An Introduction to Film, 2nd Edition

by Vivian Sobchack

This text introduces students to the major aspects of film aesthetics, criticism, and history, while emphasizing the relationship between art, artists, and the film industry itself.

528 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

Vivian Sobchack was the first woman elected President of the Society for Cinema and Media Studies, and is on the Board of Directors of the American Film Institute. Her essays have appeared in journals such as Quarterly Review of Film and Video, Film Comment, camera obscure, Film Quarterly and Representations. Her books include Screening Space: The American Science Fiction Film; The Address of the Eye: A Phenomenology of Film Experience; and Carnal Thoughts: Embodiment and Moving Image Culture, and she has edited two anthologies: Meta-Morphing: Visual Transformation and the Culture of Quick-Change; and The Persistence of History: Cinema, Television, and the Modern Event. Her research interests are eclectic: American film genres, philosophy and film theory, history and phenomenology of perception, historiography and cultural studies.

Reviews

[Chriss]

The book was my bible when it came to film in the late 1980's and I used it as a reference in almost every term paper written through college. The main genre's were mentioned with the key films of the early days along with modern day examples. I found this a fascinating read even if it was educational.

[Jenny Webb]

It was fine in terms of an introduction, but it just felt really outdated for a film course being taught in 2002. Which is more a problem with the course than the book.

[maha]

To any librarian who can fix the information, the first author is Thomas Sohchack. I've noticed that Vivian C. Sobchack is mentioned twice on the author list.