Lev Koulechov is a Cinéaste and Russian theorist (January 1st 1899 with Tambov - March 30th 1970 with Moscow).
As from 1920, Koulechov directs the school of cinema of Moscow, VGIK, where it creates a laboratory which tries out the Montage in an almost scientific way. Example: it takes an old film of the time tsarist and chooses a close-up on the rather inexpressive face of the main actor, whom it draws in three specimens. It then joins with each one of them another plan. In the first case, there is the plan of a table on which is posed a soup bowl; the questioned spectators affirm whereas one sees in the eyes of the character that it is hungry. In the second case, one joins with the close-up of the face the plan of a corpse with ground; the spectators affirm whereas one sees in the eyes of the actor a great sadness. In the third case, one joins the plan of a nude woman; the spectators affirm finally that one sees in the glance of the actor a great excitation. In addition, all the spectators are of agreement to recognize the undeniable talent of the actor. With this experiment, Koulechov shows that an isolated plan does not have any direction, it takes significance only with its environment, with what follows or precedes it. Indeed, the spectator always tries to establish a logical bond between two plans which follow one another and which do not have a direct link inevitably. The spectator cannot prevent himself from establishing links, it is a ceaseless narrator. It is thus possible to reverse the direction, and to make in kind guide the spectator in his bonds which it establishes. The assembly makes it possible to influence the reflection of the spectator. The scenario writer can aim certain effects, there are reflection on the assembly, and either improvisation as with Dziga Vertov.
However its significance by the assembly is to be relativized. It shows as in the pictorial constructivism that all is construction. He affirms in June 1923 in the review LEF (re-examined artistic avant-garde) " Do not copy from the yeux". Thus he does not seek the visible reality of his own eyes but a political reality (inscription in the context of the cinema of " propagande" with the relativized direction, not diabolized of means of action on the conscience of the masses). He proposes 2 types of assemblies thus:
- the assembly reflex which influences the feelings, the emotional one. It is an assembly of plan included/understood in the logical course of the action but producing an effect of reflex at the spectator.
- the assembly of attractions which will cause the appearance of an idea, to play with intellect. One attends a going beyond of the logical course of the action by a collision of two plans of different nature.
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