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Eisenstein's Glass House and Cinématisme: Architecture, Cinema, and the Parody of Capitalism

publication · 2026-04-23

Les Presses du réel has released two new volumes in the 'Fabula' collection authored by Soviet director Sergei Eisenstein: 'Cinématisme' and 'Glass House'. Edited by François Albera, 'Cinématisme' gathers Eisenstein's writings on arts beyond cinema, positing that film enhances artistic comprehension, exemplified by Bernini's Baldachin as a 'montage sequence'. Meanwhile, 'Glass House' originated from a trip to Berlin in 1926 and was further developed in the U.S. starting in spring 1930, offering a critique of capitalist society and exposing the 'farce' of American capitalism. Eisenstein’s notes, spanning from January 1927 to May 1946, depict a transparent skyscraper symbolizing 'solitude in permanent exposure to others'. Dork Zabunyan's commentary links both texts, emphasizing the viewer's involvement in architectural montage. This publication encourages a deeper investigation into Eisenstein's incomplete project, hinting at the future of expanded cinema.

Key facts

  • Publication by Les Presses du réel in the 'Fabula' collection.
  • Two volumes: 'Cinématisme' and 'Glass House' by Sergei Eisenstein.
  • Edited by François Albera.
  • 'Cinématisme' includes texts on architecture, painting, sculpture, literature, and 'Dramaturgie de la forme filmique'.
  • Eisenstein compares Bernini's Baldachin to a montage sequence.
  • Acropolis of Athens described as a perfect model of an ancient film.
  • 'Glass House' is an unrealized project for a transparent skyscraper.
  • Conceived during a 1926 trip to Berlin.
  • Developed during Eisenstein's stay in the US from spring 1930.
  • Glass house intended as a satirical critique of capitalist society.
  • Eisenstein's notes span from January 1927 to May 1946.
  • Project defined as an 'American film' in his journal.
  • Dork Zabunyan provides analysis linking the two volumes.
  • Spectator's mobile position in architectural montage discussed.
  • Eisenstein references Auguste Choisy's 'Histoire de l'Architecture'.

Entities

Artists

  • Sergei Eisenstein
  • François Albera
  • Dork Zabunyan
  • Auguste Choisy
  • Gian Lorenzo Bernini
  • Rainer Maria Rilke
  • Auguste Rodin
  • Jacques Tati

Institutions

  • Les Presses du réel
  • Fabula

Locations

  • Berlin
  • Germany
  • United States
  • Athens
  • Greece

Sources