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THIS WEEK:
READ "A DIALECTICAL APPROACH TO FILM FORM" - SERGEI EISENSTEIN
1. EXPLAIN WHAT DIALECTICAL MONTAGE IS
2. WHAT ARE CONTEMPORARY EXAMPLES OF DIALECTICAL MONTAGE
3. WHAT ARE THE OTHER KINDS OF EDITING THAT EISENSTEIN DESCRIBES IN HIS
ESSAY?
In A DIALECTIC APPROACH TO FILM FORM , Sergei Eisenstein attempted to give a clear view of how film can expose the essence of the real world we live in, not by copying the real life itself around us, but only through the use of many forms of art to convey the message presented, and as a complete image by using montage and the many forms of the contrast between the scenes, with something related to a spiritual and non physical world, to resemble how the real world works.
ReplyDeleteArt is always conflicts, while the montage is the basic element of cinema, it is also its nerve, with uneven clips added together to give a certain effect needed for the scene to present an idea, or tell a side of the story we don’t usually see in such art form, like using hard angels to stress or reinforce some opposition, or the effect of the light on the material of object that is being filmed.
the types of montage all include various types of editing to deliver an idea , from the number of frames, and how we cut the frame not caring about what is happening in the scene ( Metric) , or editing a specific frame for the purpose of the continuation ( Rythmic ), also the continuation of the emotional effect of the scene ( Tonal), or even the three types all added together for an over tonal effect, and last the use of a scene from out side the story line to covey what is happening in the story or a specific scene, an examples like the movie Apocalypse now, when the director used a scene from out side the story line to convey a killing scene. ( buffalo being slaughtered ).
Reading week 1: A dialectic approach to film form
ReplyDeleteThe projection brings directly the dialectic system of visuals into us and makes the process of understandings. This natural occur makes conflict between nature existence and creativity tendency. This called as Dynamism in the reading and the author mentioned that concepts and viewpoints in the conflict for the representation. Distance separation creates break especially for homogeneous concept of artworks. This idea is also relate with human expression because it is in between conditioned and unconditioned reflexes so easily to make a conflict for us. This homogeneous ideology relates with social conditionality and creates specific rhythms for art forms. Dynamic effect is also works for paintings because our eyes move automatically for the elements of paintings. Linear is easiest example to show how visual impression causes for us. Our eyes try to find ideas and synthesis. Montage is a basic thing that uses these techniques because they constructed different scenes and moments. However it is hard to construct rhythms with mechanically because each motions represents different ideas for viewers and required speeds of blending for scenes. Colors are important element to bring rhythm of vibration. For example, tone of colors set up vibration and this idea is also find field of music too. The graphical conflict, lights and musical tempos also help to create the phenomenon of movement into films.
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ReplyDeleteFor Eisenstein art is always conflict since its task is to bring forth the contradictions of being. Dialectic montage is a dramatic principle arising from a “collision of independent shots.” Eisenstein notes some different ways in which montage can occur: moving fragments, logical, illogical, emotional, or liberating the entire action from the definition of time and space. There is definitely overlap in these categories but I think we find examples of these different types of montage in action sequences (logical/moving fragments), experimental animation and art films (illogical), shot/reverse shot sequences (emotional), instant replay/music videos (liberating from time and space). Perhaps not to the effect Eisenstein would like but formally these elements are there. I think it’s important to remember that at the time Eisenstein was making films this attempt to delineate space through visual conflict was utterly revolutionary. Many early films were shot in a frontal, stage-like, orientation.
ReplyDeleteTowards the beginning of the essay Eisenstein mentions a “false” kind of montage that uses shots as building blocks. Knowing that Dziga Vertov and Eisenstein were competing for the same resources (Eisenstein won), I see Eisenstein’s labelling of this type of rhythmic building block montage (which sounds like what Vertov describes in his film manifesto We: A Variant of Manifesto) as an attempt to discredit Vertov It could also be responding to artists like the Suprematist Kazimir Malevich who thought film should not be emotional at all but only about the surface of the film itself. Eisenstein seems to feel that the potential of film to control the “whole thought process” requires the emotions but also the intellect and logic which becomes a “synthesis of art and science.”