Source: DailyMotion
During the summer of 2019 I completed a short film for the final project in my Sight and Sound Filmmaking course at NYU. The projects needed to be in black and white, but could incorporate sound if we wanted. Inspired by the magnificence of the city of Manhattan, much like Walt Whitman was, I thought it would be both fun and rewarding to give back to the city that housed me for six weeks by making a modern re-imagining of the 1921 film, Manhatta, created by artists Paul Strand and Charles Sheeler. During the research portion of a final project in the spring of this year, I discovered Strand and Sheeler’s film when looking to isolate the relationship between Film and Poetry over the past 100 years. Their film, Manhatta, titled after Walt Whitman’s poem, “Mannahatta,” is often considered the first American avant-garde film through its lack of linear narrative and a focus on a series of vignettes bolstered by the eloquent and triumphant poetry Whitman wrote about his childhood home. The film showcases a day within the city of Manhattan, starting with civilians coming over from Staten Island on the ferry followed by the hustle and bustle within the city from the people to the subways and trains that inhabit it. With shots of the city from high vantage points to showcasing the majesty of the Brooklyn Bridge with intertitles from the work of Walt Whitman caste the city as one of beauty and spectacle. This film was an inspiration to me for a number of reasons, and with the looming thought that this final project could be the last time I make a film in the city that never sleeps, I knew I had to recreate it in a modern setting.
Going into the production of this project, I knew I wanted to try and replicate the same shots that Sheeler and Strand did, while also putting my own touch on the film. For example, in order to recreate their film, I needed to capture similar shots of the ferry coming into the city as they did. Luckily, after being in contact with the administrative staff of the Staten Island Ferry, I was given a permit to film for a few hours and get the shots I needed. Standing at the front of the ferry while it approached the city was a memory I won’t soon forget and I felt as if I was walking in the same footsteps as Strand and Sheeler. Alongside the need to replicate the shots of the ferry, I also needed to gain access to high vantage points to get angles of the city that show off its enormity like they did. Like many moments in this filmmaking process, I was again lucky enough to have a group member with access to a rooftop patio that gave me the exact angles I needed. Getting these shots and the shots of the Brooklyn Bridge were my favorite moments in making this film.
Although I needed to replicate and re-imagine many of the shots that the original film had, I also wanted to put my own creative spin on the project as well as depict what would be considered “modern” in comparison to their world of 1921. In one of the film’s intertitles, Whitman writes, “This world all spanned with iron rails,” from his poem, “Song of the Exposition”. In the original film, Strand and Sheeler depict a railroad yard with trains exhaling smoke. In my film, though, even though we still use trains today, I thought it would be better to depict a series of cars crossing the Manhattan Bridge because cars are our main form of transportation and the “iron rails” that span the world we live in today. Finally, the one element to this project that I wanted to be entirely my own is the final scene. In the original film, after Whitman’s words from “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry” are shown, Strand and Sheeler show the sun setting over the Hudson River. As beautiful as this shot was, I feel as if it misrepresents the purpose of their film, showcasing the magnificence of the city of Manhattan. Therefore, I decided it would be better to film the sun setting over the skyline of the city. The final image of my film is a silhouette of the city captured in Central Park as the sun sets over it. To me, this ending comes full circle with the shots of the ferry entering the city at the beginning and more accurately captures the words of Walt Whitman and the beauty of the city.
Great reflection on this video–it was a pleasure to discuss it in class with everyone. You do a good job of explaining what is so cutting-edge about the film here. They were experimenting with words and images just as Whitman was experimenting with words and images–this makes their Whitmanian gesture so fitting. Great overview!
I have always enjoyed watching your films, but this one really makes me appreciate your talent. I feel like you put yourself in Whitman’s shoes in order to create the best outcome in honor of him. You give a visual connection between Whitman and the modern world in an entertaining way. Very cool!
I remember when you showed me the first cut of this short to me over the summer. I was, and still am, completely blown away by how close you imitated Sheeler and Strand while maintaining your own style and flair with the piece. I also love how in the piece you adapted to the modern Manhattan setting. It’s interesting to see your piece and the original side by side and how they both reflect the timeless words of Whitman.
I’m so glad you were able to share this video with us! Like I said in class, I didn’t know it was your video while I was watching it, and I was in awe with how similar it was to the original video. Your video had so many tones of nostalgia of the past, but also hope for the future. The music that goes along with it is very fitting for the long shots and to give us who are not used to silent films a little something to listen to. I also love your reflection here because you mentioned that the view from the front of the ferry is something you’ll never forget. Perhaps you would have had that same experience if Whitman had never written all that he wrote, but I think it is beautiful that you have a great memory because of Whitman, and that it was on the ferry looking at the same view as him.