Silent Cinema Essay - Realism vs Expressionism
The cohesive interpolation of realism and expressionism has proved itself to be a key tenement of Soviet montage cinema, and other European equivalents, where an exaggerated reality can be used to propagandise Communist ideals. Within Man With a Movie Camera, Vertov uses expressionist editing to forefront the achievements of the Soviet Union, basing his visuals on everyday life in Soviet cities, prompting comparisons between man and machine. Vigo, in A Propos de Nice, takes the city of Nice and employs a critical perspective on the class divisions there, using techniques from German Expressionism to emphasise the grotesqueness of the actions of the idle classes. Where the reality of the poverty and disparities in Nice is shocking enough if presented naturally, expressionist imagery and editing allows Vertov to promote Communist ideals as a solution to these problems.
Man With a Movie Camera implements realism with expressionism through a combination of visuals and editing, owing to the Soviet Montage theory, and the ideas outlaid in Vertov's own Kino-eye manifesto. Within this, films can be used for propaganda to bolster public opinion about the Soviet Union from within it, and Vertov did so by taking everyday life and exaggerating it, giving credence to constructivist ideas of machines extending the already existing power of man. This is evident in the sequence dedicated to transportation where a diverse array of transit is personified, giving the electrified transportation the appearance of being an extension of the physical movement of humans. The editing emphasises synchronicity, evoking the idea of order and collectivism, where everything operates flawlessly and together, with Vertov framing this as intrinsic to all aspects of Soviet life. This universality of experience becomes particularly pertinent when viewing the film as realist, where spectators of the time would generally see themselves within the world of the film and, if they are absent from the film, then - as propaganda - they will desire to be within it. Vertov allows for this through a conflation of machines and man, as a sequence of factories - where man and machine cooperate - transitions into a sequence on sports. Here, the music is mechanical and matches the fast-paced and jolty camerawork, putting the spectator in the midst of the action. However, Vertov offers nuance within this sporting world, where other sports give the camera a more passive role in spectating, allowing the editing to speed-up or slow-down the footage. Within this comes expressionist editing, where the ordinary sports are exaggerated and the visuals are manipulated to offer a heightened advertisement for the Soviet Union through sporting endeavours that are zoomed-in on and expanded upon. Not only are the athletes impressive, but the audience is entertained and following the sports with great interest - once again, Vertov highlights collaboration, this time self-referentially as the role of spectator in the sports can be placed upon the spectator of the film. In these sequences, realism is a springboard for Vertov to manipulate for optimal viewer response, where the boundless editing evokes the idea that the Soviet Union is boundless too.
Despite the focus on everyday life, Vertov's employment of the Kino-eye technique, places Man With a Movie Camera as being primarily expressionist. If the human eye portrays a form of objective reality then the Kino-eye - a mechanical extension to the human eye in the form of a camera - must go beyond realism in its view of the world. To evidence this, Vertov places the titular "man with movie camera" into the film, as he appears inside beer glasses or on top of buildings, much smaller than his surroundings. Vertov constantly makes the spectator aware of the reality he is subverting, prioritising an expressionist approach in this film due to his manipulations of reality. This is also extended to the human ear, appearing in a gramophone, as technology of all sorts is used to expand the capacity of the human body, and that is a central theme in this propagandistic perspective on the Soviet Union. That man and machine can coexist is implicit in the title of the film, as man is with the movie camera, and the camera is not owned by him, rather it is his equal. The camera's deliberative placement and Vertov's conscious editing work together to diminish the realism of the film and take control of it. Vertov has a sequence where babies in a hospital transition into a couple getting married which then transitions into a divorce ceremony - the cycle of life is portrayed stylistically by key moments, rather than realistically, and this gives Vertov the ability to manipulate his footage and, in turn, the spectator as, by its very nature, propaganda distorts reality; within film, it distorts realism.
Realism and expressionism can go hand-in-hand in providing a class-conscious criticism of Nice in A Propos de Nice, where Vigo combines striking images of existing poverty, juxtaposes them with obscene wealth, and then edits away the realism with expressionist portrayals of his social commentary. This is particularly evident in the opening shot of the short film where, after an aerial view of the city, a model railway and model people are moved with stop-motion editing by a brush into the casino. In this, Vigo reflects the passivity of the holidaymaking bourgeoisie, as they're actions are, in the form of expressionism, under the complete control of the casino and, like their class: idle. However, Vigo compounds this with a documentary-style of realism, using his camera as an observer of Nice and the sunbathers on the beach or the dancers in the dancehalls. Much of the film feels objective in its perspective which provides for a convincing critique of class disparities when Vigo comes to juxtapose the wealthy visitors with the city's poverty. The images of dirty children and rotting carcasses in the street serve to engage the spectator viscerally, inducing anger in the harsh realism of the footage. In those shots, besides the juxtaposed editing, there is little evidence of construction when it comes to setting the film - it is just reality.
Vigo then increases the efficacy of his critiques by employing techniques from German Expressionism, used canted angles and spinning cameras to turn Nice's imposing architecture into grotesque horror. The cinematic comparison is particularly pertinent as the constructed sets in German cinema are replaced here by a real city, with Vigo highlighting the way Nice's poor live in the shadows of and alleyways beneath these buildings. Expressionism is also used more comedically, with the editing providing visual comparisons between aristocrats and animals in their performances and mannerisms. One example has Vigo colour-grade parts of a shot to instantly tan a sunbather to an exaggerated shade of black, satirising the idle classes in their leisure by first making a social commentary on the wealth disparity in Nice and, then, making the wealthy out to be absurd and comically silly. Realism may be effective when it comes to social commentary, but Vigo's use of absurdity, and the camerawork from Boris Kaufman - who was heavily involved with Soviet cinema as the brother of Vertov - makes the critique of society rooted in its expressionist portrayal.
Overall, realism is used by both Vertov and Vigo as the basis of their propagandistic portrayals of the world with the ideology of Communism motivating their filmmaking but, expressionism is used to compound these ideas into effective city symphonies, promoting constructivist ideas of the expanded power of the camera.
Man With a Movie Camera implements realism with expressionism through a combination of visuals and editing, owing to the Soviet Montage theory, and the ideas outlaid in Vertov's own Kino-eye manifesto. Within this, films can be used for propaganda to bolster public opinion about the Soviet Union from within it, and Vertov did so by taking everyday life and exaggerating it, giving credence to constructivist ideas of machines extending the already existing power of man. This is evident in the sequence dedicated to transportation where a diverse array of transit is personified, giving the electrified transportation the appearance of being an extension of the physical movement of humans. The editing emphasises synchronicity, evoking the idea of order and collectivism, where everything operates flawlessly and together, with Vertov framing this as intrinsic to all aspects of Soviet life. This universality of experience becomes particularly pertinent when viewing the film as realist, where spectators of the time would generally see themselves within the world of the film and, if they are absent from the film, then - as propaganda - they will desire to be within it. Vertov allows for this through a conflation of machines and man, as a sequence of factories - where man and machine cooperate - transitions into a sequence on sports. Here, the music is mechanical and matches the fast-paced and jolty camerawork, putting the spectator in the midst of the action. However, Vertov offers nuance within this sporting world, where other sports give the camera a more passive role in spectating, allowing the editing to speed-up or slow-down the footage. Within this comes expressionist editing, where the ordinary sports are exaggerated and the visuals are manipulated to offer a heightened advertisement for the Soviet Union through sporting endeavours that are zoomed-in on and expanded upon. Not only are the athletes impressive, but the audience is entertained and following the sports with great interest - once again, Vertov highlights collaboration, this time self-referentially as the role of spectator in the sports can be placed upon the spectator of the film. In these sequences, realism is a springboard for Vertov to manipulate for optimal viewer response, where the boundless editing evokes the idea that the Soviet Union is boundless too.
Despite the focus on everyday life, Vertov's employment of the Kino-eye technique, places Man With a Movie Camera as being primarily expressionist. If the human eye portrays a form of objective reality then the Kino-eye - a mechanical extension to the human eye in the form of a camera - must go beyond realism in its view of the world. To evidence this, Vertov places the titular "man with movie camera" into the film, as he appears inside beer glasses or on top of buildings, much smaller than his surroundings. Vertov constantly makes the spectator aware of the reality he is subverting, prioritising an expressionist approach in this film due to his manipulations of reality. This is also extended to the human ear, appearing in a gramophone, as technology of all sorts is used to expand the capacity of the human body, and that is a central theme in this propagandistic perspective on the Soviet Union. That man and machine can coexist is implicit in the title of the film, as man is with the movie camera, and the camera is not owned by him, rather it is his equal. The camera's deliberative placement and Vertov's conscious editing work together to diminish the realism of the film and take control of it. Vertov has a sequence where babies in a hospital transition into a couple getting married which then transitions into a divorce ceremony - the cycle of life is portrayed stylistically by key moments, rather than realistically, and this gives Vertov the ability to manipulate his footage and, in turn, the spectator as, by its very nature, propaganda distorts reality; within film, it distorts realism.
Realism and expressionism can go hand-in-hand in providing a class-conscious criticism of Nice in A Propos de Nice, where Vigo combines striking images of existing poverty, juxtaposes them with obscene wealth, and then edits away the realism with expressionist portrayals of his social commentary. This is particularly evident in the opening shot of the short film where, after an aerial view of the city, a model railway and model people are moved with stop-motion editing by a brush into the casino. In this, Vigo reflects the passivity of the holidaymaking bourgeoisie, as they're actions are, in the form of expressionism, under the complete control of the casino and, like their class: idle. However, Vigo compounds this with a documentary-style of realism, using his camera as an observer of Nice and the sunbathers on the beach or the dancers in the dancehalls. Much of the film feels objective in its perspective which provides for a convincing critique of class disparities when Vigo comes to juxtapose the wealthy visitors with the city's poverty. The images of dirty children and rotting carcasses in the street serve to engage the spectator viscerally, inducing anger in the harsh realism of the footage. In those shots, besides the juxtaposed editing, there is little evidence of construction when it comes to setting the film - it is just reality.
Vigo then increases the efficacy of his critiques by employing techniques from German Expressionism, used canted angles and spinning cameras to turn Nice's imposing architecture into grotesque horror. The cinematic comparison is particularly pertinent as the constructed sets in German cinema are replaced here by a real city, with Vigo highlighting the way Nice's poor live in the shadows of and alleyways beneath these buildings. Expressionism is also used more comedically, with the editing providing visual comparisons between aristocrats and animals in their performances and mannerisms. One example has Vigo colour-grade parts of a shot to instantly tan a sunbather to an exaggerated shade of black, satirising the idle classes in their leisure by first making a social commentary on the wealth disparity in Nice and, then, making the wealthy out to be absurd and comically silly. Realism may be effective when it comes to social commentary, but Vigo's use of absurdity, and the camerawork from Boris Kaufman - who was heavily involved with Soviet cinema as the brother of Vertov - makes the critique of society rooted in its expressionist portrayal.
Overall, realism is used by both Vertov and Vigo as the basis of their propagandistic portrayals of the world with the ideology of Communism motivating their filmmaking but, expressionism is used to compound these ideas into effective city symphonies, promoting constructivist ideas of the expanded power of the camera.
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