Lev Kuleshov was a Soviet film theorist and director who developed the theory of montage, which is the editing and juxtaposing of film shots to imply meanings and tell a story. He conducted the famous Kuleshov Effect experiment to demonstrate how montage can manipulate audience perception. Sergei Eisenstein expanded on Kuleshov's theories of montage, identifying five types: metric, rhythmic, tonal, overtonal/associational, and intellectual/ideological. Montage uses editing techniques to condense time and meaning in a film through rhythmic pacing and juxtaposing of images or ideas.

1. Montage
Prepared by
Ms Rijitha R
MA, M.Phil (Comm), SET
Assistant Professor, PG Department of EM

2. Lev Vladimirovich Kuleshov
• Lev Vladimirovich Kuleshov, (born Jan. 1 [Jan. 13, New Style], 1899,
Russia—died March 29, 1970, Moscow), Soviet film theorist and director
who taught that structuring a film by montage (the cutting and editing of
film and the juxtaposing of the images) was the most important aspect of
filmmaking.
• Kuleshov also trained actors and directors at the Kuleshov Workshop, which
had been formed in 1920. After being officially censured in 1935 for
emphasizing the technical composition of films rather than their social
content, he produced no major films.
• His major theoretical works are Art of the Cinema (1929), Practice of Film
Direction (1935), and Fundamentals of Film Direction (1941).

3. Kuleshov Effect
• The primary principle of the montage style was invented by Lev Kuleshov in 1918 is bringing the shots that
do not have any relation but makes a connection by what comes before and after the shot. This effect is called
as “Kuleshov Effect” which was the initial stage of evolution of montage.
• This effect can be better explained with an example from Kuleshov experiment where he juxtaposes shots
from several films and edit it into a sequence that narrates its own story.

4. Kuleshov Effect

5. Kuleshov Effect- Explained

6. Sergei Eisenstein
• Sergei Eisenstein, in full Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein, also
spelled Sergey Mikhaylovich Eisenstein, (born January 22, 1898,
Riga, Latvia, Russian Empire—died February 11, 1948, Moscow, Russia.
• Russian film director and theorist whose work includes the three film
classics Battleship Potemkin (1925), Alexander Nevsky (1938), and Ivan the
Terrible (released in two parts, 1944 and 1958).
• In his concept of film montage, images, perhaps independent of the “main”
action, are presented for maximum psychological impact.

7. Montage
• Montage is a word that came into the English language in the 1920s.
• The pioneer of the montage was Sergei Eisenstein, a Soviet film director active in the the 1920s through
World War II. Eisenstein mostly used the montage to convey an idea, though today, montages are often used
to signify the passage of time. The word montage is derived from the Old French word monter, meaning
to get on top of or to mount.
• By definition, a montage is "a single pictorial composition made by juxtaposing or superimposing many
pictures or designs.

8. Montage- Definition
• Montage is a technique in film editing in which a series of short shots are edited into a
sequence to condense space, time, and information. The term has been used in various
contexts. It was introduced to cinema primarily by Sergei Eisenstein
• The word ‘montage’is rooted in the French language as a term to describe the connection
of individual pieces
• Eisenstein who was also making his own experiments exceeded “Kuleshov Effect” giving
out montage which is also called “Soviet Montage”. ‘Montage’ means bringing the
conflicting images/shots together that gives a unique contrast leaving a shock and
anticipation for the audience. Eisenstein believed that more the conflicting the shots are
the more it is intellectual leaving its audience in shock which also stirs their inner
emotions.

9. Types of Montage
• According to prominent Soviet director Sergei Eisenstein, there are
five different types within Soviet Montage Theory:
1. Metric,
2. Rhythmic,
3. Tonal,
4. Over tonal or Associational and
5. Intellectual or Ideological.

10. Metric Montage
• It is a simple montage style where the long scenes are shortened to a length called
as ‘absolute length’ of the shots without affecting the essence of the original story
or its emotion.
• This type of montage is used to create a suspense and tension which is usually fast
paced and has abrupt cuts that doesn’t have continuity but makes sense of the
complete length of the shot.
• Where the editing follows a specific number of frames, this is based purely on the
physical nature of time, cutting to the next shot no matter what is happening
within the image. The reason for this is to get an emotional reaction from the
audience.

11. Metric Montage- Example

12. Rhythmic Montage
• The practice of cutting according to the content of the shots, or continuity editing. This is
the most commonly used form of montage. Each shot’s length derives from the specifics
of the piece and from its planned length according to the structure of the sequence. The
cutting happens for the sake of continuity. This creates visual continuity but it may also
be used in order to keep with the pace of the film.
• In contrast to metric montage, this style of montage focuses on the rhythm of the action
taken place which is equal to the actual length of the shot. This type eliminates the
abruptness and the unexpected jump from one shot to other. The best example of
rhythmic montage is “Odessa steps” from Sergei Eisenstein’s “Battleship Potemkin”, a
Russian classic. The relationship made with soldiers marching down the steps towards the
protesters. Each step taken forward shows the emotions of the group of protestors who are
trying to flee from the soldiers pouring bullets.

13. Rhythmic Montage- Example

14. Tonal Montage
• A tonal montage uses the emotional meaning of the shots. Not just manipulating the temporal
length of the cuts or its rhythmical characteristics. Tonal montages rely less on the timing of the cut
and more on the representation of each shot.
• Instead, it’s a combination of both metric and rhythmic montage to highlight any emotional
themes that may be present at that particular point of time in your story. These shots can be
matched by both video and aural characteristics.
• For example if the heroine of the film commits suicide after a huge emotional imbalance it is shown with
drifting piece of cloth in the air that reaches the hero while he tries to reach. The drifting piece of the
cloth conveys the message of the fallen heroine. Such type of scenes brings in emotional quality to film.

15. Tonal Montage- Example

16. Overtonal or Associational Montage
• The simultaneous use of all the three above montages in a combination forms the overtonal
montage creating conflict between the shots.
• Each element from each type of montage is derived and established into helping induce an effect
from the audience. The audience should feel emotionally connected in some form.
• That interplay mixes pace, ideas and emotions to induce the desired effect from the audience.
• In the Odessa steps sequence, the outcome of the massacre should be the outrage of the audience.
Shots that emphasis the abuse of the army’s overwhelming power and the exploitation of the
citizens powerlessness punctuate the message.

17. Overtonal Montage - Example

18. Intellectual or Ideological Montage
• The practice of cutting according to the shot’s relationship to an intellectual concept.
• Uses a combination of shots from outside the film in order to create a meaning.
Intellectual montages move from the scene to analogies of what that scene represents. It’s
completely OK and in fact nearly required that footage from completely outside the scene
is mixed in to hit the audience at an emotional level.
• A good example of this would be the scene from Apocalypse Now where Kurtz is being
assassinated. They mix in shots of a water buffalo being slaughtered.

19. Intellectual Montage- Example

20. Examples

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