True Films 3.0 - Kevin Kelly

Man With the Movie Camera
Think of this as a very early black and white version of the cinematic
poem-films of Koyaanisquatsi (p.99) and Baraka (p.17). Filmed in Russia
in 1929 it records the hustle and bustle of ordinary life. In filmic style it
foreshadows many of the techniques used in Koyaanisquatsi and Baraka
– time lapse clips of city traffic pulsating organically, montages of people
working, fighting, loving, living, and since this is Russia, a photographic
celebration of machines at work. But unlike the later films, this one has
a curious recursive dimension. The man with the movie camera (the
filmmaker himself) appears throughout the film, busily making the film
as one of life’s many activities, and the film ends with an enthusiastic
theater audience watching this very film. At a distance of 90 years, I
found the particulars of everyday life in Russia more interesting than the
general ode to life. But both work. The silent film has been smartly and
modernly scored from notes left by the filmmaker.
By Dziga Vertov
1929, 68 min.
Available from Amazon
Rent from Netflix
There are three versions for the sound track of this film on DVD. The
original film was silent with a score suggested for live orchestral accompaniment.
In the version I watched – the one offered by Netflix – Alloy
Orchestra used those original musical notes to create a vigorous new
score with appropriate sound effects. There are two other contemporary
versions, including a score by Michael Nyman, available for sale. The
film’s entry on Wikipedia can help you sort these out.
An avant-guarde multi-window view of a street scene from St. Petersburg. Firemen speeding on a fire truck (above).
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