film week two

Film- strike

Strike (Stachka), directed by Sergei Eisenstein, is a Soviet silent film that depicts a 1903 factory workers’ strike in pre-revolutionary Russia. The film follows the growing unrest among factory workers, triggered by poor working conditions and oppression from factory owners. As the strike progresses, tensions escalate between the workers and authorities, culminating in brutal state repression. The film ends with a violent massacre, symbolizing the systemic oppression of the proletariat under capitalism.

Film Techniques and Formalist Film Theory

Eisenstein, a key figure in Formalist film theory, rejected realism in favor of expressive, stylized techniques that emphasized the film’s ideological message. Key techniques in Strike include:

• Montage Editing: Eisenstein’s use of dialectical montage—the juxtaposition of contrasting images—creates meaning through collision rather than continuity. For example, he intercuts footage of workers being slaughtered with images of a cow being butchered, reinforcing the brutality of the capitalist system.

• Expressive Cinematography: The film employs exaggerated angles, extreme close-ups, and distorted perspectives to heighten emotional intensity and highlight class struggle.

• Symbolism and Metaphor: The film frequently uses symbolic imagery, such as machinery representing capitalist oppression and animals illustrating the exploitation of workers.

• Nonlinear Storytelling: Rather than following a single protagonist, Strike presents a collective struggle, aligning with Soviet ideology that emphasizes the masses over individual heroes.

Connection to Russian Montage Theory

Strike exemplifies Eisenstein’s intellectual montage, where meaning arises from the clash of images rather than through traditional narrative continuity. This technique aligns with Soviet Montage Theory, which argues that editing constructs meaning by forcing viewers to actively interpret the juxtaposed shots. Key theorists like Lev Kuleshov and Dziga Vertov also contributed to this idea, with Kuleshov’s effect demonstrating how audiences derive meaning from sequential images rather than isolated shots.

Other Film Theory Concepts

• Marxist Film Theory: The film reflects Marxist ideology by portraying workers as oppressed and capitalists as exploiters, reinforcing class consciousness and the need for revolution.

• Soviet Formalism vs. Realism: Unlike classical Hollywood realism, which aims for seamless continuity, Strike disrupts traditional storytelling to provoke thought and emotion.

• Brechtian Alienation Effect: Similar to Bertolt Brecht’s theatrical techniques, Eisenstein’s montage distances viewers from passive emotional engagement, urging them to critically analyze the film’s political message.

Conclusion

Strike is a seminal example of Soviet formalist filmmaking and montage theory, using radical editing and symbolic imagery to convey its revolutionary message. Eisenstein’s experimental techniques continue to influence filmmakers, demonstrating how cinema can serve as both an artistic and ideological tool.

Optional reading --

The Master’s Debut: Strike 

The article discusses Sergei Eisenstein’s Strike (Stachka, 1924) as an experimental and bold debut film, laying the foundation for his later works. Initially part of a planned seven-part series on class struggle, Strike was the only segment completed, focusing on a factory strike that escalates into violent suppression.

Film as a Revolutionary Experiment

• Strike was not only a political statement but also an experiment in mass cinema, marking Eisenstein’s shift from theater to film.

• The film’s production involved the Proletkult theater troupe, but Eisenstein’s avant-garde approach clashed with their conservatism.

• It introduced Eisenstein’s long-term collaborator, Eduard Tisse, who played a crucial role in cinematographic innovations, including the use of light reflectors that were later perfected in Battleship Potemkin (1925).

Connection to Film Theory

• Montage Theory: The film is filled with montage of attractions—a technique where a series of shocking, symbolic, or contrasting images create an emotional and intellectual response.

• Kuleshov Effect: Eisenstein and Kuleshov worked at the same studio, both influenced by Griffith’s Intolerance (1916) and the idea of shaping audience perception through editing.

• Symbolism & Visual Contrast: The film features circus-like "attractions," light-dark contrasts, extreme close-ups, and unconventional visual techniques, such as scenes of spying intercut with cinematic tricks like mattes and irises.

• Dialectical Montage: The film’s climax—juxtaposing a violent crackdown on workers with real footage of a slaughterhouse—exemplifies Eisenstein’s intellectual montage. However, he noted that working-class audiences reacted less strongly than the artistic elite, suggesting different levels of cinematic literacy.

Impact and Legacy

Strike was an early example of Soviet Formalism but also foreshadowed tensions between avant-garde cinema and state-controlled filmmaking. By the late 1920s, Eisenstein, like Kuleshov, found that his radical experiments were at odds with the Soviet push for accessible "movies for the millions."

In essence, Strike was a politically charged and technically groundbreaking film that set the stage for Eisenstein’s later masterpieces while illustrating the power—and limitations—of early Soviet montage theory.

Stike has multimodal appaoch as it has auadio,the musicv decrivbes the films mood.

 uses the art of monatge , creating meaning by cutting from sjhot to shot.

 the shock and awe of being a spectator.

Juxstapostion for metaphorical use such as the kiiling of the cow to the sluaghter ofd the strikers. Or the animal codenames.

Based in reality on the events on the ship potemkin

To sum up, Eisenstein simply wanted a film to get things done like a machine, but he didn’t want this machine to be made out of any old parts, some engineered on the spot, others bought at a junk yard, all held together in whatever fashion seemed to work. And so he reached for nature, for the organic in which all parts are interrelated in a self-sustaining system.

Andrew, J. Dudley, and J. Dudley Andrew. The Major Film Theories : An Introduction, Oxford University Press, Incorporated, 1976. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/monash/detail.action?docID=4928770.

Could be imnterprqatefd as propoganda, to sway the awadiance towards marxism

Also could be shown as art, a picrture of ther real world through a filmakers lens

Reinforcesmarxiwst culture

There have been two major periods of prolific formative theory. The first came between 1920 and 1935 when an entire intellectual class became conscious that cinema (especially silent cinema) was not merely a sociological phenomenon of extraordinary importance, but a powerful art form with the same kinds of rights and responsibilities as any other art form.

Andrew, J. Dudley, and J. Dudley Andrew. The Major Film Theories : An Introduction, Oxford University Press, Incorporated, 1976. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/monash/detail.action?docID=4928770.

Formalist film theory focuses on the artistic and stylistic aspects of filmmaking, emphasizing how a film’s form (editing, cinematography, mise-en-scène, sound, etc.) shapes meaning rather than simply reflecting reality. It contrasts with realist film theory, which prioritizes capturing the world as it is.

Key Concepts in Formalist Film Theory

1. Montage & Editing – Editing is central to creating meaning. Soviet filmmakers like Sergei Eisenstein developed dialectical montage, where juxtaposed shots create intellectual and emotional responses.

2. Stylistic Manipulation – Formalists believe that elements like lighting, camera angles, and visual effects distort or heighten reality to serve artistic and ideological goals.

3. Symbolism & Abstraction – Films do not need to imitate reality; instead, they can be symbolic or exaggerated to enhance emotional impact.

4. Artificiality Over Realism – Formalists often favor staged performances, stylized sets, and expressive cinematography rather than naturalistic storytelling.

5. Audience Perception & Emotional Response – The way images are constructed affects how audiences think and feel, making film a manipulative rather than a passive medium.

Examples of Formalist Film Theory in Practice

• Soviet Montage Cinema (Strike, Battleship Potemkin) – Using rapid cuts and juxtaposition to create political and emotional effects.

Much more then a picture of society, but creating meanintg through techniques

Formalist Film Theory and Eisenstein’s Strike (1925)

Formalist film theory prioritizes style, technique, and artistic manipulation over mere representation of reality. Unlike realism, which aims to capture life as naturally as possible, formalism emphasizes how the form of a film (editing, cinematography, mise-en-scène, sound, etc.) creates meaning.

J. Dudley Andrew (1976) notes that formalism emerged between 1920 and 1935, a period when intellectuals began recognizing film as both an art form and a tool for ideological persuasion (The Major Film Theories, pp. 42-76). Soviet filmmakers, particularly Sergei Eisenstein, played a crucial role in developing this theory through montage, a method of constructing meaning by juxtaposing images in a way that generates intellectual and emotional effects.

Key Formalist Techniques in Strike

1. Montage as Meaning-Making

Eisenstein’s use of montage in Strike follows his theory of dialectical montage, where the collision of images produces new ideas beyond the sum of their parts.

• Editing as a Political and Emotional Tool: Strike does not follow conventional continuity editing but instead constructs meaning through associative cuts.

• Juxtaposition for Symbolism: The infamous slaughterhouse sequence, intercutting the police massacre of striking workers with the killing of a cow, forces viewers to see the brutality of oppression in a metaphorical way.

• Shock and Awe of Spectatorship: By rapidly cutting between extreme close-ups, dynamic angles, and fragmented shots, Eisenstein immerses the audience in a heightened emotional state.

Andrew (1976) highlights how montage was a revolutionary technique, used not just for narrative progression but for ideological persuasion, particularly within Soviet cinema (The Major Film Theories, p. 53).

2. Multimodal Approach: Sound and Visual Style

While Strike is a silent film, it employs visual rhythm and implied sound to convey mood.

• Music as Emotional Guide: The film was later accompanied by a score that intensifies its mood, reinforcing the emotional weight of each scene.

• Dynamic Camera Work: Eisenstein and cinematographer Eduard Tisse experimented with angles, lighting contrasts, and reflective surfaces to create an immersive visual experience.

• Theatrical Influence: Eisenstein’s background in Proletkult theater influenced his use of exaggerated performances, stylized gestures, and symbolic mise-en-scène.

3. Political Symbolism and Propaganda

Strike functions as both art and propaganda, reinforcing Marxist ideology while also being a visually expressive work.

• Reinforcing Marxist Culture: The film aligns with Leninist ideals, portraying the working class as heroic and the bourgeoisie as cruel and oppressive.

• Animal Metaphors and Codenames: The factory owners and police are given animalistic nicknames, dehumanizing them while reinforcing the Marxist critique of capitalism.

• Cinema as an Engine for Change: Eisenstein saw film as a machine that gets things done—not merely depicting society, but actively shaping political consciousness.

Andrew (1976) explains that formalist cinema was not just about visual style, but about structuring films in a way that manipulates audience perception (The Major Film Theories, p. 67). Eisenstein believed that montage could be used as a tool for ideological conditioning, ensuring that the working class absorbed revolutionary messages through the structure of the film itself.

4. A Film That Moves Beyond Reality

While Strike is inspired by real events (similar to Battleship Potemkin), Eisenstein does not strive for documentary-like realism. Instead, he:

• Exaggerates contrasts between workers and factory owners.

• Uses symbolic imagery rather than direct historical accuracy.

• Prefers abstraction over realism, showing ideas rather than just events.

Andrew (1976) points out that formalist cinema does not simply reflect reality—it constructs a new reality through filmic techniques (The Major Film Theories, p. 75).

Conclusion: Strike as a Formalist Masterpiece

Eisenstein’s Strike is more than just a depiction of society—it is an ideological machine, creating meaning through montage, visual style, and political symbolism. It aligns with formalist film theory, which emphasizes film’s artistic and manipulative potential rather than mere representation of reality.

As Andrew (1976) explains, formalism emerged as a conscious artistic movement, recognizing cinema as a powerful tool with its own aesthetic and political responsibilities (The Major Film Theories, pp. 42-76). Strike exemplifies this approach, making it a landmark in both film history and Marxist cinema.

Lecture --

formalist tradition was ushered in by Georges Méliès. 

• Realist filmmakers include Italian Neorealist filmmakers like Vittorio de Sica, Roberto Rossellini, Luchino Visconti. Nowadays this tradition is alive in the work of British director Ken Loach, Belgium filmmakers the Dardenne Brothers and some masters of Romanian and Iranian cinema.

• Filmmakers like Fritz Lang and Sergei Eisenstein were pioneers of formalist approach, while later on Stanley Kubrick, David Lynch, Darren Aronofsky, Wes Anderson and many other continued to experiment with formalist techniques.

• This week we move on to discuss formalist theory of film, which is introduced in the first part of the lecture.  

Think about formalist filmmakers you might know. Write down some of their film titles. What do they use formalist approach for? Do they want to entertain and distract the audiences with fantastical, other worldly imagery? Do they want to unleash imagination and explore alternative ways of seeing and being in the world? Do they want to mobilise their filmmaking for political aims? 

In the next part of the lecture we'll look at how formalist theory can be aligned with political agenda and transformative aims. 

In the lecture I mentioned different types of montage introduced by Sergei Eisenstein.

Watch this audio-visual essay to see  historical and contemporary examples of different types of montage.

montage types 

Formalist Film Theory Overview

Definition and Terminology

The term "formalist" in film studies often refers to the structural characteristics of screen texts. Key elements include:

• Mise-en-scène: Sets, costumes, and props.

• Cinematography: Lighting, colors, camera angles and movements.

• Editing: Lengths of shots and transitions.

• Sound: All auditory components that contribute to a film's overall experience.

An alternative term, formative, may better capture the filmmakers' intentions, emphasizing how film media alters our understanding of reality.

Formalist vs. Formative Film Theory

• Formalist Film Theory: Centers on the structure and style of film language.

• Formative Film Theory: Focuses on the function and effects of film on audiences’ perceptions. It places importance on film form as a transformative art form, rather than mere reproduction of reality. Cinema serves both symbolic and aesthetic functions, pushing viewers to engage with reality in new ways.

Historical Context and Key Scholars

Early Development

This theory emerged before realism in film theory. Influential scholars include:

• Hugo Munsterberg: An early formal theorist focusing on psychological parallels in film, such as how close-ups garner audience attention. Munsterberg proposed that cinema mimics human cognitive processes like memory through techniques such as flashbacks and flash-forwards. He defined cinema as an art of subjectivity, emphasizing the artistic transformation of reality through emotional engagement with viewers' psychological experiences.

• Rudolf Arnheim: A perceptual psychologist who integrated Gestalt psychology principles into film analysis. Arnheim advocated that true art begins when film transforms reality rather than merely copying it. He believed that films engage the audience's cognitive processes, using their psychological responses to shapes, colors, and movement to create meaning and evoke emotions.

• Kristin Thompson: A neoformalist scholar who revitalized formalist principles in contemporary film theory. Thompson emphasizes how films guide attention to narrative elements and defamiliarize common objects or concepts, prompting viewers to reevaluate their perceptions.

Gestalt Psychology in Film Theory

Gestalt psychology emphasizes patterns and configurations in perception rather than isolated parts. Important concepts include:

• Figure-ground relationships: How viewers distinguish objects from their backgrounds, which is crucial in cinematography and composition.

• Completeness and continuity in visual processing: The notion that viewers perceive images as wholes rather than sums of parts, linking to how narrative arcs are interpreted over time.

Arnheim extended Gestalt principles to expressiveness in form; for instance, shapes tend to evoke emotions (e.g., a triangle implies stability and tension while a circle suggests harmony and unity).

Critiques of Formalist and Neoformalist Theories

Critiques argue that formalist approaches may overlook:

• Broader cultural, ideological, and institutional contexts.

• Concerns of social issues surrounding the film industry.

Some critiques highlight a neglect of psychological and cultural interpretations that could reveal deeper societal values and conflicts.

Conclusion: Importance of Formalist Theory

Despite critiques, formalist theory remains pivotal in film analysis. It provides essential tools for understanding the mechanics of film language and its impact on audiences, encouraging deeper engagement with the psychological effects of cinematic elements on viewers' perception and emotional responses.