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Jon Tichenor

SNDS-729Prof. David Stone

1-20-11

Thoughts on Eisensteins Montage Methods

Sergei Eisenstein asks in the opening to his essay on cinemas methods of montage if the

category of Overtonal montage is the pinnacle of all montages or simply a stepping-stone

for further exploits of the montage categories. It seems difficult to accept the former. At

the time this essay was written, in 1929, cinema was in its infancy and to accept the

notion that the montage sequences have been fully investigated at that point is premature,

to say the leastalthough to this day it is worthy of further investigation and continued

analyses. Eisenstein goes on to outline what he considers the formal categories of

montage of them there are fiveMetric Montage; Rhythmic Montage; Tonal Montage;

Overtonal Montage; and Intellectual Montage.

As a student of film sound, I am compelled to consider the possibilities of correlating

these categories into sound for film; how and if they can be translated to fit a film sound

vernacular, how sound in film can support these categories, and to search for examples to

support these ideas. Although, fully exploring this is beyond the breadth of this short

paper. I do, however, hope to do such an investigation throughout the quarter.1I intend to

use this paper as a prcis to the chapter by outlining Eisensteins montage concepts and

leave the linkage to film sound for the final.

1I am hoping to combine the three short papers due throughout the quarter as a precursor to the final paper,

in which I will attempt to accomplish this along with other concepts that arise.

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Eisenstein notes that the first four categories of montage are simply methods and do not

become constructions until they enter into relations of conflict with each other.2 He

goes on to write, within a scheme of mutual relations, echoing and conflicting with one

another, they move to a more and more strongly defined type of montage, each one

organically growing from the other.3He also defines and points to examples in his own

work of each of the montage categories.

Metric montage finds its roots in the construction of absolute lengths of the pieces.

[They] are joined together according to their lengths, in a formula-scheme corresponding

to a measure of music. Realization is in the repetition of these measures

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, according to

Eisenstein. Rhythmic montage expands on metric montage in that the content within the

frame is also considered in determining the length of the pieces. Tension is achieved here

through accelerating the speed of the pieces by shortening them not only by following the

original plan but also by violating it. The third category is tonal montage. It incorporates

the movement within the frame of the piece to encourage movement from frame to frame.

He claims that, emotive structure is applied to nonemotional material.5 Next comes

overtonal montage in Eisensteins list. This method is organically the furthest

development along the line of tonal montage,6in his opinion. This characteristic steps

up the impression from a melodically emotional coloring to a directly physiological

perception.7 Finally there is the intellectual montage. It is a montage not of generally

2Sergei Eistenstein, Methods of Montage, in Film Form: Essays in Film Theory, ed. Jay Leyda, 72-83

(Orlando, Florida: Harcourt Inc, 1977), 78.3

Ibid, 79.4

Ibid, 72.5

Ibid, 77.6

Ibid, 78.7

Ibid.

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physiological overtonal sounds, but of sounds and overtones of an intellectual sort: i.e.,

conflict-juxtaposition of accompanying intellectual affects.8

Eisensteins essay is interesting and thought provoking. His outlined methods of

montage are concise, to the point, and worthy of further investigation. Plus, the examples

he provides within his own work are detailed and precise. I look forward examining

them further and hope to find correlations with other theories, perhaps form some of my

own, and to find concrete examples with film sound.

Works Cited

Eistenstein, Sergei. "Methods of Montage." In Film Form: Essays in Film Theory, by

Sergei Eistenstein, edited by Jay Leyda, translated by Jay Leyda, 72-83. Orlando, Florida:Harcourt, Inc, 1977.

8Ibid, 82.