Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
Film Art: An Introduction (Seventh Edition)
Combining the traditional topics reviewed in a discussion of film as an art form this updated book now inlcudes information on the latest film technology such as the computer special effects used in Forest Gump. The book differentiates documentaries from fiction film,mainstream commercial films from avant-garde/experimental films. Western and horror films are also reviewed...more
Hardcover, 532 pages
Published
June 28th 2003
by McGraw-Hill Companies
(first published 1979)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is not yet featured on Listopia.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
1,227)
Yes, it's a textbook, but it was actually fun to read :-) Lots of illustrations too, and it enhanced my appreciation of movies :-)
Mar 14, 2013
Montana
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Film Students
Recommended to Montana by:
Film Studies Teacher
This book may be a text book but its really easy to read and I learned a lot from doing so. I am an arts student at university and this semester we are studying video art, this was the first book on our reading list and I almost read it cover to cover! I found it incredibly helpful to understand the basics on film art and how video is made. It was also a fantastic resource to look back on when I completed my assignments. If you are studying video or would like to gain a basic understanding for t...more
Film Art was my first book on film studies. I was not yet an avid film students by then, but this book captured my interest so deep as then it made me impatiently waiting for my future film-study classes.
It's not a manual book of film techniques. Yet it does encompass that issues from an artsy point of view. This book discusses elements of films (e.g., shots, lighting, color, mood, tone, narrative, plots, acts, genres, hollywood era, and many more), precisely on how they constitue the overall l...more
It's not a manual book of film techniques. Yet it does encompass that issues from an artsy point of view. This book discusses elements of films (e.g., shots, lighting, color, mood, tone, narrative, plots, acts, genres, hollywood era, and many more), precisely on how they constitue the overall l...more
Mar 24, 2009
Esther
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
film-lovers, animators, film-makers
Shelves:
art,
informational
I had to read this book when I attended Image and Media Technology at the Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht, and it taught me a lot about films, how they are made, what imaging can portray, etcetera. If you are a film lover and you feel you would like to get some background on it instead of just popping in a dvd, this is really something you should read!
Feb 10, 2011
Mariomedina
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
english,
non-fiction
I had to read this book for a Film Criticism course. I found it very easy to read, and an engaging introduction to film.
Required reading for my Intro to Screen Analysis class. Extremely informative and a useful starting point for anyone looking to pursue a career in film.
Best introduction to Film Studies. Expensive since it's a textbook, but worth it.
I really shouldn't hold the fact that it is a textbook against it but-
A mix of patronizing simple concepts and deep, thought-provoking ideas. Weird.
technical, boring, maybe not bad for making films...
Read AUG 2007
God overview of the film industry.
God overview of the film industry.
The definitive book on film form.
Actually, really interesting.
-
My favorite film intro book, use it for the Film History & Appreciation class. For something deeper, look to Bruce Kawin's book. But for a beautifully-written text to get students to understand the artistic and historic aspects of the art form, you couldn't ask for much more than Film Art, written by the cutest film historian couple out there, Bordwell & Thompson. Bordwell's blog as damned good too.
Actually fairly interesring for a textbook. If you're a film student, this book will teach you a lot of the basic techniques and terminology to get you started. It doesn't teach you how to do things. Just concepts but it's still a good jumping off point. As far as textbooks go, I don't think you'll find one more interesting than one completely dedicated to movies.
Great and informative textbook for film students.... and anyone else! Highly recommend!
no sé ni para qué le pongo "terminado" si es de esos libros que, eso sí sé, que se van a quedar en el buró toda la vida –doblados, manchados de vino, anotados, dudados, sobreescritos.
increíble.
increíble.
Used this book for my film history course and loved it, although the Film History: An Introduction one was better. This one was still amazing, and I love reading in it. Will keep it just because it's really fun, even though I don't need it for the course anymore I can't part with it. Really interesting read.
Film Art: An Introduction by David Bordwell (1990)
good for students who need linear text to understand history and the cannon of film history
easy for teacher to organize their class when students are so inclined to even fall asleep on Citizen Kane... but hey, it's made 1941 and they prolly can make more captivating classics in 10 years
easy for teacher to organize their class when students are so inclined to even fall asleep on Citizen Kane... but hey, it's made 1941 and they prolly can make more captivating classics in 10 years
It can be long winded, and even dry at times, but a important book to have for anyone studying film.
It's not a book you can sit down and read for fun for it is more of textbook.
A book I will be keeping and referring back to throughout my film career.
It's not a book you can sit down and read for fun for it is more of textbook.
A book I will be keeping and referring back to throughout my film career.
Jun 03, 2008
Kathryn
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
students of introductory film studies
The book is very information dense. It is packed with references to films that should be well known to good students of film studies. Unfortunately, it is so packed with references and information that reading often becomes tedious.
Aug 15, 2007
Marley
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
books-i-worked-on,
books-i-own
gorgeous textbook, great design, and the co-authors are married and great to work with. The authors have a blog here: http://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/ lots of interesting film stuff.
I want to watch Buck Toothed Women now.
I want to watch Buck Toothed Women now.
Bordwell is a talented writer. Wether or not you agree with his theories, he is an interesting an important figure in film theory. I don't agree with all his obsevrations, but he does argue well for his theories.
A formalist, narrow-minded approach to cinema. Bordwell and Thompson actually believe in structuralism, which would be cute and nostalgic if they weren't taken so seriously by the academy.
The best textbook on film form for the beginning or aspiring filmmaker. If someone wants to understand the basics of film language, this is the first book to read.
Sep 25, 2008
Jason
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anybody Anywhere
Recommended to Jason by:
Professor
Everything you ever need to know about anything to do with film production is right here
This book is a great introduction to Film Studies.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Mar 20, 2008 06:20pm