Analysis Of Man With A Movie Camera

However, in stark contrast to The General, other films were being made around the world that did not follow a simple Hollywood structure, but rather were more experimental with what a movie could be. Man With a Movie Camera (1929), a very ahead of its time, utilized a completely different style of filmmaking that resonated strongly with the ideals of the Soviet Union. Thus, Man With a Movie Camera sought out to make the everyday people of the Soviet Union the stars of the film. This idea was completely revolutionary as well, and almost by necessity, introduced a new style of editing to fit the story—or rather the documentation—that director Dziga Vertov was trying to tell. Man With a Movie Camera called for montage editing. That is,

The Passion of Joan of Arc tells a very structured story using the title cards, and uses visuals to complement every aspect of the film. One of the most curious aspects of the film is that most of the shots are close-ups. Compared to many films before it, and the many films to come afterward, the amount of close-up shots is off the charts. By using mostly close-ups, the audience is able to see a very high level of detail in the actors’ expressions. In addition to close-ups, the film makes use of high and low angles to visually tell the story of power. The judges are always shot from below, making them large and powerful in the frame. In contrast, Joan is always shot from a slightly higher angle, which makes her feel smaller and helpless. The camera also does a lot of tracking in the film, but mainly on the judges. The first shot tracks Joan as she walks by the many guards to the judges. This immediately sends an image of the long road Joan faces, as well as tells the audience that they need to side with

With the discovery of techniques such as continuous editing, multiple camera angles, montage editing, and more, silent filmmaking developed from simple minute-long films to some of the most beautiful, awe-inspiring films that have ever been created—in only a few decades. In Visions of Light, someone alluded that if the invention of sound had come along a mere ten years later, visual storytelling would be years ahead of what it is today. This statement rings true. When looking at the immense amount of progress that was made during the silent era of films, one must consider where the art of film has been, where it is, and where it is