The Story of Film
By Mark Cousins
About the book:
- Now published in a new hardback edition, updated to coincide with author’s More 4 film documentary based on the book
- A major landmark in film book publishing Traces the history of the medium from 1888 to the digital age
- Set to become a seminal work; essential for film studies curriculums
This new edition of The Story of Film, published to coincide with the fascinating 15-hour film documentary airing in September 2011, updates the most accessible and compelling history of the medium yet published. Film critic, producer and presenter, Mark Cousins shows how film-makers are influenced both by the historical events of their times, and by each other. He demonstrates, for example, how Douglas Sirk’s Hollywood melodramas of the 1950s influenced Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s despairing visions of 1970s Germany; and how George Lucas’ Star Wars epics grew out of Akira Kurosawa’s The Hidden Fortress.
The Story of Film is divided into three main epochs: Silent (1885–1928), Sound (1928–1990) and Digital (1990-Present), and within this structure films are discussed within chapters reflecting both the stylistic concerns of the film-makers and the political and social themes of the time. Film is an international medium, so as well as covering the great American films and film-makers, the book explores cinema in Europe, Africa, Asia, Australasia and South America, and shows how cinematic ideas and techniques cross national boundaries. Avoiding jargon and obscure critical theory, the author constantly places himself in the role of the moviegoer watching a film, and asks: ‘How does a scene or a story affect us, and why?’ In so doing he gets to the heart of cinematic technique, explaining how film-makers use lighting, framing, focal length and editing to create their effects. Clearly written, and illustrated with over 400 stills, including numerous sequences explaining how scenes work, The Story of Film is essential reading for both film students and the general moviegoer.
About the author:
Mark Cousins is an author, film critic, producer and documentary director. Formerly Director of the Edinburgh International Film Festival, he pioneered the Scene by Scene discussion format, later adapting it into the BBC television series and book of the same name. Cousins is a regular contributor to Sight and Sound, Prospect and The Times.
Imprint: Pavilion
ISBN: 9781862059429
Publication date: September 2011
Format: Hardback
Size: 240 x 165 mm
Pages: 512 pages
Illustrations: 400 colour and black & white illustrations
RRP: £25.00
Web price from Anova BookStore: £21.50
