Ruttmann’s “Berlin, Symphony of a Great City” and Vertov’s “Man With a Movie Camera”: Comparison

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Symphony of a great city
Man with a Movie Camera
Production
Cinematography
Themes
Music
Conclusion

Introduction

In 1920, film industry had grown a lot in this era. Most of film production was took place in or near Hollywood on the west coast, but still some films were being made in New Jersey and in Astoria on long island. In mid twenties film industry expanded a lot and gained so much popularity. New and different photographic technique was involved in this era and film industry did a great business. By the mid of 1920’s movies were doing great business with a capital investment over $2billion. Studio development also did well in this era, at the end of 20^th century; there were about 20 Hollywood studios and demand of Hollywood movies was much greater than ever. Number of people does not know the development took place in Hollywood film industry between 1920’s and 1930. An average production of films per year was 500 films but in this era, film industry produced 800 movies per year. There were about 20 Hollywood studios by the end of twenty century. Five big Hollywood studios were: Warner Bros. Pictures, Adolph Zukor’s Famous Players, RKO (Radio-Keith-Orpheum), RKO, Marcus Loew of Loew’s, Inc, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Fox Film Corporation/Foundation.

The big five studios had advance technology tools and equipment with the aid of which they used to produce unique and good quality movies. There were about three little studios in this era, Universal pictures, United Artist and Columbia pictures. There were few more studios that used to work independently, few f them are listed below: Disney Studios, the Monogram Picture Corporation, Selznick International Pictures/David O. Selznick, Samuel Goldwyn Pictures,20th Century Pictures, Republic Pictures. In 1927, a cinematographic movies act was passed by United States designed to stimulate the downfall of British film industry. This act worked well according to circumstances and this act gave a new life to British film industry. The act was modified in 1938 by cinematographic film Act and eventually repealed by Film Act 1960.1927 is considered one of the best year for British film industry and it added new life to British film industry. In early decades there were no roper studios for film production but by the end of this era, number of film studios were in queue and produced number of films. The film Act was especially designed keeping an eye on declining position of film industry. 25% of the films were shown in1920 were British and in 1923 this rate was increased up to 10% and by 1925 it was down to only 5%. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, American film industry had gained so much popularity worldwide.

Symphony of a great city

Plot Summary

Symphony of a great city was released in 1927, It is a German silent film directed by Walter ruttmen and its co-writer is Carl Mayer. It was a very nice film with great animations. It is a dazzling film covered with wonderful images this story generally starts wit a train journey, journey with real sense speed and thundering of the tracks. This movie starts in day and ends in night, in overall movie between day and night berlins life is discussed and shows that how berlins went about their daily lives and how they spent their days. Huge and big buildings are discovered in this movie, however focused is not great buildings; the primary goal of this movie is the people lived and worked on streets. This movie is not designed for satisfying tourism needs but it deals with experience of Berlin which Berliners saw every day. The scenes are covered in this movie are best and this is the basic reason behind its high success rate. Images used is this movie are fabulous, there is apparently no damage in black and white images. The movie starts with train ride and covers daily life of city people. It is a movie which deals day and nights of city people and shows how they spend their lives. This movie pictured people of village that lives their lies easily it captures the events of daily life with common people. It fits in all genres, but wonderful cinematography makes it particularly an art film.

Man with a Movie Camera

Summary

Man with movie camera is an experimental silent movie which is directed by a Russian director Dziga Vertov. This movie is sometime referred as “Man with movie camera”, the man with movie Camera” and “the man with keno camera”. This movie resent urban life in Odessa and other Soviet cities this movie shows that how Soviet citizens work from day to night. They keep busy themselves from dawn to dusk. In this movie, Soviet citizen are shown at work and at play in leisure time, this movie also shows that how Soviet citizen interact with modern technology and machinery of modern world. This film is famous for number of terms which includes double exposure, fast motion, slow motion, freeze frames, jump cuts, split screens, Dutch angles, extreme close-ups, tracking shots. Animations and self-reflexive style made this movie interesting and different from other movies of that era. The film is an art film bent and it emphasizes that film can move anywhere for instance pasteurizing a women getting out fro m bed and getting dressed, setting up camera in mountains. Great photography and techniques use made this movie interesting and award winning.

Production

Symphony of a great city, it portray the life of a city in an attractive way. Number of animation are sue in this movie. This film shows clear understating of writer on Soviet montage theory. This movie is co-written by Carl Meyer and Karl Feund. Music of this movie was written by Edmund Miselit compares city life with the aid of visual impression in a semi documentary style this movie shows that all team members are inspired from one another rand they have put great efforts in making of this movie. The script and direction are crisp and clear, the story is gripping and the cast is excellent. The details of setting and characters are directed very accurately and in a cost-effective way.

Movie details include:

Title: Berlin: Symphony of a Great City
Running Time: 70 Minutes
Country: Germany
Genre: Abstract Film
Cast includes: Paul Von Hindenburg.

This movie was cinematograph by Robert Baberske. Reimar Kuntze, László Schäffer (as Laszlo Schäffer), Karl Freund.Art direction of this movie was done by Erich Kettle hut. Its genre/type is Avant-garde / Experimental. Abstract Film: Tones use din this movie are: Atmospheric, Stylized and Affectionate.

Man with movie camera is a similar movie to Symphony of great city. All the individual elements like script, characters, acting, lighting, direction, production, writing, editing and photography all were superb as a whole with lofty music. A perfect balance was created in all the settings. The film portrays about how film and our culture as an American reacted to those events. Our media exposed those real events and their direct impact on our economy, politics, society, culture and how our nation is under the process of reconstruction.

The production team involve in making this movie is listed below:

Director: Dziga Vertov
Writer Dziga Vertov
Cinematography by Mikhail Kaufman

Its Releasing date was January 8, 1929, it running time is 80 min/68 min it country is Soviet Union and it was picturized in Silent language. Tones used in this movie are Enigmatic, Dreamlike, Atmospheric, Stylized, and Easygoing. This movie is released by amkino.

Cinematography

Symphony of a great city is cinematograph by Robert Baberske, Reimar Kuntze,László Schaffer, Karl Freund. Kaul Freund was a German cinematographer; he is an Oscar candidate and film director. He begun his career at the age of 15, in1905. He started his career as assistant projectionist for a famous film company. He was born in Bohem. As a cinematographer he worked over 100 movies, his nationality was of German. He worked in numerous movies some of them are listed below: Die Filmprimadonna (Gad); Engelein (Gad), Vordertreppe und Hintertreppe (Gad) (co); Frau Eva (Arme Eva) (Wiene), Die Austreibung (Driven from Home) (Murnau), VariŽtŽ (Variety) (Dupont), Tartüff (Tartuffe) (Murnau), Madam wünscht keine Kinder (Madame Wants No Children) (Z. Korda) (pr spvr), BerlinÑDie Symphonie einer Grossstadt (Berlin—Symphony of a Great City) (Ruttmann) (co-pr, co-sc); Die Abenteuer eines Zehnmarkscheinen (Viertel) (pr spvr); Der Sohn der Hagar etc. Cinematographers took over one year to photograph this movie in which they had to cover an impressionistic view of lif in Berlin from dawn to dusk. They had to capture all modes of life in Berlin in an impressive way. Cinematographer worked hard on this movie in order to produce good quality movie which not only fulfill entertainment needs but also deliver a message in an impressive way. The major part of this movie was shot using movie cameras concealed in camps and cars to get realistic effects. The movie presents cross section and rhythm of life in Berlin from dawn to dusk. Video expressions are based completely on ideas of Dziga Vertov. In 1928, the writer declared that he is willing to make something different and out of this world. The chief cameraman developed a beautiful movie a hypersensentisize film and night scenes which can be avoid with the use of artificial lights. High jazz score of about 75 piece orchestra was commission fir this movie and unfortunately high score was lost during development of movie. In last phase of movie making the film was edited to accompany the music. The whole movie has a great influence of Russian filmmaker Dziga Vertov earlier work. Symphony of a great city carry a beautiful music track, the silent movie posses great animation, lights, and music Symphony of a great city, music, making and cinematography creates its own virtue of rhythmic editing. However, lively, crackling platform that’s hell-bent on making the art of war look like the pathetic and sluggish event it’s meant to be from the worn-out eyes of a moviemaker who has probably seen it all with comprehensible, skeptical mind.

Man with movie camera is cinematograph by Mikhail Kaufman. He Was a Russian cinematographer and photographer. Number of great films is on his credit. “Mikhail Kaufman directed photography the movie Man with the Movie Camera in 1929. The film is built around meta-reference and the movie is full of innovative video effects and great animations.” (Cduniverse) In this movie he acted as a camera man, he climbed from high hills, crawling underground with miners in order to get best shots for the movie. After the completion of this movie, Kaufman and Vertov fell out in quarrel of artistic difference and after that two would never work together again. The picture of the film is very powerful, eye-catching, and modernistic. In some scenes camerawork calls for realistic view of the image, while at other pictures of the scenes it must be not very clear to elude the realism. Everything was kept very simple. Photography was very good with perfect lighting and composition to keep everything straightforward.

Themes

Symphony of a great city historical plot which shows day and night life in Berlin from dawn t dusk. The movie based on historical themes and Vertov idea of presenting historical life in form of movie and animations.

Man with movie camera is based on same plot of resenting historical life in a silent documentary movie. The footages in this movie are taken from historical pictures of Odessa. This movie used modern technology and animation effects were used in the making of this movie. If a person experiences good or bad consequence of an act, next time s/he would modify his/her behavior accordingly. Earlier consequences will affect future behavior responses. Our behavior is also a lot more modified by observing others and their attitudes and actions. Personal interaction with each other, surrounding and environmental factors also contribute reciprocally to our attitudes (Bandura, 1989). We learn by observing others, and sometimes are behavior is changed by influences from others.

The script is written in late 1960’s when social psychological interaction between whites and blacks were very different from now. However, at that time racial marriages were not legally prohibited in United States, and any law banning interracial marriages was considered unconstitutional. However, society’s psychological influences were deep rooted, and white parents would encourage marriage of their daughter or son with whites. Every individual’s behavior in a society has influences from the social circle s/he lives in. Their social surrounding is dominant by the fact that whites should marry among whites and blacks among blacks. Due to social influences everyone has varied response to the couple’s decision. The whole film revolves around this same fact.

Music

The music in Symphony of a great city is superb and increases the suspense and plays according to the love emotions. It improves the overall scenes and acting. Long lasting memory results from experiences of fear and happiness, which can be visualized in mind any time in life as it is remembered. Our mind has the power of imagining the events of the story read or heard and intermingle it with our never occurring before memory to form everlasting memory of experience from personal thoughts.

Conclusion

Both movies did a great business in their releasing years. Tem member, director both had done great efforts in order to produce quality product for their audience. Both are silent movies with great animation effects. Both movies are considered similar to each other in number of ways; however they plot different ideas and different team efforts. Berlin, symphony is a great movie full of wonderful images it starts with train journey into Berlin, this whole journey continues through out the movie and perfect animation images adds life in movie. The movie has gained so much popularity because the life of Berlin it captures in now complete lost. Image print and graphics were superb, audience reactions are really good and they appreciated the movie a lot. The movie is well designed black & white film, t s like a day trip to history. Director and all team members did a great job in whole movie. Man with movie camera is an experiment of creative communication of visible events. The film was created in 1929. It was greatest Russian movie ever made; it is a hallmark of Russian constructive films. The scenes for this movie are taken from past footages of Odessa, Kiev, and Moscow. Its music is breath taking music some people consider it as an art. Both movies are quiet similar but also they portrays different plots of history. Movie” man with movie camera is based on wonderful plot and its pictured in wonderful way. All themes and animation used in this movie are awesome, audience reviews about this movie were great and its been about 30 years of its release people still watch this movie in order to recall their memories. Director and cameraman worked ard on its scene cauterization.

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