Man with a Movie Camera
Dziga Vertov's uncategorisable masterpiece Man with a Movie Camera comes to Blu-ray from Masters of Cinema
Little can be added to the praise heaped upon Man with a Movie Camera over the years, other than to emphasise quite how entertaining it is to even the most casual viewer. Yes it's an experimental movie, and there's something almost confrontational about Dziga Vertov's stated intention of directing the film “towards the creation of an authentically international, absolute language of cinema... on the basis of its complete separation from the language of theatre and literature.” After all, this was a man who bitterly decried drama as an opiate for the masses. To focus on the avant garde theory informing his work, however, is to ignore its immersive quality and the visceral impact it can have on audiences.
A portrait of Russia under Lenin, the film is in thrall to progress and collectivism, its abstract, mechanical veneer always betraying an underlying sense of optimism. However stylised Vertov's vision of cities Kiev, Kharkov, Moscow and Odessa, it's man's indomitable spirit that dominates nearly every frame. Buildings are assailed with comfortable ease, while trains and cars are narrowly avoided without fear.
The soundtrack provided here by the Alloy Orchestra does an exemplary job of accentuating the sense of momentum conjured by the images on screen. When tempos slow down or achieve moments of dizzying catharsis, the effect is utterly disarming. We leave the film shaken and inspired, our view of the world at least temporarily transformed by this uncategorisable masterpiece.
Extras
Despite its lofty reputation, commercial releases of Man with a Movie Camera have all too often been sourced from muddy, blurred prints. The picture quality found on this release is as sharp as can be expected of a work of its vintage. The quartet of rarely seen Vertov features filling the bonus disc here aren't presented to the same standard, but remain a goldmine for world cinema aficionados. Video essays, commentary tracks and a substantial 100-page book further complement the release.
A limited 4-disc edition of Man with a Movie Camera and Other Works by Dziga Vertov is released on Dual Format by Eureka on its Masters of Cinema label – order your copy here