Chelovek s kino-apparatom (1929)

Director:

Dziga Vertov

Writer:

Dziga Vertov (writer)

Release Date:

12 May 1929 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary

Plot:

A cameraman travels around a city with a camera slung over his shoulder, documenting urban life with dazzling inventiveness.

Plot Keywords:

Urban Life | Double Exposure Effects | Track And Field | Childbirth | Crayfish

Cast

Mikhail Kaufman

...

The cameraman

Also Known As:

Человек с Киноаппаратом (Soviet Union: Russian title)
Living Russia, or The Man with a Camera (USA)
Man with a Movie Camera (International: English title)
The Man with a Movie Camera
The Man with the Movie Camera

Runtime:

68 min

Country:

Soviet Union

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

Brazil:18 | Australia:G | Netherlands:AL | Finland:S (1965)

Filming Locations:

Kiev, Ukraine

Company:

VUFKU

Trivia:

The film anticipates many of the techniques used 50 years later in Koyaanisqatsi (1982).

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Hungerford: Symphony of a London Bridge (2009)

Watch the film

I have had the opportunity to see Dziga Vertov's The Man with a Movie Camera (Chelovek s Kinoapparatom) in my film documentary class. While creating the film Vertov aimed at capturing real life. He used the camera as the witness of true life. He believed that the camera was a machine. He valued the reliance of machinery. Vertov alleged that the machine would be the corner stone for the progress of industrialization. He thought that industrialization and service of people would liberate their society.

The Man with a Movie Camera was a silent film that was created in black and white. Vertov did not use a script for the beginning of the film because he did not want the audience to believe it was fictional. He used many different scenic shots in his film. There were clips of benches, land, buildings, water, and windows. He was able to capture everyday life among humans in Russia. He was able to capture all emotions as well as important events in their lives. He captured weddings, funerals, injuries, salon appointments, divorce, business, and birth.

His film was very kinetic. He was very concerned with making the subject and the camera movement perfect. The pace of the film was created to simulate the reality of what people are doing. The pace was also effected by the pace and direction of the Soviet Union in the 1920's. He was able to capture the vibrancy of life by showing the humans going about their everyday life.

Vertov used still frames for many of the athletes in his film. He would freeze frame the competitors one by one while they were performing. After he freeze framed each individual athlete, he would show them engaging fully in their activity. I thought this was very useful to keep the audiences attention. Dziga was able to create a distinction between classes. There were scenes with the upper class out at the salons, and other prestige's places among the city. He was able to create scenes where many of the humans were struggling for survival.

Vertov's film is one that I will need to see again to have a full appreciation of his talent. I was confused through out several scenes. I was not able to completely understand why he would change the pace of the film when he did. I really liked how he was able to capture humans during their everyday activities. Not once did I believe that any of the scenes in his film were staged. He is a very creative director who is worth learning more about.