Of al the movies in which a city plays a major part "Berlin- Die Sinfonie der Grasstadt" (1927) is the most radical one. The city of Berlin is the only lead character.
A few years later the city of Berlin plays again a leading role in "Menschen am Sonntag" (1930, Robert Siodmak, Edgar Ulmer) but it no longer is the single leading role. There is also a storyline with some characters of flesh and blood.
After this there have been more films in which a city plays an important role, but always as the background against which the story unfolds. A supporting character so to say. I am thinking of films like "The naked city" (1948, Jules Dassin, New York), "Night and the city" (1950, Jules Dassin, London) and "Manhattan" (1979, Woody Allen, New York).
In the two most radical "city films" Berlin is the protagonist. In my opinion this is no coincidence. At that time Berlin was in transition from the roaring twenties to the Nazi dictatorship.
When we compare "Die Sinfonie der Grosstadt" with "Menschen am Sonntag" there are a few differences worth mentioning. Some of these differences are related.
"Menschen" plays in the weekend, "Sinfonie" on a weekday.
"Menschen" plays for an important part in the recreation areas just outside the city, "Sinfonie" focuses on the centre of the city.
"Sinfonie" focuses on buildings, "Menschen" on people.
"Sinfonie" uses mainly overview shots, "Menschen" frequently uses close ups.
Director Walther Ruttmann was an avant garde artist who loved abstract images. We can see that in some scenes, for example in the montage in which railway rails are becoming abstact lines. More in general the film compares a big city with a complex machine and the movie radiates a belief in progress.
From a cinematic point of view my attention was drawn to some scenes with "associative" editing. This is a kind of editing that is not meant to integrate c.q. Alternate two seperate storylines, but to juxtapose two situations in order to manipulate the emotions of the viewer. I am referring to the scene where a beggar trying to find a meal in a garbage can is compared to a businessman having a good lunch in an expensive restaurant. I am also referring to the scene in which factory workers, cheerful because their working day is done, are compared with playing children.
In general the credit for inventing associative editing is given to Sergei Eisenstein, who introduced it in films like "Battleship Potemkin" (1925) and "October" (1927). "Berlin-Die Sinfonie der Grosstad" is from the same period, so I am beginning to doubt if Eisenstein is the only one who deserves credit. Maybe this innovation was just "hanging in the air".
A few years later the city of Berlin plays again a leading role in "Menschen am Sonntag" (1930, Robert Siodmak, Edgar Ulmer) but it no longer is the single leading role. There is also a storyline with some characters of flesh and blood.
After this there have been more films in which a city plays an important role, but always as the background against which the story unfolds. A supporting character so to say. I am thinking of films like "The naked city" (1948, Jules Dassin, New York), "Night and the city" (1950, Jules Dassin, London) and "Manhattan" (1979, Woody Allen, New York).
In the two most radical "city films" Berlin is the protagonist. In my opinion this is no coincidence. At that time Berlin was in transition from the roaring twenties to the Nazi dictatorship.
When we compare "Die Sinfonie der Grosstadt" with "Menschen am Sonntag" there are a few differences worth mentioning. Some of these differences are related.
"Menschen" plays in the weekend, "Sinfonie" on a weekday.
"Menschen" plays for an important part in the recreation areas just outside the city, "Sinfonie" focuses on the centre of the city.
"Sinfonie" focuses on buildings, "Menschen" on people.
"Sinfonie" uses mainly overview shots, "Menschen" frequently uses close ups.
Director Walther Ruttmann was an avant garde artist who loved abstract images. We can see that in some scenes, for example in the montage in which railway rails are becoming abstact lines. More in general the film compares a big city with a complex machine and the movie radiates a belief in progress.
From a cinematic point of view my attention was drawn to some scenes with "associative" editing. This is a kind of editing that is not meant to integrate c.q. Alternate two seperate storylines, but to juxtapose two situations in order to manipulate the emotions of the viewer. I am referring to the scene where a beggar trying to find a meal in a garbage can is compared to a businessman having a good lunch in an expensive restaurant. I am also referring to the scene in which factory workers, cheerful because their working day is done, are compared with playing children.
In general the credit for inventing associative editing is given to Sergei Eisenstein, who introduced it in films like "Battleship Potemkin" (1925) and "October" (1927). "Berlin-Die Sinfonie der Grosstad" is from the same period, so I am beginning to doubt if Eisenstein is the only one who deserves credit. Maybe this innovation was just "hanging in the air".