Start Over

Close Up (Mar-Dec 1932)

Page scan 000301 from Close Up

Record Details:

Title:
Close Up
Date:
Mar-Dec 1932
Publisher:
[London, etc., Pool]
Volume:
Close up ... devoted to the art of films
Leaf #:
000301
Language:
English
Subjects:
motion pictures, Motion pictures -- Periodicals
Collection:
Switzerland, Early Cinema, and Global Cinema
Format:
Periodicals
Contributor:
Library of Congress, MBRS, Moving Image Section
Sponsor:
Library of Congress, Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division
Coordinator:
Media History Digital Library
Description:
As an active film magazine, CLOSE UP lasted only a short time, from 1927 to 1933. Yet the legacy of this English-language periodical, which was published in Switzerland, continues to matter. Edited by Bryher and her husband Kenneth Macpherson, CLOSE UP became THE magazine for energetic debates about the nature of cinema and manifestos imagining new forms of filmmaking and spectatorship. The magazine published articles by filmmakers, such as Sergei Eisenstein, and female literary modernists, such as H.D. and Gertrude Stein. As film scholar Anne Friedberg explains in the anthology CLOSE-UP, 1927-1933: CINEMA & MODERNISM, 'CLOSE UP became the model for a certain type of writing about film -- writing that was theoretically astute, politically incisive, critical of films that were simply 'entertainment.' For six and a half years, CLOSE UP maintained a forum for a broad variety of ideas about the cinema; it never advocated a single direction of development, but rather posed alternatives to existing modes of production, consumption, and film style.' Like Friedberg's own writing, CLOSE UP continues to be essential reading for anyone interested in the history of film and media theory. -- Eric Hoyt, 2014
Date Added:
June 20, 2024
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CLOSE UP 283 audience is made up of a sprinkling" of society witli die inevitable writers of the gossip columns. Such is a typical Film Society audience, and from such a rare gathering Dziga Vertov and his Enthusiasm awaited their verdict. Let us be truthful and make it quite clear from the outset that, although at times highly complicated and technically interesting, this picture set no new standard in film production. It was a disappointment to those who had hoped that the addition of sound effects would prove to be the missing link in Vertov's visual patterns. Lack of space prevents me from discussing" this picture at length, but it is interesting, for a moment, to consider the criticisms of some well-known people in the Cinema World. Mr, Asquith made the brief comment that Enthusiasm had neither shape nor rhythm, but admitted that it contained some lovely shots which, however, were not used properly. This, as a criticism, is, of course, rather vague, for it is a well-known fact that there is hardly a film, however common-place, that does not contain some lovely shots, which are also not used properly. Dziga Vertov's own views were almost as involved as his film, and he voiced his opinion on the following lines : — " ENTHUSIASM IS. FIRST AND FOREMOST, THE FIRST FORWARD STEP OF THE CAMERA-EYE FROM THE OPTIC-CAPTURE OF THE VISIBLE WORLD, TO THE OPTIC-TONAL-CAPTURE OF THE VISIBLE AND AUDIBLE WORLD. IT IS THE ICE-BREAKER-IN-CHIEF FOR THE SOUND-NEWS-FILM." I do not wish to comment on his explanation, but at the time it struck me that, though quite impressive in sound and print, his words contained nothing tangible in reality, and therefore, to my mind, unpleasantly resembled some of the commercial clap-trap voiced by a mediocre pressagent. Far more to the point was the film critic of The Times, who spoke of " brilliantly successful propaganda " I understand the word propaganda has been highly misused in England with regard to the Soviet film, but it strikes me, that in the case of Enthusiasm the word was correctly applied. Like several Soviet films of late the propaganda motive of Enthusiasm was stressed too much and consequently the film suffered artistically. Surely Alexander Room's Bed and Sofa should have proved sufficiently the futility of propagating an idea which runs contrary to the natural narrative of the film, and I, for one, am disappointed to see that " Sojuskino " has not taken the necessary steps to prevent a similar occurrence. I do not doubt that Enthusiasm is a sincere film, but a picture needs more than sincerity to be claimed a good film. Besides, from no standpoint did the film offer us anything new, either in the way of construction