Although I do like some older black and white films, silent
films usually don’t hold my attention. Man with a movie camera seems to be an
exception to that. It is so unique and confusing at first watch that it held my
attention, and intrigued me. After watching it again I was able to see how it
was displaying the different people, industry, culture and life of this area.
He did this wonderfully without using any actors, even though he, his wife and even
the camera seem to take on roles as characters in the film. His wife had done
an amazing job editing the film. My personal favorite is the human eye over the camera lenses, as if they are fusing together as one. At such an early stage in the film industry
the way she was able to pull off so many different editing techniques in this
film is incredible. This film is a perfect example of a long montage and it is
a creative film that was ahead of its time. It’s no wonder this film is rated
so highly and used as a teaching aid.
Although I also am not usually captivated by silent films, I agree that "Man with a Movie Camera" is unique in its form. In class, we had discussed that the film is a documentary. However, while watching the film, I felt that a fictional story was being told, completely forgetting the intended context of the film. I was intrigued by the variety of stories told throughout the movie. The viewer has the opportunity to experience several perspectives throughout the film's duration.The editing techniques employed at such an early stage of the film industry were also impressive. The film displays stop-motion and super-imposition, for example. I had not expected to see such editing techniques in such an early film. When I begin to imagine the perspective of a viewer watching the film upon its 1929 release, I can only attempt to perceive how impressed the average moviegoer would be with this film. At the time, such experimental editing was unprecedented, and even today I have yet to see a documentary employing such a unique image sequence. After seeing this film, I realize how far the industry has come, and that this film has provided a starting point for the movies that would follow suit.
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