creating "joy". The slomo editing demonstrates what the camera can do, a reference to constructivism, yet shapes the spectators view by presenting a more utopian suggestion of how it feels to be included. How privileged someone is to be part of this new society. 

In conclusion 

Is MVAMC Realist or Expressionist?

Vertov and his contemporaries working in the mature phase of Silent Cinema regarded its purpose to be:

- An attempt to represent the real world

- To reveal the "truth" 

- To be as unmediated" as possible

- The film aesthetic is to be as simple as possible 

EXPRESSIONISM 

• A visual canvas - highly constructed representations 
• Exaggeration: performance/acting, the set design 
• Representation is highly mediated 
• To agitate the spectator 

INTRO:

One is more a social commentary and the other is a political propaganda. 

CONTEXT PARA:

- Modernism 

- Realism and expressionism 

- Constructivism 

- Wealth inequality vs Communist expectation 

- Social content / discontent 

- Possibilities of film - to influence or educate 

PARA 1:

A Propos De Nice 

- Use of sound 

- Use of editing 

PARA 2: 

Man with a Movie Camera

- Walking camera - expressionism - to draw attention to constructivism - marvel at the machinery of the Soviet Union

By the mid 1920's Silent Cinema was mature, established and creative as a visual medium. Though it was never entirely silent, most films were accompanied by soundtracks thus matching the visuals and enabled spectator interaction. There is an emphasis of movement and gestures, being intrinsic qualities which tell the story. Man With A Movie Camera and A Propos De Nice are both films emerging from the wave of Modernism and Avant Garde  impacting society as a whole. To influence or educate is a strong argument regarding these two films. Perhaps one is a more a social commentary and the other is a political propaganda.