Carriage Trade1973

"Sonbert’s magnum opus, Carriage Trade, is not only his longest work but also an expansive, explosive announcement of the new and nimble editing style that would occupy him for the rest of his life. One of the most breathtaking travelogues ever made, incorporating footage from journeys through Europe, Africa, Asia, and the United States, this dazzling masterpiece allows viewers to make multifaceted connections between each of the individual shots, creating a liberating generosity of spirit." —Wexner Center for the Arts at Ohio State University

About Carriage Trade

Warren Sonbert considered Carriage Trade (1973) his “magnum opus.” In this film, Sonbert interweaves footage taken from his journeys throughout Europe, Africa, Asia, and the United States, together with shots he removed from the camera originals of a number of his earlier films.

"A 16mm, 60-minute, 6-year compilation of travels, home movies, documents, shown silent. Not strictly involved with plot or morality but rather the language of film as regards [to] time, composition, cutting, light, distance, tension of backgrounds to foregrounds, what you see and what you don’t." —Warren Sonbert

Carriage Trade was an evolving work-in-progress, and this 61-minute version is the definitive form in which Sonbert realized the film.

“With Carriage Trade, Sonbert began to challenge the theories espoused by the great Soviet filmmakers of the 1920s; he particularly disliked the ‘knee-jerk’ reaction produced by Eisenstein montage. In both lectures and writings about his own style of editing, Sonbert described Carriage Trade as ‘a jig-saw puzzle of postcards to produce varied displaced effects.’ This approach, according to Sonbert, ultimately affords the viewer multi-faceted readings of the connections between shots through the spectator's assimilation of ‘the changing relations of the movement of objects, the gestures of figures, familiar worldwide icons, rituals and reactions, rhythm, spacing and density of images.’” —Jon Gartenberg

The 75-minute version of Carriage Trade is also available for rental from the Film-Makers' Cooperative as a 16mm print.

To purchase Carriage Trade for institutional use, please contact sales@gartenbergmedia.com.