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Customer Reviews of Man with a Movie Camera

Great movie dedicated to the moving image
Unlike many other movies focused on linear narratives Man with a Movie Camera is a movie truly dedicated to its medium. This movie focuses on visuals. Made in Russia in the 1920s Man with a movie camera foreshadows future visual epics like Koyannisqatsi and Hukkle.

Everyday, in effect, is a movie in one's life.
"This film presents a experiment in the cinematic communication of visible event, without the aid of inter-titles, without the aid of a scenario." Such explannatory opening titles are the only ones you will see in this 1929 Soviet-made silent film. Thence begins the visual tour we are taken through by "The Man with a Movie Camera" as he literally takes us along for the ride as he chronciles the better part of a day's usual goings-on in an agglomeration of Soviet cities. Hence the scene index on this DVD segments up this film with the aid of such chapters labeled: "The beginning," "Workday begins," "Open for business," "Still life in motion," Emergency," "Coal, steel, silk & water," "Workday ends," Exercise," "Special effects," "The pace increases," concluding with "End credits." I've included the above to give you an idea how this film achieves what other reviewers herein have characterized it doing. Images are literally thrown at you at various speeds by Vertov, the director. "Workday begins," for instance, is a montage of images---alternatively moving and stilled---of folks waking up, streets coming alive, trams embarking out of their depots; with shots of cash registers, typewriters, parked cars, phones & such all waiting to be put in motion. Then the movie camera lens that just showed us a woman washing her face, itself occupies the screen. Then we see this woman's eyes. Then a window shutter. Then a window. Then the camera again. Then window blinds. Then the woman's eyes yet again. Then the blinds again, followed by the lens, etc. We don't watch this film from afar, in short. Rather, we become "The Man with the Movie Camera" ourselves, as if we were the one running across a threshold, between street trams, or up a bridge---as we see the actual camerman do in this film---before we ourselves get to take in the view of the camera lens from such vantage points. In this manner the director is hoping to wake us up to life as it is; to see life as if our eyes are but camera lenses. It's makes for an interesting viewpoint---pardon the pun---to say the least; and accounts for the fact that "The Man with a Movie Camera" merits inclusion among the best silent films ever made, if not of all films made, as well. Sure, "the factory of dreams" as Hollywood was known in Soviet Russia, is an art form in of itself. Less known is "the factory of facts" which this film purports to represent. You wouldn't think that a 68 minute storyless silent film (albeit it with a captivating score) would be actually entertaining, but it is; even with multiple viewings! I, for one, have watched it 3 times and---most likely, will do so some months hence again. I hope I have been of some help herein & that I have piqued your interest in seeing this film. (If so, do listen to the audio commentary on this DVD after your first viewing.) (05Jan) Cheers!