The Role and Basic Aspects of ‘‘the Montage of Attractions’’ in Russian Cinema

Abstract

The essay is devoted to the application of the concept of «the
Montage of Attractions» in Russian cinema in different time periods. The
relevance of the essay is determined by the need to explore the influence of the
Russian avant-garde on the world artistic process. In the opinion of the author,
the key concept of the avant-garde film thought of the 1920s, the theory of «the
Montage of Attractions», deserves a separate independent study.
Considering "the Montage of Attractions" from a historical perspective, the
author analyzes various trends in Soviet cinema. Starting from the basic idea of
Sergei Eisenstein, the author pays special attention to the use of «the Montage of
Attractions» in the work of Mikhail Romm and Aleksandr Mitta.
The article looks at the main features of the actualization of «the Montage
of Attractions» at different stages of the development of Russian cinema. In the
1920s, the attraction was perceived as an aggressive element exposing the viewer
to ideological influence. In the 1960s, the «Montage of Attractions» meant the
reception of a contrast connection between the semantic parts of the film. In the
1970s, the principle of attraction was the basis for the plotting of genre films.
Summarizing the information obtained, the author comes to the conclusion
about the universal nature of the theory of «the Montage of Attractions» and
introduces her definition of an attraction. The essay also lists such basic aspects
of the attraction as conflict, suggestiveness, universality.