The quest for unity

The Russian Constructivists of the 1920s based their principles on the Communist ideals, which had just arisen in the government at the time. There was the view that this new industrial, modern era was a breach between “two worlds.” The previous world was one of religion and traditions inherited from generation to generation, allowing no room for innovation nor freedom of thought. They presumed that the new world, in contrast, would release mankind into his fullest potential by destroying the fragmentation caused by labor classes, and unifying all activities and lifestyles under the theme of production for the equal benefit of society. Vertov’s “The Man with a Movie Camera” is a powerful tool in expressing this vision. The rhythm of the labor force corresponds to the rhythm of a musical masterpiece, as if the unity of all different fields and activities, with each individual playing their part, could create something like a symphony of production. The fact that all the shots are unscripted is important because of Vertov’s desire to bring out truth through cinema. The film shows all aspects of life, from a girl getting ready in the morning, to the fast-paced hands of those working in a factory, to the travel time between home and work. This goes along with unifying the domestic life with the labor force.

We all know that Communism didn’t work. But it definitely recognized and tried to mend a disconnect that is present today in American society. I was talking with some people the other night about the way our lives are so fragmented with various activities that many of us don’t have a place we can call home or a people we can call family. We may know the people we live with, but we don’t share life together, and we honestly don’t need each other to take care of ourselves; we dare not be dependent on others. We go from living space to school where we all have different schedules and personal agendas that don’t match up. We go from there to organizations or extracurricular events where we are so focused on getting our business done that we fail to truly know the people there on an intimate level. Is there any group we can truly call family? Is there any purpose that we truly pursue with others in unity? Within a single day, there is so much fragmentation within what we are accomplishing and who we are spending our time with that it can be confusing at the end of the day, thinking it over. There is definitely a need for unity within our lifestyles and equality of vision with fellow people.