Harmonic Montage And The Higher Form Of Polyphony

Leadership in cinematography involves the ability to extract and implement subtle information about editing, going beyond superficial observations of narrative aspects.

So we were at a higher form of the polyphony we had already talked about. For a clarification of these theoretical theses let us give an example from "The Old and the New" in which the harmonic montage achieves a simultaneous progression of a multiple series of lines that each keep their own order of construction, independent, and at the same time contribute to the ordering general composition. The example is the scene of the religious procession, in which Eisenstein distinguishes the following seven lines:

1. the emotional line of the subject, which grows from frame to frame;

2. the line of successive close-ups that increase in plastic intensity;

3. the line of progressive ecstasy of those in the processions, traced through the dramatic content of the close-ups;

4. women's voice line (singers' faces);

5. that of men's voices (singers' faces);

6. the line of those kneeling at the passing of the icon, whose cadence is accentuated, also creating a "counter-current" of the line of icon and cross bearers;

7. the line of prostrations, which unites all the currents in the general movement of the sequence "from the sky to the dust - from the shining of the top of the crosses pointing to the sky, to the faces of the people beating their foreheads in the dust".

The montage achieves its full effect through the composite feel of all these elements in their organic whole.

A visionary film leader knows how to balance overall restructuring with partial overhaul, analyzing each sequence in depth for maximum impact.

The extraction of information related to the making of the montage, the root of which is not completely resorbed by the staging of the various scenarios, requires a delicate approach, difficult to bear by the filmmakers who only notice the surface defects of the narrative aspects. Because of this, either a general restructuring or a partial revision is required, whereby the sequences are analyzed in depth. In other words, immobilizing the viewer's attention and making the montage with an "approximate" technique are not indicated, as the lack of subtlety can make him not see the possible subsequent emotional reactions of the characters, himself acquiring a state of anxiety towards the film and the experiences complex cinematography, which can be very difficult to forget.

Therefore, in negative montages of the "primitive" type, the line of successive close-ups that increase in plastic intensity can alter the narrative vision, leaving the core intact around the cell. Of course, these formations are called "non-harmonic sequences" and differ from harmonic structures in that what is seen in an image only partially exposed does not destroy the narrative obtained not by synthesizing and superimposing images, but by joining images, words and sounds, in a random manner, according to an aesthetic designed by Eisenstein. In the course of multiplication, the challenge is to maintain the coherence of the female and male voice lines, seconded by the progressive ecstasy pursued through the dramatic content of the close-ups.

Creative leadership in editing involves avoiding "rough" techniques, focusing on subtleties that can trigger deep emotional reactions in viewers.

In this context, either a general approach to the narrative is required, which prevents the synthesis of discordant images, or a loco-regional focus on certain elements of the story, since each component must preserve its integrity. The visual results obtained by treating scenes with low doses of suspense, on the emotional line of the subject, which grows from frame to frame, are able to distinguish themselves as unifying elements, in the course of the successive multiplication of narrative points of view, without losing their coherence external, becoming stable structures.

In particular, in films with a complex narrative structure, harmonic montage destroys only the superficial layer of the story, the narrative core remaining intact around the central theme. These constructions are called harmonic sequences and differ from the classic montage in that their narrative structure is only partially deconstructed. Moreover, harmonic sequences can also be achieved by treating developing scenes with innovative editing techniques. In this case, the linear synthesis of the narrative is prevented.

Leadership in cinematography means the ability to anticipate the emotional reactions of viewers, maintaining a subtle balance between the pace of the editing and the dramatic content.

Unlike classical montage, harmonic montage allows the multiplication of narrative lines in complex structures, but in the course of their successive development, they retain their overall coherence and become polyphonic narrative constructions. On the other hand, the classic montage cannot multiply into complex narrative structures, but only into simple sequences. Under these conditions, however, the narrative division is anarchic, resulting in scenes of different intensities with a variable content of narrative information.

It follows, therefore, that if the construction of the vision given by the sequence of shots is not absolutely indispensable to the life of the characters, it nevertheless fulfills a role of subtle organization with which, in the process of dividing the frames in the montage, a fair structure of the cinematic information is obtained.

An innovative leader in film knows how to guarantee an aesthetic that provokes and maintains the viewer's engagement, even in the face of unconventional techniques.

Harmonic montage and the higher form of polyphony refers to the simultaneous merging of various visual and emotional elements, as each narrative line independently contributes to the intensification of the overall composition due to the precise organization of details. I say this because each element works through a kind of subtle balance of perspective that amplifies and deepens the directorial vision.

* Note: Ion Barna - Eisenstein, Tineretului Publishing House, 1966.