26/2/13 Montage Editing notes

"[Montage is] the nerve of cinema... to determine the nature of montage is to solve the specific problem of cinema" 
-Sergei Einstein

What is montage?
   Montage simply means cutting in French. It is a technique in film editing where a series of short shots are edited into a sequence to condense time, space and information. See the montage below of Rocky and Drago training for their upcoming battle.

   Through the juxtaposition of contrasting images, the filmmakers establish Rocky as a resourceful, hardworking underdog character who does not have the luxury of accessing high-tech facilities and a professional team.

Soviet Montage Theory

Kuleshov believed that the juxtaposition of different images has the power to lead the viewer to reach different conclusions about the action in a film. Check out his experiment below:

Does the man's reaction ever change?

Einstein's Montage Theory

   Sergei Einstein believed that editing could be used for more than just showing a scene. He felt that the "collision" of shots could be used to manipulate the emotions of the audience and create film metaphors. He went one step further from Kuleshov, arguing that "each sequential element is perceived not next to the other, but on top of the other".

   Einstein's montage theory resonates with the rise of surrealism in the early 20th century. It violates the continuity rules, namely the 180 degree rule. Transitions between shots are deliberately obvious, less fluid, and non-seamless. It is argued that montage is inherently dialectical so that new ideas emerge from the conflict. It takes the audience out of their comfort zone of seeing smooth continuity editing and makes them question the style and purpose of the filmmaker's decisions.