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Soviet Montage, 1925-1933. Lecture 8. Dialectics. T hesis 1 + Anti-Thesis 1 = Synthesis 1 Synthesis 1 (Thesis 2) + Anti-thesis 2 = Synthesis 2 …
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Soviet Montage, 1925-1933 Lecture 8
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.”
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.”
October (1927): Dialectics of narrative
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.
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.
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)
Graphic Conflict/Light Conflict • _Battleship Potemkin_ stairs clip
Spatial conflict (conflict of depth) • Bridge clip from _October_
Conflict between matter and its spatial nature (ex: optical distortion) From Man with a Movie Camera
Conflict between an event and its temporal nature (ex: slow motion, fast motion, stop-motion) • Clip from _Man with a Movie Camera_
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
Tempo Conflict • _October_ gunner clip
Eisenstein: “Association Montage” Produces emotional effects by psychological means
Ex: “Association Montage”non-diegetic insert From Strike (1925)
Ex: “Association Montage”non-diegetic insert (also an example of overlapping editing) From October (1927)—Kerensky peacock sequence
Eisenstein: “Intellectual Montage” Produces new ideas and attitudes
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
Ex 1: “Intellectual Montage”non-diegetic insert Overlapping editing From October (1927) Kerensky, stairs, etc…
Ex 2: “Intellectual Montage”non-diegetic inserts From October (1927) “For God and Country…”
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.
Ex: “Intellectual Montage” From October (1927)