Because the use of film in motion picture storytelling technology had replaced live performance, an unprecedented new mobility was afforded filmmakers in the creation of their narratives. Although constructed sets are still frequently used, existing architectural features can now be captured and used to manipulate mood and create atmosphere. The stories of the characters can now also be the stories of the cities in which the films are shot.
An early film to take advantage of this new freedom is Dziga Vertov’s The Man with the Movie Camera. Synthesizing footage taken in Moscow, Riga and Kiev, and set during the industrial revolution, the film portrays the progression of a single day in a Soviet metropolis. Countless places within the cities are used as settings within the documentary-style film: from a barber shop and beauty salon to assembly lines and train tracks. We see individuals walking to and from work, flooding the streets, and we follow others in cars and trams. Vertov purposefully films even the filming process, encouraging the audience to consider the method of creating the film, and setting choices, acknowledging the subjectivity of the editing process. His editing is quick in style, flipping between scenes speedily, showing the viewer many different city sights in rapid succession, but always with emphasis put on those shots which show evidence of the increasing mechanization of modern society. In the end, Vertov creates a compelling collage of city life in the Soviet Union. The audience is left with a vision of the metropolis as a great being with many facets that come together to make it a living, breathing entity of progress.
Wim Wenders’ Lisbon Story takes a more leisurely approach to the presentation of its title city. In contrast to the fast moving Man with the Movie Camera, Lisbon seems to linger lovingly on the various shots of its squares, streets and vistas. Although the plot has us following the movements of the protagonist and sound-man, Philip, as he searches for clues pertaining to the whereabouts of his missing friend and filmmaker, Fritz, the real story can be found in the intense exploration of the sights and sounds of Portugal’s capital. Soundscape plays a large role in establishing the character of Lisbon in this film, both fleshing out the visual landscape by providing depth in sound, and focusing the viewer on specifics within a scene by highlighting the noises made by those aspects (for instance, pigeons pecking in a public square laundry being hung out to dry). In this way, the audience in brought into the experience of the city themselves, even in so far as being treated to the music of a traditional Portuguese band, immersed in the culture and surroundings of Lisbon. The purpose of this film is twofold and contradictory: Wenders attempts both to use film to objectively portray the experience of a city, while also conveying that a city can never really be accurately portrayed by this medium as it is, by nature, fragmented and subjective. The end result: the viewer is left with a romanticized portrait of Lisbon and a desire to experience the city for themselves (a fitting impression, as Wenders was originally commissioned to create a promotional documentary for the city).
Paris Je T’aime uses a different strategy than the above films to explore its setting. 22 directors created 18 arrondissements that take place in a variety of different Paris neighbourhoods; all deal with one overarching theme: love. Rather than trying to objectively reveal the characteristics of the city, Paris instead focuses on the activities of its inhabitants and visitors. Though the narrative focus remains on their diverse relationships, the setting is just as important as these characters. The city is used as a constant backdrop, a unifying element that brings together all the pieces of the collage. Thus the viewer is simultaneously presented with cross-sections of the Parisian population and of its various districts. In each of the directors various stories, set against backgrounds featuring the Eiffel tower, Tuileries Metro Station, Lachaise Cemetery and many other French landmarks, characters experience different forms of love. Each reveals some challenge or difficulty, and in each case the relationship evolves to overcome it. In the end, the audience is left with warm, optimistic feelings about their current relationships and those still to come, and those positive emotions extend to their perception of the city as well. Paris Je T’aime is truly a remarkable story, successful in celebrating the legendary ‘city of love’.