Vertical vs. Horizontal Agitation

classification of propagandistic editing strategies within Soviet Montage. 'Vertical Agitation' (Eisenstein, Pudovkin) is a top-down approach that uses powerful, emotionally overwhelming montage to impose a clear, unambiguous ideological conclusion on the spectator. 'Horizontal Agitation' (Vertov) is a more peer-to-peer approach that aims to stimulate the viewer's own thinking and analysis, reorganizing their consciousness by presenting phenomena in new, often abstract, juxtapositions.