Soviet Montage and Realism

Soviet Montage and Realism

3.Soviet Montage

a.In Puedovkin's concept of constructive editing, he believed that juxtaposition itself should make a new point and form new meanings, instead of  depending on the actual shots to rely on its meaning through this juxtaposition. He disagreed with D.W Griffith methods of close ups, he thought they ruined the flow of the film and did not provide any meaning as well.In addition Pudovkin affirmed that montages, when used correctly where one of the best ways to convey the meanings in the hidden jumble of life.However these montages should use close ups rather then long shots because with close up's it easier to focus on details, unlike long shots, which he also believed related too much to reality. These ideas manifested when people saw the impact on which it made to audience when these rules were followed, many other film makers such as Hitchcock and Lev Kuleshov.

b.The Kuleshov effect was Lev Kuleshov idea that putting together shots and it be able to justify one action.He demonstrated that the actors or not the ones who create emotion within the audience, but instead the association with the juxtaposition.The Kuleshove effect is widely used today, a simple example would be a women, who is crying and obviously very emotional, the next shot would be a picture of a children. The audience is able to understand that the women is probably the mother of the kids and we can conclude that she is missing them at that moment. 

c. Eisensteinian Montage was expressed as constant change and the contrasting through opposites.In addition  the conflict of opposite was the cause for change.It was also expressed that good film relied on the edit and that shots should be incomplete. "Odessa Step" sequence shows this because in the film there is constantly juxtaposition from the soldiers who are shooting guns to then the next shot of people reacting and a crowd running away.Their are several juxtaposition certain characters and their the actions of the war.For example we see a child brutally shot and trampled on by the panicked crowed, we then see the appalled mother.

4.Andre Bazin and Realism  

a.Andre Bazin's frustrations with Formalistic film making was that he believed that the distortions of formalist techniques violated complications of reality. He categorized formalsit as conceited and manipulative.  Furthermore Bazin thought that he montage created simple ideology of life rather then a endless changing variable. Brazin also affirmed that overall editing destroyed the effectiveness of the film. More specifically, Classic Cutting he believed to have shot sequence that forces the audience to follow without them realizing the restrictions of it. He concluded that the viewers were not able to make their own meaning.

b. According to Bazin, realist should emphasize a concept of reality. It is the director's job to uncover art of normal everyday people,events, and locations. Filming should not just be recording an object, but it should not be a symbolic abstraction. In addition he believed if a filmmaker wanted to present two or more elements at the same time in one seen then they should follow the ideas of realism.

c.The techniques that realist used in their film making included  shots that were either wide or long, and the duration must be lengthy. Focus primarily consists of just deep focus, this allowed the director to show the audience all details, instead of focusing on just a few.Deep focus also allows the audience to become more creative because shots such as close ups makes the audience have special attention on a certain object or actor, and they are not able to on it themselves. Camera movement such as panning, craning, tilting and tracking are used rather then cutting to a different shot.