Depth of field is not just a stock in the trade of the camera man like the use of a series of filters or such-and-such style of lighting, it is a capital gain in the field of direction--a dialectical step forward in the history of film language. (Bazin 35)
The importance of depth of focus and the fixed camera [...] springs from a reluctance to frGment things arbitrarily and a desire instead to show an image that is uniformly understandable and that compels the spectator to make his or her own choice. (Bazin 92)
Bazin sees deep focus as superior as it gives back the viewer the responsibility to find meaning and effect in the scene rather than force feeding it to him with montage. Montage stems from the need to manipulate the viewer. Deep focus, rafter, stems from a desire to present to the same viewer in hopes he or she will interpret for themselves.