Thanks for dropping in for the final Letterboxd List review of the year! To wrap up the year we are going to take a look at a list that hasn’t been featured yet, the Official Top 250 Documentary Films list. Specifically, we’ll be looking at what sits at #37 on the list as of this writing… Man with a Movie Camera (1929).
Title: Man with a Movie Camera
Director: Dziga Vertov
Released: January 8, 1929 (USSR – Kiev)
Runtime: 1 hour 8 minutes
Available to stream on: Kanopy
Man with a Movie Camera (1929) is not your “normal” documentary.
While most documentaries have a specific subject they focus on, there is no subject here.
Instead, we follow along as our man with a movie camera (Mikhail Kaufman) wanders about a Soviet city. Rather than following any one specific person, we drift in and out of the life of the city. We see people waking up on park benches, the hustle and bustle of the streets and trains, and even people going about their days while at work.
Though we also see that life isn’t all work and no play. From people playing chess, working out and enjoying the beach, and even watching a movie in a movie theater, we also get to see the city’s people enjoy leisure time as well.
It is wild to think that Man with a Movie Camera will be 97 years old in just a couple of weeks.
There is no denying that this is a technical marvel. Both the editing and cinematography are incredibly impressive given the time.
The way that everything from split-screens to slow-motion, complex cuts, zooms, and animation are all incorporated makes it nearly impossible to not just sit in amazement.
If I have a complaint, it is that the version I watched had a cartoony-sounding score that was incredibly repetitive. But that by no means is a knock on the actual experimental documentary itself.
Prior to my viewing of this, I knew nothing about it. I’d had it on my watchlist but went in blind. I can see where there not being a focus on one topic could be a deterrent for some. Though I’d still suggest you give it a shot just to see the technical skills on display.
Have you seen Man with a Movie Camera (1929)?
If so, leave a comment below or reach out on Bluesky and tell me your thoughts on it!
Follow me over on Letterboxd to keep up with everything else I’ve been watching lately.