Man With a Movie Camera (1929)

[Johann]

MAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA with MICHAEL NYMAN BAND (LIVE)



Last night was a magnificent evening of music and cinema.
I just could not believe that I was watching the 12-piece Michael Nyman Band performing LIVE. Just incredible.

It began with a TIFF staffer introducing the man with a brief mention of his cinematic work (the Piano, Peter Greenaway films) and how Nyman's score for "Man With a Movie Camera" is the "Gold Standard". Then the band came out to do a 20-minute performance of selections from Nyman's film work. It was sweet music to my ears, hearing music from A Zed and Two Noughts, Drowning by Numbers and Prospero's Books.
In that acoustically perfect setting it was DIVINE. Really divine. These 12 musicians (Nyman included- he was seated stage left at a piano) are Masters of their intruments. It was basically 2 saxophones, a trombone, a trumpet, flutes, upright bass and 3 violins. (and Mr. Nyman's impeccable piano playing).
Just glorious.
After that awesome set of music they took a 15 minute break and came back for the Main Event: Dziga Vertov's trailblazing silent film with Live score.

Seeing that movie on such a large screen that way was just about the zenith of what a great movie going experience can and should be.
The sold-out crowd knew it was special, even though I hated the chatter before the movie and during the break. I went alone, and to have to sit there wedged between two annoying people who would not shut up whenever there wasn't a performance or dimming of the lights was agony for me. I just wanted the film experience, not the Chatty Cathy audience experience. People talk so much B.S. in movie theatres. Why??

I still prefer the Alloy Orchestra score, tho. Sorry Michael!
Mr. Nyman looked like Jean-Luc Godard to me. They resemble each other.

[Johann]

There are no actors in Man With a Movie Camera. They are all real people, real citizens of the Soviet Union.
The camera angles must be mentioned again. Vertov often has very well composed shots, well-thought out or planned still shots.
You can feel that there is a MIND behind the shots. It's a very conscious film. It pulsates, it's ALIVE.
The host mentioned how many shots but I can't remember the number. 1400 maybe? All different.
The streetcars/electric trolleys reminded me of Toronto. We have the same labryinth of electric wires above our city and bustling streetcars.

Vertov was not afraid to go for a shot. He'd lay in the street, he'd lie on train tracks, he'd take risks (like going down around that waterfall and up above it in a bucket- probably never tried before). He was in love with making pictures. I loved the scenes of women splicing film strips and the reverse close-ups of that Zeiss lens- VERY innovative for it's time. The only thing that would've made this movie more alive is full color.

The slow motion and stop-motion shots are pioneer work, hands down. (theatre seats raising and lowering- athlete shots-chess and checker boards-transposed negatives, etc.etc.) The Michael Nyman score was great, fantastic. BUT! it reminded me too much of his work with Peter Greenaway, which is so identifiable. The Alloy Orchestra's score has more energy (not that the Nyman Band was lacking energy- not at all!).
The Alloy Orchestra's score had me banging my head like I was listening to Creeping Death by Metallica.
Nyman's score didn't pick up steam until the last 5 minutes (which is what sealed the standing ovation afterwards I'm sure)
And the changes in tempo were very abrupt with the Nyman band. The music would just suddenly stop! and then start again, on a completely different tone. But it was still incredible. If I didn't have the Alloy Orchestra's score to reference, then THIS score is indeed the "Gold Standard".

Also, something that reallly annoyed me was the laundry list of Major Sponsors that were mentioned right off the top of the show.
The TIFF host (Noah Cowan) mentioned Visa and Bell and made sure the audience knew that the Lightbox is SPONSORED by banks and telephone companies. Are they contractually obligated to mention their Masters at every fuckin' screening?

I don't give two flying fucks if Royal Bank, Bell or Visa's your Daddy.