Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein is not only a great filmmaker
but also one of the first theorists of cinema, whose ideas have not lost their
significance to this day. Exploration of Eisenstein’s theoretical heritage reveals
the relevance of many of his propositions based both on the practical experience
of the director and on his theoretical conclusions and even insights.Such ideas
include, in particular, the concept of «audiovisual counterpoint» introduced
by Eisenstein in the famous manifesto «Budushchee zvukovoi fil'my. Zaiavka»
(«Statement on Sound») of 1928. In this manifesto, a number of provisions
expressed the authors' concern about the possible «non-cinematic» use of sound
in films, and at the same time, the future possibilities of sound in cinema. In
particular, it was argued that «only the counter-punctual use of sound in relation
to the visual editing piece gives new opportunities for montage development
and improvement». Subsequently, Eisenstein clarified or even revised some of
the points put forward in 1928. With the experience gained in the sound field
of filmmaking and the logical development of theoretical research, the idea
of audiovisual counterpoint as a cinematic method grows into the problem of
artistic imagery, and the contrasting of image and sound becomes part of the task
of creating polyphonic (polysemantic) audiovisual solutions in a motion picture.
The essay discusses the relevance of Eisenstein's ideas within contemporary
artistic and theoretical contexts.

The essay deals with the problems of new expressive means that
appeared in Soviet documentaries in the late 1950s — 1960s. It analyzes the main
expressive means of capturing the new screen reality on examples of Castles in
the Sand (dir. Yakov Bronstein and Algimantas Vidugiris), Katyusha (dir. Viktor
Lisakovich), Marina’s Life (dir. Leonid Kvinikhidze), Look at the Face (dir. Pavel
Kogan), and Nikolai Amosov (dir. Taimuraz Zoloev). Its main interests are plastic
solutions, the frame structure, the designation of the object of shooting and the
author's presence in the interframe space or inside the frame; changes in the
attitudes of the author and the protagonists, the author’s attention to personality,
and the expressiveness of human presence in the film.
The essay discusses the existential and philosophical components of the
documentary films of that period, as well as changes in the aesthetic and
ideological pictures of the world, which influenced the principle of capturing
reality and the concept of authenticity. Documentaries of the Thaw are viewed
via the formation of new canons of capturing screen reality, including new
capturing techniques (hidden camera, habitual camera, method of provocation),
principles of intraframe editing and new space-time frame characteristics.
The principles of intraframe editing, new spatial and temporal characteristics of
the frame are presented in the progressive analysis of assembly phrases and the
compositional structure of the frame of films. The author examines the principles
of the formation of the protagonists' characters, the positioning of a person
within the frame and the general stylistic paradigm of documentary genres.
Taking as examples film portraits, film essays and polemical films, the essay
explores novel means of forming spectator paradigms in the documentaries of
the Thaw within the context of the author’s attitude towards the selected material
and the protagonist.

The author states the achievement by virtual reality technology of a
certain stage of maturity. Virtual reality equipment as a means of film exhibition
not only determines our aesthetic experience but fundamentally changes film
language — the duration of a film and particular takes, their composition, the
specifics of inter-shot and intra-shot editing, etc. The essay explores the visual
system of VR cinema, a phenomenon which is gaining more and more spectator
popularity.
Defining the depth of immersiveness as the fundamental difference between
traditional and VR cinema, the author identifies aspects characteristic of the
latter — aspects determining its creative method. Among them is limited length
(the duration of a typical VR film rarely exceeds 15–20 minutes), a 360-degree
view, the representation of spherical space (for example, the viewer does not
see anything more than shown to him in the film), and interactivity, which
manifests itself in the spectator's freedom of to choose the area of focus and
borrows elements of gaming practices.
The essay analyzes typical mise en scènes and highlights the basic ones. The
most important aim of mise en scène along the first person axis is to give the
viewer an opportunity to feel in a different way, to look at the world with other
people's eyes. In passive mise en scène along the third person radius, where the
axis of movement is absent, the semantic center of is expressed not so clearly. This
type implies the viewer's aspiration to study the surrounding space. The third
type is active mise en scène along the third person radius, which corresponds to
the look of an active full participant in the shown events — instead of the look
of an abstract observer from the inside. The essay describes the mechanism of
synthesis of mise en scènes with the aim of obtaining a new artistic quality.
The author emphasizes such aspects of the artistic uniqueness of VR cinema
as expressive minimalism, minimization of the value of editing, and new
attitudes towards camera work. In conclusion, he describes the current state of
VR cinema and looks at the basic principles of the development of its artistic
uniqueness.

The parasocial relation is a reality of interaction of the communica-
tor, integrated into a complex media structure, and of his fans. The relationship
between them are regulated not by a mutuality of rights and obligations. The film
star as a communicator addresses a (de facto) anonymous audience. At the same
time the former’s message is received, pondered upon and mastered individually
which engenders the spectator’s impression of a face-to-face interaction. In the
capacity of a film star the given actor comes on as a good virtual acquaintance
for a large number of the audience, kindred to them in spirit, bringing out their
amicability, a desire to become actually acquainted. In pursuit of commercial
goals, the film industry purposefully constructs and utilizes this feature of an
actor. Fielding itself on the screen in a specific social role, the film star — thanks to
the fans’ parasocial relation to it — promotes for the mass consciousness behavior
patterns, norms and values of the given society that are embodied in it. The article
adduces sociological evidence for the transplantation — in the transit period of
the 1990s — into young Russians’ mass consciousness of values disseminated by
Western cinema. The film star also constitutes a factor of the competitiveness of
a given cinematography on a given spectator market. In this regard the Russian
cinema loses to Hollywood on its home market. As a sociological study has shown
(the city of Kirov, 2016), Russian-filmgoer rating of stars is headed by American
masters: Johnny Depp with 60% of the spectator «votes»; Leonardo Di Caprio —
58%; Anjelina Joli — 56%. The top three of Russian actors noticeably lag behind:
Sergey Bezrukov — 55%, Daniil Kozlovsky — 44%; Konstantin Khabensky — 43%.

One of the characteristics of films related to the “new sincerity”
trend is the priority use of the type expressiveness of the actor. The essay
compares between the methods of using the type expressiveness of an actor in
the artistic concepts of Lev Kuleshov and Sergei Eisenstein and in the films of
“new sincerity”.
Lev Kuleshov's concept of the “model” is characterized by emotionality
produced by posing instead of experiencing emotions corresponding to a
specific pose. In the films of “new sincerity” this emotionality is characteristic
of the protagonists and is interpreted as their inability to experience and reflect.
This complex mental state is typical of protagonists in the “new sincerity” films.
Such characteristic features of Sergei Eisenstein's “masks” as their static
character, negativity and actions and appearances conditioned by social status
are interpreted by “new sincerity” filmmakers as protagonists' problems,
their inability to be sincere with themselves and with others. Identification of
protagonists with their social “masks” threatens them with death.
On the visual level, the type expressiveness of actors is emphasized by long
plans, using a panoramic lens when shooting close-ups of faces; symbolism
in a costume. Often masks, dolls and mummers appear in the frame as signs
indicating a human individuality dying under a social mask.
The use of type expressiveness of the actor in the films of “new sincerity” is
explored in the essay as an example of the artists' striving for the authenticity of
screen reality, which results from the authenticity of the actor’s existence within
the frame and the “reflection” of the hero’s unconscious sphere characteristic of
“type”.

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.

The accelerated development, convergence and integration of
information and communication technologies open up great opportunities for
social actors to express themselves, motivating amateur artists to produce media
products. The essay discusses the principles of the functioning of "self-media", a
new type of media model in individual entrepreneurship which is developing in
China and analyzes its advantages and disadvantages in the testing of innovative
business models.
The essay explores the problem of the importance of screen communications
for civilizational development and their possible influence on the processes
of collective cognition, mentality and behavior patterns of social actors,
groups, communities and cultures. Screen communications demonstrate the
inextricability of the linking of the media and social systems which undergo
fluctuations (unstable fluctuations) in digital time at the stage of digital
reforming. The author notes that this development of a social system is most
often built not on collectively-consolidated but on individualized solutions
resorted to by people forced to rely on their own choices in difficult situations,
on their intuition and imagination.
Social actors master digital technologies and create various kinds of projects
that encourage the masses to acquire new knowledge. The “self-media” project
began to be implemented in China in 2010-2013 on the basis of the new WeChat
platform, both a social network and a messaging application. In a convergent-
integration form, a functional of differing target technology platforms was
implemented, providing typological signs of self-media. This attracted a large
number of consumers to media projects.
Self-media are based on the idea of learning new things - in other words,
a knowledge code (a set of signs / symbols and a system of certain rules that
define a process of cognition) which is implemented by the creators. Initially,
it is presented in the form of informative and historical texts, illustrations
and videos dedicated to art, a chosen topic complemented by the attributes of
material symbolic things and various kinds of organizational services. Materially
embodied ideas motivate the media consumer to replenish knowledge of the
unknown.

Intensive development of knowledge in the 20th century,
including the emergence of new sciences and humanities, constantly creates a
problematic situation in the sphere of art, shifting art’s designation to what in
the philosophy of science is known as “normal science”. This is associated with
the idea of art as a science that has reached a stage of maturity and consistency
and, therefore, complies with its norms. The concept of art as “normal science”
is characterized by a certain degree of conservatism, as it presupposes art’s self-
protection against deviations from the established methodology.
However, sometimes the artistic processes of modernity require different
approaches. In addition, the emergence of new humanities shifts the already
established methodology of art. This happened in the first decades of the
20th century, in the era of a linguistic turn in the humanities, indicating the
invasion of natural sciences in the humanities; and this is happening today, at
the turn of the 21st century, in a situation of a cultural turn, the emergence
and intensive development of the science of culture. The current turn requires
a deeper understanding of the structure and components of art history, i.e., its
sub-disciplines: art history, art theory and art criticism.
The essay argues that in the situation of cultural turn the theory of art can
carry out functions which the other two sub-disciplines cannot. It propounds
that art theory is able to make a decisive contribution to the elucidation of two
problems: the relationship between art and cultural studies and the problem
of historical time, which is important both for contemporary art and for art
history.

The author elaborates the idea of modern aesthetics that the
notion of “beautiful” is not a fundamental category of modern art and modern
philosophy of art. Under the direct influence of science and arts modern
philosophy has added to the categories such notions as probability, absurdity,
the mundane, the understanding etc. On the other hand a new understanding of
society and man prompted the introduction of such categories as lifeworld, fear,
solitariness, care, doubt, language games etc. It has become evident that many
categories are not only blurred but rather heterogeneous, thus the “system of
categories” is something to be referred to with considerable reservations.
The article proposes a preliminary definition and interpretation of the beautiful
and the main principles of the analysis of the beautiful. In the most general and
tentative terms the “beautiful” can be defined as something that complies with
the idea of beauty accepted in a given society or civilization. Ideas of beauty can
vary from culture to culture and from civilization to civilization. This is no to say
that certain, albeit few, objects cannot be considered beautiful throughout many
historical epochs. Standards of beauty as well as social standards in general,
do not refer to any object but only to certain types of objects. Consequently
“beautiful” is always “beautiful of a kind”. Beauty in general does not exist, there
are only beautiful objects of a definite kind.
The article maintains that there are at least three reasons why the “beautiful”
cannot be verbally defined. The first is methodological, the second is social and
the third is related to the peculiarities of the beautiful itself, primarily it sensual
nature. In the first place the degree of clarity of scientific notions depends on the
level of the development of science. The scientific study of arts is a never-ending
venture. And while it continues, its categories and in particular the category of
the beautiful will require clarification.

The philosophical and aesthetic ideas of phenomenology have been
present in cinema theory since the silent period. Methods of phenomenological
theory can be found in the analysis of the visual aspects of films or the artistic
style of their authors. The essay analyses signs of phenomenological thinking
in the audiovisual aspects of films - a little studied but significant area of
directorial aesthetics. Its theoretical and methodological foundation includes
the phenomenology of Edmund Husserl and elements of phenomenological
aesthetics in the works of Maurice Merleau-Ponty and Roman Ingarden. Taking
the work of a significant representative of auteur cinema, the Austrian director
Michael Haneke, the author explores cinematic variations of the concept of
phenomenological reduction, the method of “perfectly clear apprehension of
the essence” and the layered semantic structure of the film. Conclusions are
drawn about the presence of typological signs of phenomenological thinking
in the work of other filmmakers, such as Robert Bresson and Jean-Pierre and
Luc Dardenne. Visually, this presence is expressed in the tendency towards
asceticism and documentarism in the choice of artistic devices; towards the
disclosure of cinematic phenomena (“facts”); and aurally, in the tendency
to minimize off-screen music and get rid of the expressiveness in the actor's
speech, towards greater semantic significance of intra-frame music, individual
sounds, pauses and non-sounds.

Today, the name of the New Zealand filmmaker Peter Jackson is
known throughout the world. His films The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit
received many awards, were a major commercial success and conquered millions
of viewers' hearts, including the admirers of J. R. R. Tolkien, who followed
the screen adventures of their favorite literary characters with bated breath.
However, connoisseurs of cinema had closely followed the work of Jackson for
many years before the films' release, for his early films — above all, Heavenly
Creatures, based on a monstrous real crime — impressed by the complexity of
chosen topics and the outstanding directorial skills.
This essay analyzes Heavenly Creatures, exploring the reality of a terrible
murder in a sleepy, little New Zealand town — the murder which was largely
disclosed through explicit entries in the diary of one of the criminals; and which
became the basis for the film's plot. In no way justifying the criminals, Jackson,
however, makes it clear that the incident was also the fault of the adults who
did not see and did not want to see the difficult situation of their daughters.
To ban, to punish — such “educational” measures largely anticipated the tragic
ending: harmless fantasies turned into a tragedy. The action of the film could
take place in any town, and not only in New Zealand. The film's warning - don't
be indifferent to your children — was understood by all viewers, regardless of
their country.
The essay looks at how the film was made by an artist who knew how to
combine — and make this combination credible — art house and commercial
cinema, surrealism (and other aesthetics of shock) and hard realism.

The article is devoted to the history of the Russian film studies and
methodology of film history as science using the example of the Introduction
of History of the Soviet Film Art by Nikolai Iezuitov (1899–1941), one of the
founders of the national film studies. Since the manuscript of History of the Soviet
Film Art — the first history of the Soviet cinema — has not yet been published
and introduced into scholarly use, the author pays special attention to archival
sources.
Despite a number of essays and discussions about film history and its
methodology, a fundamental scholarly work on the historiography of the history
of Soviet and Russian cinema has not yet been written. The relevance and novelty
of the article is that it is based on the study of archival manuscripts of Nikolai
Iezuitov. The exploration of early approaches to the study of the history of the
Soviet cinema is important both historically and pedagogically.
One of the most important sources of the concept of film history at an early
stage of the national film studies is Iezuitov's Introduction to History of the Soviet
Film Art. The Introduction is valuable because: 1) it is a rare evidence of reflection
on the foundations of film history as scholarship and its methodology; 2) it is
given by the author of the first history of the Soviet cinema; 3) it is represented
by the author not as a separate “abstract” essay but as a part of the history itself.
The Introduction defines the scholarly tasks and content of film history;
overviews foreign books on the history of cinema; emphasizes specific periods
of Soviet film history; and indicates the principles of work with relevant sources.
Iezuitov’s main principles in relation to film history are established in
connection, firstly, with Soviet history scholarship; and secondly, with the vision
of film history as the history of film art. Thus, film history, according to Iezuitov,
is the unity of Marxist understanding of history and art-historical (stylistic)
analysis of films and the main film movements in Soviet cinema.