Review of Man with a Movie Camera (1929) by Eric B — 12 Nov 2011

"Man with a Movie Camera" is a remarkable achievement -- like a Godfrey Reggio film, 50 years too early. It's just a shame that director Dziga Vertov didn't collaborate with a soundtrack composer.

A stylized documentary showing everyday life in 1920's Russia, this 68-minute silent experiments with every cinematic trick then available: superimposed images, split-screen (both horizontal and vertical), freeze-frame, slow motion, fast motion, reverse motion, stop-motion animation, unusual angles and, of course, jump cuts. It's clearly a product of Eisenstein's montage school, and few shots last longer than five or six seconds. If not for the primitive split-screen techniques, the film would seem eerily contemporary.

Like it or not, "Movie Camera" is essentially a propaganda piece, intended to show off a country of happy, productive, physically fit workers. But as with Eisenstein and Leni Riefenstahl films, the dazzling direction and editing compensate for the slanted message. To add an extra level of post-modern artiness, Vertov, his camera and tripod are repeatedly shown at work within the action. Hence the title.

The film is somewhat divided into two sections. The first, longer portion is a tribute to Russian industry. Imagine the now-clichéd shot of newspapers rolling off a printing press, and you'll know what to expect. Except the various close-ups of churning machinery and human assemblers are spliced together at a rigorous, virtuoso tempo.

The last half-hour, centered on leisure-time activity, is not so compelling. Lots of track-and-field athletics, cyclists and frolicking beach-goers. And what's with the random Chinese magician and the prophetic interest in upskirt photography? Still, "Man with a Movie Camera" is never dull, and that's quite a feat for a silent film with no recurring characters.