Book Description
A full understanding and appreciation of narrative film, George Wilson argues, requires a concept of point of view necessarily distinct from, yet comparable to, contemporary theories of point of view in prose fiction. Now available in paperback, Narration in Light lays the foundations for a new account of cinematic point of view.
Focusing on the special ways in which a film controls the access of its viewers to the events that constitute its narrative, Wilson offers close viewings of five classic Hollywood movies: You Only Live Once, North by Northwest, Letter from an Unknown Woman, The Devil Is a Woman, and Rebel without a Cause. His enlightening and entertaining interpretations reveal surprising power and complexity in popular, major-studio films. Their point-of-view strategies allow them to present both obvious and oblique perspectives on their subjects, providing subtle critiques of ideology within conventional drama and narrative.
Book Description
A film tells its story not only through dialogue and actors' performances but also through the director's control of movement and shot design. Figures Traced in Light is a detailed consideration of how cinematic staging carries the story, expresses emotion, and beguiles the audience through pictorial composition. Ranging over the entire history of cinema, David Bordwell focuses on four filmmakers' unique contributions to the technique. In-depth chapters examine Louis Feuillade, master of the 1910s serial; Kenji Mizoguchi, the great Japanese director who worked from the 1920s to the 1950s; Theo Angelopoulos, who began his career as a political modernist in the late 1960s; and Hou Hsiao-hsien, the Taiwanese filmmaker who in the 1980s became the preeminent Asian director. For comparison, Bordwell draws on films by Howard Hawks, Michelangelo Antonioni, Yasujiro Ozu, Takeshi Kitano, and many other directors. Superbly illustrated with more than 500 frame enlargements and 16 color illustrations, Figures Traced in Light situates its close analysis of model sequences in the context of the technological, industrial, and cultural trends that shaped the directors' approaches to staging.
Customer Reviews:
A Highly Challenging Work.......2006-10-09
David Bordwell is one of America's most challenging film scholars. He continually offers precisely-argued alternatives taking issue with dominant academic versions of the "institutional mode of representation" of how we should look at film. This book represents a good contribution to a key debate he wishes to continue in film education, namely the importance of an analytic cognitivist based approach based upon the concept of "solving problems." It is easy to parody this argument. Many have done so in the past. But what is important is reoognizing this scholar's intellectual integrity in arguing for a "bottom-up" approach to understanding film style rather than the "top-down" methodology that has dominated most examples of contemporary post-structuralist, post-modernist, and cultural studies approaches over the past few years.
FIGURES TRACED IN LIGHT deals with key issues of cinematic style and staging. Beginning with frame analysis of some scenes from JERRY MAGUIRE, Bordwell defines the current role of "intensified continuity" in contemporary Hollywood productions and then goes back to the past to counterpose the long-take, stylistic innovations of Louis Feullade and Kenji Mizoguchi. He follows them with detailed examinations of the films of Theo Angelopoulos and Hou Hsiao-hsien in terms of their distinctive creative approaches from different historical eras. All these directors deserve to be better known and Bordwell makes his usual cogent arguments for us to return to this lost tradition of cinematic art and specific production contexts that overshadow anything in European and Hollywood cinema today. It is, in short, an argument for precise attention to cinematic detail rather than today's current tendency to gloss over significant artistic differences in favor of monolithic theories that do not explain the creative nature of particular films.
This is a lucid, well-written book taking issue with certain concepts of cultural studies sadly in vogue today which sacrifice significant details at the altar of banal generaliies. It challenges supposedly established theories such as the role of modernity influencing cinema as a twentieth-century art form as well as other ideas such as the dominant role of a "cinema of attractions" at one particular era of film history. No matter the time and location, good filmmakers are "active agents." But this does not mean that they operate in a vacuum.
As Bordwell states. "The filmmaker creates out of the norms and forms available in the craft milieu or out of the possibilities in adjacent media that can be brought into that milieu." (257) It is a modest proposal but one helping us define what makes great art as well as factors defining any great director.
As well as challenging fashionable ideas, the book is not without humor as the author's references to contemporary "Europuddings and hypehanate productions that had neither local flavor nor radical ambitions" (267) show. In addition to dragging fashionable gurus such as Zizek down from their pedastals (260-265) and arguing for a more rigorous approach to problem solving, Bordwell often comes up with witty sentences that will long remain in the reader's mind. "If you hire a tax accountant, you will be best off with one vigorously committed to problem-solving. (You don't want one who will produce a Lacanian reading of your IRS audit notification) [251] I doubt whether academic champions of Lacan and Zizek would also when they face their yearly audits rather than university departmental Merit committees!
This is a very important work, rigorous and scholarly in every sense of the work. It not only argues for the importance of a particular type of cinema illustrated by these selected directors but for a particular type of reception making us all reponsible for what we see. "HOW we manage to see more and more depends on us."
Average customer rating:
- Interested in film? This is the DELIGHTFUL must read for you!
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Cinematic Savior: Hollywood's Making of the American Christ
Stephenson Humphries-Brooks
Manufacturer: Praeger Publishers
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Jesus of Hollywood
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Cinéma Divinité: Religion, Theology And The Bible In Film
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Jesus of Montreal
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King of Kings
ASIN: 0275984893 |
Book Description
From Cecil B. DeMille's production of King of Kings in 1927, to Mel Gibson's recent The Passion of the Christ, films that discuss the meaning of Jesus have provoked interest, discussion, and reevaluation on a large scale. Hollywood films that deal with this subject have consistently managed to augment their inherent power by commenting simultaneously on political and cultural matters, and drawing from alternative cultural and mythological sources. The Greatest Story Ever Told, for instance, uses a landscape similar to that of the American West, while The Last Temptation of Christ deals with themes related to modern American notions of sexuality and sin. This timely examination considers the life of Jesus as it has been portrayed in such films as King of Kings, The Greatest Story Ever Told, Jesus of Nazareth, The Last Temptation of Christ, and The Passion of the Christ, as well as the more allusive and implicit use of Christ-related themes in Spartacus, Shane, and The Matrix. It looks at the diverse content and often-surprising impact of these and other films, and reveals how these depictions have helped determine, and been determined by, particularly American notions of who Jesus was, how he lived and died, and what he means for both our religious and secular cultures. Through an objective consideration of these movies, the emergent religious culture of mainstream American film becomes apparent as a central element in Hollywood movies--and in American popular culture at large.
Customer Reviews:
Interested in film? This is the DELIGHTFUL must read for you!.......2006-04-08
Though this book has not necessarily come out yet, I happen to have been able to get a bit of a preview. Humphries-Brooks insight into the prominent Christ figure within the face of American film is brilliant. He writes convincingly about these American Jesus movies and, in doing so, makes evident the fact that American cinema has created a Christ figure that has not only influenced the contemporary cinematic narrative, but also has shaped the way American society views Christ. His conclusions are fascinating and important for the continuing study of the changing face of American religion. Read it! It will be an experience, and you will come out much smarter.
Average customer rating:
- Boring
- Haun's Hollywood History is a Hit!
- Affair of the Heart
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Cinematic Century: An Intimate Diary of America's Affair with the Movies
Harry Haun
Manufacturer: Applause Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1557834008 |
Book Description
Day by day, scandal by scandal, triumph by triumph, incurable film fan Harry Haun has squeezed the juice out of the past 100 years at the movies with a surprise on every page. This book is for everyone with an addiction to the movies even Betty Ford can't cure.
Customer Reviews:
Boring.......2007-02-16
Prior to reading the book, I've learned a lot about the history of the movies and the stars and whoever else associated, but when reading this book, it says nothing new or anything particularly fascinating. Feels like I am reading stories of incredibly forgotten stars. Fathom that word "fogotten," and I stress it. Actually, the book makes a great read when crapping in the toilet. I can't believe this book turned out to be trivial pusuit of Ronald Reagan and Marilyn Monroe (like 50% of the book).
Haun's Hollywood History is a Hit!.......1999-12-21
This most impressive volume of movie facts, anecdotes, trivia, and gossip will keep film lovers enthralled for hours. Mr. Haun knows movies inside out and he shares his vast knowledge of film history in the format of a year long day to day diary. Wonderful pictures of the stars illustrate the work. Did you know that Bette Davis kept Vivien Leigh From being cast in "Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte" because she was still mad at her 26 years later for beating her out to be Scarlett O'Hara? You will know all sorts of fun facts when you read Haun's amazing book! A movie lover's dream come true!
Affair of the Heart.......1999-12-16
I love to go to the movies. Frankly who does't, and even though one thinks that there are many books out there that talk about the movies, but this book gives the reader a lot more. Each page is filled with tid bits and gossip, and dates with information that you normally would not find somewhere in a book. I recommend this book for the people who truely are movie buffs and love to see what happened on a day at the movies.
Average customer rating:
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The Cinematic Theater
Babak A. Ebrahimian
Manufacturer: The Scarecrow Press, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Direction & Production
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ASIN: 0810849879 |
Book Description
Director Babak Ebrahimian examines and explores the similarities and differences between cinema and theater, and in doing so, defines a new theater form that uses film theories and aesthetics as its foundation.
Book Description
Packed with historical information, this travel guide explores the sites where pop culture history was made. With hundreds of photographs, this encyclopedic resource covers approximately 600 sites of the most famous and infamous pop culture events. The greatest landmarks from Americana, movies, music, tragedy, crime, television, and sports are included, such as where George Washington crossed the Delaware River; the diner in the film Diner; the site of the Planet of the Apes finale; the Hindenburg crash site; the Brady Bunch house; and the location of the 1980 Olympic “Miracle on Ice” hockey team victory. This offbeat travelogue provides the armchair traveler or road warrior tourist with all the information needed to visit America's pop culture sites of significance.
Customer Reviews:
Awesome.... but.......2006-08-28
This book is awesome, I'm excited to take a road trip with some friends and try to explore as much of these landmarks as I can. The author was able to keep his personal preferences aside to cater to everyone with different points of interest, and he does a good job. But I think it would have been even more better if he put a little bit more history about the places and the people. But I enjoyed it nonettheless and will be getting the rest of them.
Interesting to flip through at the library.......2006-05-09
This book has enough real "material" for about a third of its length, and then the rest in my opinion is "filler" - info regarding obscure happenings that no one is likely to be much interested in. I also felt that the entries were way too short (a mere paragraph for each). It would be nice to have a bit more background material on what happened there, what led up to it, etc.
There are good entries (such as the "garage" where Apple computers was born, the street where Mariyln Monroe did her "skirt blowing" scene, the location of the original Woodstock, or Buddy Holly's crash site and last gig), but I just wish there was more of the good and less of the ho-hum.
Definitely worth checking out from the library. (For another interesting book in this vein, I highly recommend "THE TOMBSTONE TOURIST" by Scott Stanton.)
I Wonder What It Is In Us That Draws Us To This Sort Of Thing?.......2005-12-21
If you have a morbid fascination with the sites of events of glamour, trivial notoriety, media-frenzied infamy, or places where the famous and noteworthy drew their last gasping breath, then this book should just about become your best friend. Chris Epting does too pristine a job of gathering information about such locations as, well, the spot where James Dean died, to merit criticism. Yup, pictures, maps, reviews, write-ups, this book takes the cake. So if you'd like to deck out your next trans-continental road trip with various locations connected with the innocent from pop culture (the real Brady Bunch house), the gory (the now non-existent Chicago garage where the St. Valentine's Day Massacre came down), where celebrated concerts were played (too many to list), or where, say, various celebs went belly-up on Sunset Boulevard, then you won't go wrong here.
James Dean Died Here.......2005-07-20
As a local historian, I found this book a welcomed addition to my personal library. Chris Epting does a fabulous job at locating the places that we have all seen or heard about in the movies and in the news. With an address, summary, and photo, you can now see in print and even go there yourself to see where, when, why, and how it happened. What a catchy title ! If it caught your attention, it is only a slight look into what is a must have book for all of you trivia and pop iconists.
A blast, but with one major flaw.......2005-01-31
This book is great from start to finish -- provides locations and history for all kinds of disparate pop culture stuff. The one major problem with the book is that the writer desperately needs a copy editor. He mixes up some details and spells names, places and titles wrong all over the place. There are points where he spells the same person's name two or three different ways on one page. Considering all the research he seems to have done, this is kind of bonehead stuff. Still, if you can look past that, this book is a lot of fun.
Book Description
Volume Two guides the student through more complex elements of chess strategy, furthering his/her understanding of combining fast and accurate calculation with good positional understanding. In a series of 12 lessons, key points are reinforced with thematic tests.
Beginner
Customer Reviews:
Excellent!!!.......2000-08-26
This book is your key to chess mastery. It will bring you from 1000-2000 if you read it right.
Book Description
Dozens of humor-filled, down-home "management maxims" that help managers do their job better.
When it comes to managing people, author Frank McNair has seen first-hand what works and what doesn't. In this breezy book, readers get a refreshing dose of real-world advice in what McNair calls "maxims for smart managers." His sage and witty suggestions include: "Don't send your ducks to eagle school!" "Pay off in currency that matters to the employee." "Don't confuse motion with progress." "Ignoring poor performance is the same as applauding it."
Covering the whole gamut of people-management skills, the author presents maxims on: planning, motivation, expectations, teaching and coaching, measuring performance, rewards and consequences, relationship management, self-management, leadership. Each maxim is illustrated by a real-life story and pithy, practical insights that managers can put to instant use or store away for future situations.
Customer Reviews:
Old-Fashioned Values in The New Economy.......2001-01-05
McNair provides 119 "essential maxims" which are distributed within ten lively chapters. For example, Chapter 1 presents and discusses aphorisms relevant to "Vision and Planning" whereas the subject of Chapter 5 is "Feedback and Performance Management: What You Reward Is What You Get" and the subject of Chapter 9 is "Leadership." At the end of each chapter, McNair summaries its key points and then poses "Questions for Reflection."
Here's an excerpt from Chapter 2 which is representative of McNair's style. In it he discusses the assertion that "No One Can Motivate Anyone to Do Anything." After having reviewed a number of motivational films, he concluded:
Motivation "doesn't come out of film cans. It comes from people's heads and hearts. And we can't get into their heads and hearts --we are forever wholly elsewhere, in an orbit totally outside them. So we cannot ever motivate anyone to do anything -- it has to come from inside them. But we can [italics] create an environment in which others motivate themselves."
McNair describes himself as a "reductionist -- as a simplifier" who expresses complicated concepts in basic language. Moreover, he really means it when he suggests that "No one is sane; you're looking for compatible craziness" or "The madder you get, the dumber you are."
Obviously, McNair is fond of Benjamin Franklin and Mark Twain but also, I suspect, of Oscar Wilde. Who will derive the greatest benefit from McNair's maxims? First, those who have only recently embarked on a business career and will appreciate practical, no-nonsense advice in a conversational format. Also, others who have been swimming laps in a corporate blender for quite a few years and need a fresh perspective or two. And perhaps a reason to smile. As you read his book, you will learn or be reminded of numerous "nuggets of wisdom"...and enjoy yourself in process.
Good advice for anyone in the business world:.......2000-03-09
It's OK to Ask 'Em to Work... is a terrific resource for anyone whose profession involves people management (I certainly wish my old boss had been able to read it!). The advice that Mr. McNair has to offer is clear, witty, concise, and very well-organized. I wish this book was required reading in all management training programs -- it would help avoid the morale-squashing mistakes that most managers seem prone to make (and repeat!). I heartily recommend this book as an invaluable support tool for anyone who works with people.
The Most Practical Business Book I've Ever Read.......2000-01-23
I just read "It's Okay to Ask'em to Work" and it's the most practical business book I have ever read! Every page contains something I can take away and put to immediate, practical use in the workplace.
I particularly like the author's way of summarizing key points into simple,easy-to-remember maxims that help me retain the information.
Some of the maxims I found most helpful: 1)Paint a Clear Picture of the Target, 2) It's Okay to Ask 'em to Work, 3) Life is Mostly Packaging, 4) Everybody Wasn't Raised at Your House, and 5) You Don't Have to be Mad to Give Corrective Feedback. (I also liked "The Madder You Get -- the Dumber You Are! ")
I wish Frank McNair would write a book on sales, or parenting for that matter!
Buy this book and read it! You'll be glad you did!
A real winner!.......2000-01-20
This is a "must have" resource for those who manage people and those who care about doing it well. Frank McNair is witty, easy to read and his suggestions are on the mark. Reading this book will positively change the way you and your employees do business. When you finish reading, you'll wish there was more.
Books:
- New Punk Cinema (Traditions in World Cinema)
- New York Times Film Reviews, l983-l984
- People Sharing Jesus: A Natural, Sensitive Approach to Helping Others Know Christ
- Pierce Brosnan: The Biography
- Producers: Money, Movies And Who Really Calls the Shots
- Proust at the Movies (Studies in European Cultural Transition)
- Screening Violence (Depth of Film Series)
- Sean Connery:A Celebration
- September Song: A Cronicle of the O'Malley's in the Twentieth Century (Family Saga)
- Shakespeare, from Stage to Screen
Books Index
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