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46 PLAN FOR CINEMA
own magnificent Storm over Asia, and Eisenstein's October, two films which represent the pinnacle of achievement in silent cinema and nearly, in spite of themselves, jjcale the dizzy heights and become works of art. The theory has exercised enormous influence in filmproducing countries, particularly in America, and been applied very often with quite dazzling misappropriateness to the dialogue film of to-day. This is the theory the avant-garde critics seized upon and made their very own, and about which they have never ceased talking. The arrival of sound, at once making it partly invalid, had no effect on them.
They became, these critics, saturated and bowled over by montage. ^)
In view of their earnestness and obvious sincerity, it is exceedingly surprising no one saw the opportunist nature of montage built films. Their whole purpose, from the point of view of the Government financing them, was propaganda. Marxist doctrine was to be directed with clear childish emphasis at a vast peasant population. A cinematic technique was required which would batter at the simple eye-sense of ignoramuses. A theme perpetually the same — Marxism — and stories of the utmost simplicity. Explicitness was the be-all, a standing order. A continual glorification of the victorious revolution. Revolution implies action, and action (implying movement) is the key to the montage theory.
Its outstanding feature is crudity, despite all possibilities of simile and metaphor, because it is so
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