Film Studies: An Introduction

Description

An unpretentious guide for all those who want to learn to analyse, understand and evaluate films. Film Studies: An Introduction provides an overview of the key areas in film studies, including aesthetics, narrative, genre, documentary films and the secrets of film reviewing. From Hitchcock and Tarantino to Spielberg and Bigelow, you will gain a critical understanding of legendary directors and the techniques and skills that are used to achieve cinematic effects. Whether you are a film studies student or just a film buff wanting to know more, this book will give you an invaluable insight into the exciting and incredibly fast-moving world of film. Understand Film Studies includes: Chapter 1: Film aesthetics: formalism and realism Chapter 2: Film structure: narrative and narration Chapter 3: Film authorship: the director as auteur Chapter 4: Film genres: defining the typical film Chapter 5: The non-fiction film: five types of documentary Chapter 6: The reception of film: the art and profession of film viewing Cover......Page 1 Book title......Page 4 Contents......Page 6 Acknowledgements......Page 8 Introduction......Page 10 1 Film aesthetics: formalism and realism......Page 18 Set design......Page 21 Mise-en-shot......Page 24 Film sound......Page 37 Theoretical analysis of film aesthetics......Page 38 2 Film structure: narrative and narration......Page 48 Narrative structure......Page 49 Restricted and omniscient narration......Page 58 3 Film authorship: the director as auteur......Page 94 The origin of the auteur policy......Page 97 Style and themes in Alfred Hitchcock’s films......Page 110 The cinema of Wim Wenders......Page 116 The cinema of Kathryn Bigelow......Page 124 The contemporary auteur......Page 128 4 Film genres: defining the typical film......Page 136 Problems in the study of genres......Page 138 Genre film as myth......Page 139 New studies of melodrama......Page 141 Film noir......Page 154 1950s science fiction......Page 161 5 The non-fiction film: five types of documentary......Page 170 Expository documentary......Page 173 Observational documentary......Page 178 Interactive documentary......Page 180 Reflexive documentary......Page 186 Performative documentary......Page 188 6 The reception of film: the art and profession of film reviewing......Page 196 The four functions of film reviewing......Page 198 The four components of film reviewing......Page 200 Evaluation......Page 205 Three reviews of Interstellar......Page 210 Film studies on the internet......Page 218 Bibliography......Page 222 E......Page 234 L......Page 235 R......Page 236 Z......Page 237