Montage is a French word that literally
means putting together or assembling shots. It also refers to a filming
technique, editing style, or form of movie collage consisting of a series of
short shots or images that are rapidly put together into a coherent sequence to
create a composite picture.
Soviet Montage is an approach in
understanding and creating cinema that relies heavily upon editing. It
emphasizes dynamic and irregular relationship between two different shots. This
editing style was developed by the Soviet filmmakers of the 1920s such as
Pudovkin, Vertov and Eisentein.
The dramatic impact of Soviet Montage
broke all the rules of the smooth, invisible editing of the classic Hollywood
style. The technique in Soviet films contains more shots compare to Hollywood
films.
In Soviet Montage, the director will use
non-actors to play key role. Soviet filmmakers were also strongly encouraged
not to depict contemporary Soviet social reality in a negative manner.
The use of detailed structures of shots
and coordinated music gives an overall montage patterns. The rhythm of music
can control the style of the montage style. Music are also able to control
emotional shifts within a scene.
Soviet Montage films play an educational
role within the perspective formation to instruct the Russians and to promote
class consciousness throughout the world.
