Going into our last screening, I found myself with high expectations for Man with a Movie Camera, most likely due to the planted seed from the last German 060 class calling this movie their favorite. In the first few minutes, I grew slightly confused as to why anyone would prefer this film to something full of twisting plot like Dr. Caligari. But then I was drawn in by the music and the beauty of the mundane being filmed.

Yes, the music definitely played a role in how much I enjoyed the film, as it does with so many. I love orchestrations and big bands, the music of the era of the movie. It fit so well with all that was going on, not in a way that seemed planned necessarily (for instance, there weren't many points where things were obviously in sync with the music), but one that just seemed natural. I thought it really enhanced the whole film experience

I also thought the film's focus on women and their activities was really interesting. In a time when women were just beginning to gain rights and independence, for a man-made film to recognize such things is really intriguing. We talked about how the filmmaker often showed the outside or the surface of things before going inside their workings. Perhaps one of his points in showing all of the women doing everyday things was to show how vital a role they do play in keeping things together or making things work?

Seeing the man with the movie camera appear throughout the film was also really cool. I thought it was a subtle way to tie the movie back to being theatrical; as the beginning credits said, it was to be without a plotted story, but seeing periodically the man with the movie camera kept the raw pieces strung together.