Man with the Movie Camera

What are some of the ideas, messages, and/or themes that you find in Vertov’s film? In what ways do you see the film mirroring his manifest? What are some of the motifs, both visual and conceptual, that you see being developed and/or repeated in the film?

One thing that really comes to mind is the simplicity of the movie. Rather than trying to tell a traditional story, the movie splices in various footage of everyday life activities. It doesn’t explain why the footage is there, or present an antagonist/protagonist. Rather, the movie plays out and it is left up to us to interpret what it means. This work is definitely reflective of Vertov’s manifesto as he stays true to his intended parameters set forth in the beginning of the movie. It really did present itself as an experiment in cinematic communication. In that regard, it was definitely a success. While the movie was filmed in the Soviet Union, I could still identify and relate with the various activities shown throughout the movie. It created an international language with which to communicate about the joys and dredges of everyday life. The shots he showed of everyday people working, alongside their machinery, tended to meld the two into one. The people existed for their equipment, while the machinery was there for the people to work. Contrasted with that was the way people lived and enjoyed life while they were relaxing. Playing sports, going to the beach, etc. was drastically different from their work.