Manhatta. 1921. Directed and photographed by Paul Strand and Charles Sheeler.

(4/30/00)

This is a beautifully photographed portrait of the modern industrial city. It is very positive and shows the modern metropolis as majestic in grand, broad views. On the other hand, views of the city from the surrounding waters and views of those waters and the sky bring in the presence of nature. Nature is also treated with respect and the man-made city is presented in harmony with it.

The human presence is reduced to views of masses of people. But this is a panoramic view of a city, not a portrait of the people in it and taken as that it is an inspiring film.

Interspersed with the photographed scenes are titles which appear to be taken from a poem. I can't tell if these lines were written expresly for this film or are from an already-written poem. They may seem a bit old-fashioned today, but I think that they add to the beauty of this film. I can't help thinking that Manhatta must have made quite an impression on audiences of its time who lived far away from a big city.