From Filmic Form to Meaning

Abstract

Vertov’s works always revolved around the documentary, for it was only here that for him both the truth and the essence of the people in the Soviet reality were revealed. The fact that the film-maker turned precisely to film and did not, for example, work as the editor of a daily newspaper may be happenstance, or it may be traced back to Vertov’s active interest in new media. It is, however, just as plausible to assume that Vertov recognised in film the potential for revealing his processes without detracting from their effect – on the contrary; the director felt that films could actually gain in fascination through the demonstration of the processes of craftsmanship. Vertov transmitted the idea of film work as a demonstrative activity and accentuated the professional abilities of his film team. Above all, in his early films he also presented his colleagues on the screen, where they were shown practising their professions in a manner almost reminiscent of folk art: “The activity of a ‘filmer’, e.g. the cutter at work editing the material shot is expressly equated with the finishing of textiles and the sewing of fabric parts” (Drubek-Meyer and Murašov 2000: 8). This comparison runs through the history of editing and is also mentioned by Walter Murch, who sees it as a possible reason for the high proportion of women in the editing profession (Wright 2009).