Montage in Film Studies

Assignment-4 

Montage in Film Studies 

Academic Information:

Name: Insiyafatema Alvani 

Batch: 2023-2024 (M.A Sem 3) 

Roll no: 11

Enrolment number: 4069206420220001

Paper: 204: Contemporary Western Theories and Film Studies 

Paper Code: 22409

Submitted to: S. B. Gardi Department of English, Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University

Email id: insiyafatemaalvani@gmail.com

Introduction:

A popular form of mass media, film is a remarkably effective medium for conveying drama and evoking emotion. The art of motion pictures is exceedingly complex, requiring contributions from nearly all the other arts as well as countless technical skills like sound recording, photography, and optics. Emerging at the end of the 19th century, this new art form became one of the most popular and influential media of the 20th century and beyond. As an art form, the observations that film offers on the culture at large intersect directly with many other areas of study, says Dr. Carman. “Film raises questions related to journalism, about the value of fiction versus nonfiction. It explores how we see history, how ideology affects our perceptions of gender and women’s rights, and how we see the future. And it often addresses questions that can’t be discussed in the mainstream media.” All of these questions and more are explored in film history classes as well as a wide range of genre and topics classes, from horror films to censorship.

What is Film Studies?

Film studies is an academic discipline that deals with various theoretical, historical, and critical approaches to cinema as an art form and a medium. It is sometimes subsumed within media studies and is often compared to television studies. Film studies is less concerned with advancing proficiency in film production than it is with exploring the narrative, artistic, cultural, economic, and political implications of the cinema. Film is an audiovisual medium that combines complex interactive systems of visual and aural signs to communicate a message, to tell a story. "In today's world," asserts Dean Bob Bassett, "film has become the literature of our time. Through cinema, we narrate our stories, delve into our identities, and ponder our existence. While literature has long played a crucial role in society, film now holds a broader reach. While I wholeheartedly advocate for reading and studying the masterpieces of literature, disregarding film's contribution to our collective discourse is tantamount to ignoring the primary conversation unfolding about the stories we share as humanity.”

What is Montage?

Montage in film is a technique of editing film shots to create a sequence that conveys an idea, emotion, or story beyond the individual shots themselves. The word montage has its roots in the French verb "monter" which means to assemble. It is characterized by the combination of heterogeneous elements in an artistic composition. In filmmaking, montage is a style of editing in which contrasting shots or sequences are juxtaposed for the purpose of suggesting a total idea or impression. Montage, then, deals directly with the combination of several dissimilar elements which, through their assemblage, establish new meaning.

Montage is one of the most important key terms in film studies. According to the filmmaker‘s idea, montage in a film study refers to combining scenes together according to the original idea to make it produce comparison, association and foil back the scenes to complete works of film and television”. According to Ed Sikov stated that “montage describes the various ways in which filmmakers string individual shots together to form a series;” directly, this is a synonym for film editing, montage can help the filmmaker of a movie move forward the story quickly and effectively.

Montage is a word of French architecture, which is used by the film workers, they used Montage to express the technology of film editing and combination in film works. In architecture, this word means installation, combination, and constitution. That is, according to the designer’s idea, the various architectural elements can be formed as a whole after processing and installation, to make every element play a greater role than each individual element. In the film creation, Montage means in accordance with the feelings expressed by the script or film, to take a lot of scenes, and then according to the original ideas, these scenes are artistically combined together, to make it produce comparison, association and foil, so as to form a complete works of film and television, such a kind of constituting form and art mode is called Montage. In fact, this theory has got flexible application in film language by early film makers.

The Role of Montage in Films:

In the silent era, filmmakers relied on exaggerated movements and expressions to elicit laughter from audiences. However, with advancements in science and technology, simple actions and expressions no longer suffice to meet the psychological needs of modern viewers. Today's audiences demand films with captivating visuals, enchanting music, compelling rhythms, and well-crafted plots. Among these factors, montage stands out as a crucial element that can make or break a film's success.

Montage plays a pivotal role in shaping a film's structure, narrative, character development, and overall expressiveness. It goes beyond the realm of other artistic techniques, not only in its ability to captivate viewers and stir their emotions but also in its decisive impact on the overall filmmaking process. In essence, montage serves as the invisible thread that weaves together the disparate elements of a film, transforming them into a cohesive and impactful cinematic experience. It is the art of manipulating time, space, and emotion through the careful selection and juxtaposition of shots, allowing filmmakers to transcend the limitations of language and convey profound messages that resonate with audiences on a visceral level. Recent blockbusters like "2012," "Avatar," and "Inception" exemplify the power of montage in filmmaking. Through seamless blending of visuals and music, these films transport viewers into their narratives, evoking a range of emotions alongside the characters. Further examination reveals that montage is an indispensable tool in creating exceptional cinematic experiences.

The Development of Montage:

According to Li, montage has two types of theories:

“The first one is Sergei Eisenstein’s montage theory, headed by the Soviet Union director and film theorist, who insisted that using the film editing technique to rearrange the cinema scenes will produce a new meaning”.

“The second one is a French film theorist Andre Bazin’s long lens theory - also called paragraph lens, he considers that the montage techniques destroy a film’s truth and the new meanings that are produced by the montage combinations are a performance of behaviorism. However, the first theory has been used in real-life widely and is a cause to set up the film industry. The most famous representative can be seen in Hollywood.”.

Principles of Montage:

Eisenstein's theory of montage is characterized by conflict and a belief that a concept arises from the collision of two given factors in opposition to one another. Montage can be seen as the creation of a central or narrative theme from the juxtaposition of specific, and often unrelated details. Each viewer's unique experiences shape their interpretation of the film, guided by the director's visual storytelling. This collaborative effort between director and viewer co-creates the film's narrative. The true work of art emerges dynamically as the viewer forms images in their mind, distinguishing a vibrant piece from a lifeless one where the viewer merely receives a completed product rather than participating in the creative process.

The strength of montage resides in the creative process which includes the emotions and intellect of the spectator, who is compelled to proceed along that selfsame creative road traveled by the author in creating the image. The realistic significance of montage is found in the synthesis of an image through the juxtaposition of separate thematic pieces. Therefore, in the actual method of creating images, a work of art must reproduce that process whereby, as in life itself, new images are built up in the human consciousness and feelings.

Types of Montage:

Eisenstein, the pioneer of montage theory, faced the challenge of effectively conveying his new concepts. He devised five distinct levels of montage: metric, rhythmic, tonal, overtonal, and intellectual. The first four focus on physiological effects, while the intellectual level aims to guide emotions and thought processes. These five levels establish relationships between film fragments, creating meaning for the viewer. Meaning is also established within the composition of each film fragment.

Metric Montage : 

Metric Montage is characterized by the juxtaposition of film fragments in which the fundamental criterion for construction is the absolute lengths of the film fragments. The fragments are joined together by their actual length corresponding to the mathematically calculated length of the fragment according to a metric formula. It is depicted as the outright length of the pieces. Pressure is gotten by the impact of mechanical shortening so as to speed up the pieces by protecting the first extent of the recipe or images. This strategy typically creates quantitative impact that can be lessened to a numerical equation. 

Cadenced Montage/ Rhythmic:

This method looks similar as the metric organization as well as similarly inside of the substance of the edge is additionally considered. It for the most part suggests the example of progression that emerges from the visual design inside of the shots.. Progression, that depends on coordinating activity and screen course are samples of cadenced montage or rhythmic. This sort of montage has impressive potential for depicting light for the fact that the contradicting powers can be introduced or arranged as far as screen headings and in addition parts of the edge. For instance in the Odessa step arrangements. of Potemkin (1925), warriors walk down the progressions from one quadrant of the outline, trailed by individuals endeavoring to escape from the inverse side of the casing.

Tonal Montage : 

The overall tone in which the concept of movement embraces all effects of the montage piece; the characteristic "emotional sound" of the film fragment is the basis of tonal montage. The term "emotional sound" is not to imply a solely impressionistic quality, as the film fragments' characteristics can be measured. "But the units of measurement differ. And the amounts to be measured are different. It is for the most part that alludes to the altering choices that are made to build up an enthusiastic or creative character on screen. Tone or state of mind are the rules used to form the tonal montage, and however the story starts to sound scholarly, it has the unique in the relation to recommendation with altering to likened for music or sound or the playing with the feelings or emotions. Also the Feelings on the scene can be changed alongside the tone. 

Intellectual Montage :

The final level of montage, intellectual, does not involve a generally physiological effect, but rather a psychological effect upon the viewer. It would be characterized by the conflict and juxtaposition of the accompanying intellectual effects of the generally physiological overtones. In this sense, intellectual montage can be characterized as an activity of mental fusion or synthesis through which particular details are united at a higher level of thought. It refers to the overview of different kinds of ideas into a highly charged or feeling full emotionalized sequence. 

Over Tonal Montage : 

Overtonal montage is distinguished by the collective characteristics of metric, rhythmic and tonal montage when they are brought together within the film fragment. fundamentally suggests the difference in the exchange of metric, musical and tonal montages. That makes a difference with the relationship blends pace, thoughts and feelings to incite the sought impact from the gathering of people. Overtonal montage is not an editing technique but rather emerges through the dialectical process of the projection of the film. In the Odessa steps arrangement for the edit as given earlier , the result of the slaughter ought to be the shock and hazardous for the gathering of people. Shots that accentuate the misuse of the armed forces for the mind-boggling power and finally the abuse of the residents that leads to the convey the message in an effective manner . 

Montage in Bollywood Movies:

While Indian cinema drew significant inspiration from Russian filmmaking techniques, particularly in the 1950s, the adoption of montage was less widespread. This can be attributed, in part, to technical limitations and budgetary constraints. Montage requires the setup and resetting of multiple cameras, filming from various angles, and then meticulously assembling the resulting footage. With Indian filmmakers working under limitations of raw film stock and heavy, cumbersome cameras, employing such techniques posed a significant challenge. Consequently, the instances where montage was successfully implemented stood out as exceptional achievements.

"Darr" (1993):

The first one that springs to mind is the Darr trailer. Which Aditya Chopra cut together and shocked people by how very different it was from what they were used to seeing. It’s not one formal sequence edited together as is the Odessa Steps scene, but rather an entire film shown in quick flashes, kinetically pulled together.

“Rang De Basanti" (2006):

The montage juxtaposing scenes of historical freedom fighters with contemporary youth emphasizes the parallels between their struggles for freedom, using intellectual montage to convey the message of social responsibility and patriotism.

"Requiem for a Dream" (2000):

This montage in Requiem For A Dream shows the organized yet chaotic impact of the metric/intellectual montage. Each shot is given nine frames and a distinct sound effect. The montage demonstrates drug taking’s disorientating effect.

"Rocky" (1976):

This rhythmic montage in Rocky is the epitome of a training montage. The montage condenses Rocky’s training into a short musical montage, which briefly summarizes his training and progression. Rocky's unwavering determination and his deep connection with the people of Philadelphia are powerfully conveyed through this montage. This montage is an embodiment of triumph, evoking an almost irresistible sense of victory in the viewer. It exemplifies the ability of a rhythmic montage to viscerally convey the very essence of the experience it portrays.

Conclusion:

Montage is an important part of filmmaking. The art of film editing is incomplete without montage theory and practice, and montage theory itself is undergoing continuous refinement. By adhering to the principles of montage and maximizing its impact in films, we can showcase its significance and achieve a seamless integration of editing and montage. This synergy will lead to the advancement of montage theory, propelling it closer to perfection with each passing day. 

Montage emphasizes the significance of the rationalistic juxtaposition of shots to create a film's meaning, placing greater emphasis on the relationship between shots rather than the script. In contrast, continuity editing focuses on spatial continuity, bridging gaps between scenes and maintaining temporal consistency within the narrative. While montage may employ these elements as well, it is not bound by them and may

 intentionally disrupt spatial continuity to achieve specific effects.

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Refrences:

“Happy Sergei Eisenstein Day! Best Montages in Hindi Film.” dontcallitbollywood, 22 January 2018, https://dontcallitbollywood.com/2018/01/22/happy-sergei-eisenstein-day-best-montages-in-hindi-film/. Accessed 27 November 2023.

Industrial Scripts. “15 Brilliant Montage Examples for Screenwriters and Filmmakers.” Industrial Scripts, 20 July 2020, https://industrialscripts.com/montage-examples/. Accessed 27 November 2023.

Kalaji, Diana. “Film Studies: A Critical Approach to the Literature of this Century.” Chapman Blogs, 5 January 2016, https://blogs.chapman.edu/dodge/2016/01/05/film-studies-a-critical-approach-to-the-literature-of-this-century/. Accessed 27 November 2023.

Li, Xiaoshu. “Research on the Montage Technique in The Film and Television.” Atlantis Press, https://www.atlantis-press.com/article/12598.pdf. Accessed 27 November 2023.