CITY LIFE ON THE BIG SCREEN
CINEMA was born in the early part of the 20th century, at the same time when our cities developed into noisy hubs, the streets filling up with cars and the speed of life gradually speeding up. It is only natural then that many films portray cities and their lifestyles, often establishing a commentary through various artistic means.
Here are a few selected examples:
MODERN TIMES(1963)
CHARLIE CHAPLIN
Modern Times is a 1936 American silent comedy film written and directed by Charlie Chaplin in which his iconic Little Tramp character struggles to survive in the modern, industrialized world. The film is a comment on the desperate employment and financial conditions many people faced during the Great Depression
My comment : The movie is about trying to live in the industrial times , Chaplin shows us both the struggle to survive and how to project a dream life. workers are controlled by the boss of the corporation on whom everything depended s. In that time, everybody needed to have a job to feed their families . The struggle people have is explain the perspective for city life there is struggling to live in the high-rise, convenient place in the city. The struggle to have a better life.
MAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA(1929)
Soviet silent documentary film, directed by Dziga Vertov
Man with a movie camera is an experimental 1929 Soviet Ukraninian silent documentary film, directed by Dziga Vertov and edited by his wife Yelizaveta Svilova
Vertov's feature film, produced by the film studio VUFKU, present urban life in the soviet cities of Kyiv, Kharkiv, Moscow and Odessa. It has no actors.From Dawn to dusk Soviet citizens are shown at work and at play, and interacting with the machinery of modern life.
My comment : I like how the movie continues without any main actor, it’s like a documentary with no main actor. The editing is innovative and interesting. In the beginning it talks about the environment around the city, the camera films flowers,children, workers. then goes into the theatre, showing us the empty chairs in the theatre, the peace before people flow in. Then he films the musician and before he filmed the musician everything was silent and after he filmed the musician the sound came in, filling the empty gap in the film. I like how the film and music are connected not always in sync with the music, defying our expectations. In that scene a group of musicians wait for the conductor to start and he makes the film audience wait as well.
I felt like “what is going to happen next ?” then the music came in very well.
the first time the music comes in, they play only long sustained notes, no rhythm and some synth building the environment and shaker doing sustain with the dynamics, the pictures are still life there are some movement but not much and most of the scene are empty city, the machines, people, the baby in the hospital, most of the picture are no movement and no life but both picture and music are connected. When the long sustain music end the rhythmic music come in and the picture change, they have more movement the picture shows car moving, a man walking with his camera, the train and the pigeon this make the film feel the living and the life
THE RHYTHM MAKES IT FEEL MORE LIFE
BELLET MECANIQUE
Ballet Mécanique (1923-1924) is a Dadaist post-Cubist art film conceived, written, and co-directed by the artist Fernand Leéger in collaboration with the filmmaker Dudley Murphy ( with cinematographic input from Man Ray). It has a musical score by the american composer George Antheil. However, the film premiered in a silent version on 24 September 1924 at the Internationale Ausstellung neuer Theatertechnik (International Exposition for new Theater Technique)in Vienna presented by Frederick Kiesler. It is considered one of the masterpieces of early experimental filmmaking.
My comment: In the city there are noises, pollution, crowded streets and traffic. Noise is the one of the main thing that makes a city a city. If we connect noise to music then we make music the reflects the modern world.
The chaos of the sound and the visuals convey chaos in the city.
KOYAANISQATSI
KOYAANISQATSI also known as Koyaanisqatsi:Life out of balance, is a 1982 American experimental film produced and directed by Godfrey Reggio with music composed by Phillip Glass and cinematography by Ron Fricke. The word Koyaanisqatsi means “life out of balance”. Thefilm is the first in the Qatsi film trilogy : it is succeeded by Powaqqatsi(1988) and Naqoyqatsi (2002).The trilogy depicts different aspects of the relationship between human, nature and technology.
My comment: This documentary combines speechless storytelling with minimalist music which is at times almost anchored in ancient l music, the use of Gregorian chants for example.. I like the contrast established by this unusual combination. It is really interesting that the music with a simple rhythm and melodic line repeats gives a new feeling to the visual. The repetition of the music conveys the routine in the city.