Manhatta (1921)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Genre:

Documentary | Short

Plot:

Morning reveals New York harbour, the wharves, the Brooklyn Bridge. A ferry boat docks, disgorging its huddled mass...

Plot Keywords:

Skyscraper | Bridge | Ocean Liner | Ferry | Tugboat

Awards:

1 win

Also Known As:

Mannahatta (USA) (alternative spelling)
New York the Magnificent (USA)

Runtime:

11 min

Country:

USA

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Silent

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Trivia:

The poet whose works are quoted during the film is Walt Whitman.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Secret Life of Sergei Eisenstein (1987)

We're fortunate to have this film

Instead of having a filmmaker attempting to be painterly, this poetic gem boasts both a major painter (Sheeler) and a major photographer (Strand) collaborating.

This is the earliest view of Manhattan we have that is neither simple-minded documentation nor backdrop to melodrama. The visuals are striking, and stand up well to later, more gimmicky, film realizations of what makes Skyscraper National Park so special.

The Walt Whitman title cards would probably have worked better as voiceover narration in the sound era, but offer a strong romantic framework for the powerful imagery. A classic, not to be missed.