The Man With a Movie Camera (1929)

As a document of "pure" cinema that favors the visual over the aural, The Man With a Movie Camera is a tremendously exciting work that soars over its limitations as a product of the Soviet state system. Director Dziga Vertov's claim that narrative cinema was inadequate to present real life is certainly arguable. But the assertion that this film is an unmediated presentation of daily life is undercut by the film's optical tricks and, more importantly, by its stinting of any portrayal of poverty, crime, and other social ills -- not surprising given the heavy hand of the party censors. Nevertheless, The Man With a Movie Camera is so energetically conceived and executed, with dozens of memorable images flying by almost more quickly than you can absorb them, that it's easy to cast aside the political limitations imposed on the project and enjoy it as one of the great film odes to 20th century urban life. The Image Entertainment DVD edition of the film is highly recommended; it contains a musical score that seems to anticipate Philip Glass, as well as astute commentary by scholar Yuri Tsivian on an alternate audio track. ~ Tom Wiener, All Movie Guide