Classical American Cinema and Soviet Montage Term Paper

Introduction

The history of cinematography underwent several stages and covered a great variety of inventions used in the process of filmmaking. Montage is an integral part of cinematography development; it is a kind of art focused on assembling or putting together different small pieces in order to create a large complete work. Montage was considered to be a valuable part of the filmmaking process; specialists referred to this method in order to make compressed clips or films with the involvement of special effects, music and the opportunities to make rapid editing. The montage technique is rather sophisticated as it covers sound collage and photomontage. Nevertheless, this method was frequently used in the history of cinematography for the purpose of film editing.

It should be stressed that American and Soviet cinematography left an outstanding print in the world history due to the number of innovations they introduced and a great variety of well known directors contributing to the development of this sphere.

Soviet Montage as a Film Movement

The theory of Soviet Montage refers to the approaches of creating and understanding cinema being based on editing. The introduction of this theory took place in 1920 and combined the contributions of the greatest filmmakers such as Dziga Vertov, Lev Kuleshov and others. They concentrated on the montage development and explanation of its effects and impact on the development of cinematography.

The background for the montage creating appeared to be political response making for revolution inciting. The complimenting or clashing images provided a sensory reaction fulfilling the political goals of filmmakers and reflecting the political situation of that period. It should be stressed that montage was also used for the purpose of capitalism development with the purpose of spread sales; it means that officials of that period were interested in the promotion of political agenda by means of ideological and emotional persuasion. Nevertheless, the demonstration of political images by means of montage could result in negative effects making the nation passive watchers rather than participants. (Feaster, 2006).

One of the most outstanding representatives of the Soviet montage theory is considered to be Sergey Eisenstein. He is the author of “A Dialectic Approach to Film Form” disclosing the nature, functions and aims of montage usage. One should underline the fact that Eisenstein referred the technique of montage to the “nerve of cinema” stating that to identify its nature means to solute the principle problems of cinema making. According to his theory montage offered discontinuity in creation of spatial matches and 180 degree rule violations. He stressed contemporary ellipses with the obvious changes between shots being not seamless and less fluid than before.

Eisenstein is regarded to be the author of five montage methods disclosed in his work “Word and Image”. It is important to underline the fact that his theory is merely based on the fact that montage technique takes place in the “collision” of various shots in the process of antithesis and thesis illustration. (Bergan, 1999).

Montage Methods

The methods of montage developed by Eisenstein are considered to be used in Soviet theories. There are five of them:

• Rhythmic: This method means cutting taking into account time and involving composition of various shots through the speed change; it also contains audial elements usage.
• Metric: It is the method of editing being followed by particular frames (focused on physical time nature), going to the following shot.
• Associational: This method is considered to be the overtonal montage obtaining the features of rhythmic and metric; while the tonal montage is aimed at synthesizing its effects for the purpose of getting more complicated and abstract effect.
• Tonal: As it was mentioned above this method is directed at eliciting the audience reaction; it is based on the usage of emotional shots meaning with the involvement of rhythmical characteristics manipulating.
• Intellectual: The last method developed by Eisenstein is devoted to the usage of shots which used to elicit intellectual characteristics and meaning being combined. The intellectual montage demands additional attention because it is considered to be an alternative system to the method of continuity editing. This method is closely related to the philosophical meaning of montage. Eisenstein stated that intellectual montage reflected the ways human everyday though processes occurred. Thus, this method can be recognized as the technique fulfilling the function of powerful propaganda tool. Eisenstein referred to intellectual montage to “the process of non-literary writing”; it can be explained by the pictures collision performing the “writing” vision. According to the director, this process can be described from the point of view of dialectical materialism. Eisenstein believed that this method could be used a perfect political agitation tool following the tradition of Soviet ideological theatre where show images produced a marvelous effect on the community. (Smith, 2006)

Eisenstein noted that montage is more dialectical and reflects the philosophy of Hegelian and Marxism. According to Eisenstein shots collisions were focused on conflicts of motion, volume, scale and rhythm.

The Soviet Montage Ending

The contribution of the montage theory appeared to be significant for the development of various techniques connected with the process of film making. The consequences of montage technique left a print in world cinematography; due to this technique, introduction cinema makers throughout the whole world have an opportunity to stick to film editing. The differences between the usage of montage by Soviet film makers and current ones lies in the symbolic meaning creation being the purpose of this method described in the Soviet theory. Till the end of 1950, montage preserved the function of special optical effects usage in short shots such as split screens, fades, double exposures and dissolves. It should be noted that the breakage of montage transformed into the usage of video editing being so popular in modern cinematography not only in former Soviet Republic but also in the USA. Montage influenced the widening of US filmmakers’ opportunities in film creation and influenced their further development stimulating the creation of new editing techniques and methods. (Kenez, 2006).

Classical American Cinema and its contrast to Soviet Cinematography

The development of classical American cinema took place at the beginning of the 20th century. The history of US cinema can be divided into four stages devoted to different methods and techniques used in film making process.

• The era of silent film;
• Classical cinema;
• The stage of New Hollywood development;
• Current period in American cinema blossom (since 1980)

Unlike Soviet cinema formation and strengthening being based on the montage technique, American cinematography was merely concentrated on the motion films. At the end of the 19th century the promotion of motion pictures was followed by the development of sound films. Comparing classical American cinema with Soviet cinematography it should be stressed that US filmmakers used to stick to the so-called invisible style or continuity method. This style is a bit similar to the Soviet technique of montage; it is a kind of editing used in narrative cinema. This style is aimed at making logical coherence between film shots. It is important to stress the difference between the methods of continuity and montage. The montage style is based on symbolic association of film ideas introduced between shots while the method of continuity is focused on physical actions association for the purpose of its continuity. The principal method of American classical cinema used in the period of its development reflected the way of film creation through which sound recording and camera never called attention as it was observed at the period of postmodernist work. (Bordwell, 2006).

The blossom of American classical cinema disclosed the Golden Age of silent era. Some time later the introduction of Photophone method in the process of filmmaking resulted in sound films. For the USA, the sphere of filmmaking was considered to be a business rather than entertaining or culturing. Even theaters showed the films produced; they concentrated on studio systems. (Merritt, 2001).

One of the most significant stages in the development of American classical cinema refers to the establishment of Hollywood studio system being popular in modern time. The beginning of the Hollywood era managed to bring a promising future to the American cinematography. Nowadays American cinema is recognized as one of the most successful and influential in the world.

The usage of the continuity method by American filmmakers appeared to be the background of the cinema industry development. The style of editing differed from montage used in the Soviet theory though it was as well aimed at making images and shots more professional through adapting to the audience and its philosophical world perception. (Milicevic, 1985).

Conclusion

The comparative analysis of American and Soviet cinematography managed to show that both of them were focused on the principle of editing. The introduction of montage on the territory of former Soviet Republic appeared to be the first step to the usage if this technique throughout the world. It should be noted that the purpose and causes for the cinema development differed in the USA and in Soviet Republic; initially, America filmmakers promoted this sphere as the profitable means of business running. The representatives of Soviet theory followed the aims of political and social needs of that period. Political strategies were based on the effectiveness of films influence on the community through the usage of montage as the basic style of creation process. One should underline the fact that the great directors of that period such as Sergey Eisenstein contributed a lot to the creation of new modern techniques through their valuable inventions. The analysis has shown that Soviet cinematography influenced the development of American cinema, which is one of the most powerful in current days.

References

Feaster, Felicia. Montage. Jump Cut: A Review of Contemporary Media. Vol. 38, 2006.

Bordwell, David. Film Art: An Introduction. New York: McGraw-Hill. 2006.

Merritt, Greg. A History of American Independent Film. Thunder’s Mouth Press, 2001.

Bergan, Ronald. Sergey Eisenstein: A life in Conflict. Boston, Massachusetts: Overlook Hardcover. 1999.

Smith, Greg. Moving Explosions: Metaphors of Emotion in Sergey Eisenstein’s Writings. 2006.

Milicevic, Mladen. Film Sound Beyond Reality: Subjective Sound in Narrative Cinema. New York: Columbia University Press, 1985.

Kenez, Peter. A History of the Soviet Union From the Beginning to the End. 2^nd Edition. New York, 2006.