The Cinematographic Principle and The Ideogram

Japanese cinema is unaware of montage but montage is a basic element of the culture (the hieroglyph). This is montage because it is combining shots that are depictive, single in meaning, neutral in content- into intellectual context and series. I found this article interesting in the way that Eisenstein used hieroglyphics and elements of Japanese culture to show how they represent montage because Japanese cinema itself is absent of montage and cinematography.

Eisenstein explains hieroglyphics here: “The picture for water and the picture of an eye signifies ‘to weep’ the picture of an ear nearing the drawing of a dog= ‘to listen’ (128).” He calls this montage because it mimics what is done in the cinema- combining of shots that are depictive into intellectual contexts and series.

Like we learned in class, there are different definitions for montage and different ways at looking at the term as it relates to cinema. In this article, we see montage as an idea that arises from the collision of independent shots- shots even opposite to one another. I really like the idea he had of saying montage is an “unrolling of an idea with a series of single shots.” This gives the multiple points of view and shots a purpose to keep a steady tempo while getting the point and meaning across to the spectator. It also creates drama.