Film technique and film acting : the cinema writings of V. I. Pudovkin (1954)

Record Details:

Title:
Film technique and film acting : the cinema writings of V. I. Pudovkin
Date:
1954
Publisher:
London : Vision Press Limited
Volume:
Film technique and film acting : the cinema writings of V. I. Pudovkin
Leaf #:
00076
Language:
English
Collection:
Books
Format:
Books
Contributor:
Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum
Sponsor:
Media History Digital Library
Coordinator:
Media History Digital Library
Description:
Date Added:
March 21, 2024
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52 PUDOVKIN one). The great significance was realised of the fact that from a single negative can be printed many positives, and that by this means a reel of film can be multiplied like a book, and spread broadcast in many copies.28 Great possibilities began to open themselves out. No longer was the film regarded as a mere novelty. The first experiments in recording serious and significant material appeared. The relationship with the Theatre could not, however, yet be dissolved, and it is easy to understand how, once again, the first steps of the film producer consisted in attempts to carry plays over on to celluloid. It seemed at that time to be especially interesting to endow the theatrical performance — the work of the actor, whose art had hitherto been but transitory, and real only in the moment of perception by the spectator — with the quality of duration. The film remained, as before, but living photography. Art did not enter into the work of him who made it. He only photographed the " art of the actor." Of a peculiar method for the film actor, of peculiar and special properties of the film or of technique in shooting the picture for the director, there could as yet be no suspicion. How, then, did the film director of that time work ? At his disposal was a scenario, exactly resembling the play written for the Theatre by the playwright ; only the words of the characters were missing, and these, as far as possible, were replaced by dumb show, and sometimes by long-winded titles. The director played the