Soviet Montage, 1925-1933

1. Soviet Montage, 1925-1933 Lecture 8

2. Dialectics Thesis 1 + Anti-Thesis 1 = Synthesis 1 Synthesis 1 (Thesis 2) + Anti-thesis 2 = Synthesis 2 … Eisenstein: “The foundation of this philosophy is a dynamic concept of things: Being—as a constant evolution from the interaction of two contradictory opposites. Synthesis—arising from the opposition between thesis and antithesis.”

3. Eisenstein: “By collision. By the conflict of two pieces of film in opposition to each other from the collision of two given factors arises a concept.”

4. October (1927): Dialectics of narrative

5. Dialectics of Form: Eisenstein: “The shot and montage are the basic elements of cinema” “The shot appears as the cell of montage.” (organic metaphor) “So, montage is conflict.” THEN: There must be conflict in the shot as well.

6. Dialectics of Form: Eisenstein: “The shot and montage are the basic elements of cinema” “The shot appears as the cell of montage.” (organic metaphor) “So, montage is conflict.” THEN: There must be conflict in the shot as well.

7. Conflict within the shot • 1) Shot (enframed image)— • Graphic conflict • Conflict of planes • Conflict of volume • Light conflict • Spatial conflict • Conflict between matter and viewpoint (ex: canted and other camera angles) • Conflict between matter and its spatial nature (ex: optical distortion) • Conflict between an event and its temporal nature (ex: slow motion, fast motion, stop-motion) • Conflict between optical complex and different sphere (ex: conflict between image and sound)

8. Graphic conflict within the shot

9. Conflict of volume, light, planes, space

10. Graphic Conflict/Light Conflict • _Battleship Potemkin_ stairs clip

11. Conflict of volumes

12. Spatial conflict (conflict of depth) • Bridge clip from _October_

13. Conflict Between Matter and Viewpoint (ex: camera angles)

14. Conflict between matter and its spatial nature (ex: optical distortion) From Man with a Movie Camera

15. Conflict between an event and its temporal nature (ex: slow motion, fast motion, stop-motion) • Clip from _Man with a Movie Camera_

16. Conflict between shots (in editing) • 2) Montage (editing)—conflict between shots • Graphic conflict • Conflict of planes • Conflict of volume • Light conflict • Spatial conflict • Tempo conflict • Association montage • Intellectual montage Physiological effects produced by optical means Emotional effects produced by psychological means New Ideas and attitudes

17. Conflict between shots (in editing)

18. Tempo Conflict • _October_ gunner clip

19. Tempo Conflict

20. Eisenstein: “Association Montage” Produces emotional effects by psychological means

21. Ex: “Association Montage”non-diegetic insert From Strike (1925)

22. The Peacock

23. Ex: “Association Montage”non-diegetic insert (also an example of overlapping editing) From October (1927)—Kerensky peacock sequence

24. Eisenstein: “Intellectual Montage” Produces new ideas and attitudes

25. Eisenstein: “Intellectual Montage” Each shot is like an ideogram Ideogram—a written character symbolizing the idea of a thing without indicating the sounds used to say it

26. Ex 1: “Intellectual Montage”non-diegetic insert Overlapping editing From October (1927) Kerensky, stairs, etc…

27. Clip from _October_ palace sequence

28. Ex 2: “Intellectual Montage”non-diegetic inserts From October (1927) “For God and Country…”

29. Clip

30. Intellectual or Association Montage? • Clip

31. Eisenstein: • The shot is a montage cell. • Just as cells in their division form a phenomenon of another order… so on the other side of the dialectical leap from the shot, there is montage. • … from the collision [conflict] of two given factors [shots] arises a concept. • While the conventional film directs the emotions, this [intellectual montage] suggests an opportunity to encourage and direct the whole thought process, as well.

32. Ex: “Intellectual Montage” From October (1927)