“Language relates more to film and painting than language” (Sergei Eisenstein). During 1917’s Russian Revolution, filmmaking was dominated by a small number of people. It was a time when young people were keen to make a revolution in style, form, and theme. Russian cinema before the revolution was slow-paced and dark, with bravura performances given by stars. Russia’s young filmmakers were influenced heavily by American cinema. They were inspired by American cinema that featured continuity editing, extrovert and athletic performances in Westerns and comedies. Russian filmmakers tried to make a different kind of filmmaking tool. Vladimir Lenin is the founder of the revolution. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was established in October 1917. Narkompros controlled the Soviet movie industry. In 1919, Narkompros established the first State Film School. Lev Kuleshov joined State Film School in 1919 and started workshops. Kuleshov attempted to establish principles for editing that were based on the emerging Hollywood style. Kuleshov experimented with editing and developed the core idea of the Montage style and theory. The core of Soviet Montage style lay in editing. The spectator should be stimulated by the cuts. Montage cutting is often used to create overlapping and elliptical temporal relationships. Kuleshov’s workshops have a long history. They were called Kuleshov’s Group. Pudovkin studied under Kuleshov. Eisenstein was an apprentice for three months. Kuleshov influenced Eisenstein for a lifetime. Kuleshov served as a mentor, sometimes as a rival, and later as a close friend. In America, the legendary Alfred Hitchcock called it “pure Cinema” decades after the fact. The montage can give rise to meanings that cannot be seen with the naked eye, but only within the mind. This “Kuleshov Effect” is a mix of montage and perception that creates meaning.
Sergei Eisenstein, 26 years old, made Strike, his first major feature film. It was made in 1925. After seeing Griffith’s Intolerance, he was inspired by the film to make films. Sergei Eisenstein believed that Montage was the collision between elements. He said that shots should not be considered linked but instead as being in conflict with each other. When the elements are in conflict, the audience can create new concepts. Continuity editing is a revolutionary technique. However, Soviet filmmakers Vsevolod Pudovkin & Kuleshov brought editing to an entirely new level.
Eisenstein’s film montage theory and films were the catalysts for modern cinema history. His Soviet filmmaking innovations helped to usher in the modern age for film editing and movie making. Soviet Montage is revolutionizing the filmmaking process. It allows filmmakers to explore psychological effects of different arrangements, durations, and shots. Instead of being bound to chronological order, it lets them examine the psychological effects.
