"Manhatta" is a 10-minute documentary from 1921 (looks older though), so not too long anymore until the 100th anniversary of this one. Looking at the year, nobody should be surprised that this is a silent black-and-white movie. The two men who made it are Charles Sheeler and Paul Strand, the former never made another film and Strand was also not exactly too prolific in the years before or after this film, probably his most famous. The reason why it is somewhat known is that it got included in the National Film Registry. I must say I did not find it an interesting watch. No narrator, but the images also do not really speak for themselves. Maybe you need to be from Manhattan to appreciate this one or have a special connection to the Big Apple. Neither applies to me. That's why I do not recommend the watch.
The above is my original review from spring 2016 for this documentary short film and now in 2024 I gave this another watch and by now it is of course over 100 years old. Overall, I agree with what I wrote back then and also still stand with my rating od two stars out of five. Just a few more thought. To illustrate how old this film is, it can be said that only slightly over a decade had passed since the Titanic tragedy, that World War had been over for not even five years and that World War II was still almost two decades away. What caught my attention here is that the film opens by showing us the words written on the screen that it was photographed by Sheeler and Strand, both in their 30s at that point, and not shot or filmed, which is very fitting because the two were photographers and one of them also a successful painter, but film had not evolved back then to a level where people actually carried the job description "filmmaker". Also, in the first five minutes there are way more people seen on screen here than in the second half. Towards the end, there is a brief scene in which we see people from high up in the air, but in the first half there were way more humans on camera here. Also, not from really close, so it is impossible to identify your potential relatives from back in the day. The second half mostly focuses on technology then and all kinds of achievements from industrialization. All about steam and ships. So, the Titanic was clearly still on everybody's mind. Steaming liberty, you could say in reference to a certain statue, but I would rather say "steaming freedom" in reference to a certain television show I really like. Anyway, as I stated back then, this is maybe a good watch for New Yorkers, especially those who live in Manhatta(n) or frequently are in the area. Everybody else is not missing a lot here if they decide to skip the outcome because you also do not see a lot in terms of touristic sights. That is all.
The above is my original review from spring 2016 for this documentary short film and now in 2024 I gave this another watch and by now it is of course over 100 years old. Overall, I agree with what I wrote back then and also still stand with my rating od two stars out of five. Just a few more thought. To illustrate how old this film is, it can be said that only slightly over a decade had passed since the Titanic tragedy, that World War had been over for not even five years and that World War II was still almost two decades away. What caught my attention here is that the film opens by showing us the words written on the screen that it was photographed by Sheeler and Strand, both in their 30s at that point, and not shot or filmed, which is very fitting because the two were photographers and one of them also a successful painter, but film had not evolved back then to a level where people actually carried the job description "filmmaker". Also, in the first five minutes there are way more people seen on screen here than in the second half. Towards the end, there is a brief scene in which we see people from high up in the air, but in the first half there were way more humans on camera here. Also, not from really close, so it is impossible to identify your potential relatives from back in the day. The second half mostly focuses on technology then and all kinds of achievements from industrialization. All about steam and ships. So, the Titanic was clearly still on everybody's mind. Steaming liberty, you could say in reference to a certain statue, but I would rather say "steaming freedom" in reference to a certain television show I really like. Anyway, as I stated back then, this is maybe a good watch for New Yorkers, especially those who live in Manhatta(n) or frequently are in the area. Everybody else is not missing a lot here if they decide to skip the outcome because you also do not see a lot in terms of touristic sights. That is all.