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5. THE ROLE OF THE CAMERA-MAN IN THE WESTERN CINEMA
OF TO-DAY
The invention of sound film has effected a decisive change both in the European nd in the American cinema industry. From the creative aspect, the first sound ilms were hopelessly reactionary, a return to the worst days of Pathe and Gaumont. hirlesque singers, operetta duets, comic dialogue and dances — such were the ubjects of these first sound films. In its incipient stage the sound film com)letely abolished the artistic culture of the camera-man which had been created luring the preceding period. Shut up together with the director in a soundproof box, deprived of the possibility of moving the camera, deprived even of he controlling right to ' turn ' (for the camera was set in motion by a motor), he camera-man completely renounced the artistic creative factor from his work, n fact, he yielded place to radio technique and the sound recordist, who was jiven complete charge of the process of shooting. The attraction of the sound ilm at first led to a general opinion that the camera-man was no longer needed it all. His artistic functions were handed over to the technician sound recordist, md the results of this attitude to the creation of an artistic work were immediately jeen in the quality of the production. A complicated technique took predominance over the creative tendencies, and the camera-man found himself compelled :o learn the shooting process all over again.
The invention of a sound-proof ' blimp ' completely surrounding the camera partially liberated the camera-man. He again entered the studio with his camera, md attempted, on the basis of the more complicated technique, to find new forms bf compositional construction for the sound-film shot.
Meantime, in the European cinema fundamental changes were taking place in connection with the conquest of the European cinema market by American capital. After a stubborn struggle, German cinematography, which had previously occupied the leading position, was forced to yield pride of place to the Americans. As far back as the appearance on the European screen of Griffith's I Intolerance", which first revealed the possibilities of the cinema when armed with all the potentialities of technique, Germany had been putting forth every effort to retain for herself the monopoly in European countries.
As a kind of patriotic and commercial revenge on the aggressive tendencies of the Americans, the Germans produced the film " Nibelungs ", which temporarily restored a certain equilibrium. But with the release of " Ben Hur " and a number of other strong subjects, America finally confirmed her supremacy. The expenditure incurred on the production and advertisement of the film " Metropolis ", on
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