Experimental Films: Case Studies

Man with a Movie Camera

Date: January 8th, 1929
Director: Dziga Vertov
Country: Russia
This avant-garde silent film depicts what the title would suggest. One man and his movie camera show the highs and lows of Moscow in the late 20’s. The film includes camera shots which were technologically well ahead of their time. Vertov super-imposed objects and used various other modern techniques. Vertov had taken the shots with no intention of turning it into a liner narrative film so the editor had the difficult job of placing the shots together so they made sense. Vertov was one of the pioneers of documentary film so he had some good experience in the style.


Metropolis

Date: January 10th, 1927
Director: Fritz Lang
Country: Germany
‘Metropolis’ is an expressionist film displaying a dystopia of a city, set underground in which there is a clear division in class. There are the higher, presumably richer people who live above ground and the working class who worked underground in dangerous conditions. The concept of the film is very unusual but the execution was excellent for the time. The special effects used were very realistic and it is evident from the amount spend on the film, that this was an important factor about the film. Because of the dystopian nature of the film, it is important the audience can be fully drawn into the film’s portrayal of life.


Sunrise (A Song of Two Humans)

Date: September 23rd, 1927
Director: Friedrich Murnau
Country: United States (German director)
‘Sunrise’ is a silent film that displays and tackles moral messages such as adultery, murder and most of all Love. It follows two lovers, but when the male character is lustfully drawn to another woman, he becomes crazy and attempts to kill his wife. The remainder of the film shows the man desperately trying to make up for his horrible attempt. A cruel ironic twist occurs when his wife falls out of the boat and nearly drowns (his initial method to kill his wife). The film is an expressionist work and it includes expensive stylized sets that Murnau had been very insistent on creating.