A montage is, perhaps, like poetry. An assemblage of smaller, symbolic meanings that tell a bigger tale. Often found in cinema to illustrate a point, an epiphany, the passage of time or even a myriad of erratic images to stun the audience. A montage can consist of juxtaposed, overlapped, simultaneous or even disintegrated shots depending on the narrative of the film. The craft of weaving a story and highlighting certain plot points to make a certain impression, through image and sound, is not as straightforward and easy as it seems on a flat screen. Delving into cinema we can find countless examples of montages that imply different meanings under different cinematic contexts.
In Pride & Prejudice (2005) dir. Joe Wright, a montage ensues of Elizabeth Bennet on the swing in her backyard, this occurs in direct consequence to her beloved friend Charlotte Lucas’s abrupt marriage to her cousin Mr. Collins and the spat that puts their friendship in jeopardy. The montage also known as the ‘swing scene’ finds a reticent Lizzie turning about in the swing as the seasons change, the sunlight mellows and the rain intensifies, signifying the changing landscape of not just her surroundings outside but of her heart within.
The ability to tie in a disconcerting moment in the heroine’s personal life to the larger plot of the movie without making it seem out of place, is what makes the swing montage so crucial and well placed. In classical Hollywood tropes a montage is often dramatic and replete with flair and sound effects to make a larger than life plot, often suffused with exaggerated voice overs or music, it is part of a glamorous charm that is peculiar to American cinema.
In a contemporary example, we can deconstruct a montage from The Great Gatsby (2013) dir. Baz Luhrmann, the montage where Jay Gatsby takes Daisy to explore his wonderful house where he lives alone, the sheer luxury and glamor of his life as he takes Daisy and a bedazzled Nick Carraway across his lifestyle, champagne on a yacht, big ballrooms, delectable food, fine clothing, all as he yearns for the one thing he truly desires, Daisy. The montage depicts the American Dream in its most alluring, larger than life form, unparalleled material wealth and social status, yet the protagonist feels hollow because he lacks love in his life which cannot be replaced by his wealth.
Historically, montages are rooted in Soviet history with the obvious influence of Kuleshov, Einstein and Pudovkin who incorporated editing techniques that heavily affected filmmaking and socio-political expression through cinema in Russia circa 1920s. In Bollywood, montages are often incorporated into songs which are an inseparable part of Indian cinematic tradition and play a fundamental role in storytelling. Similarly, cinematic techniques have been found, explored and employed within cinema to suit the cultural and traditional narratives of the time. It will be interesting to witness the evolution of montage as a technique in an increasingly hyper digital era where thirty second videos and edits are already the norm and insanely popular with the masses on various platforms.
-Ananya Nair
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