Synopses & Reviews
A Short History of Film, Second Edition, provides a concise and accurate overview of the history of world cinema, detailing the major movements, directors, studios, and genres from 1896 through 2012. Accompanied by more than 250 rare color and black-and-white stillsandmdash;including many from recent filmsandmdash;the new edition is unmatched in its panoramic view, conveying a sense of cinema's sweep in the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries as it is practiced in the United States and around the world.
Wheeler Winston Dixon and Gwendolyn Audrey Foster present new and amended coverage of the industry in addition to updating the birth and death dates and final works of notable directors. Their expanded focus on key films brings the book firmly into the digital era and chronicles the death of film as a production medium.
The book takes readers through the invention of the kinetoscope, the introduction of sound and color between the two world wars, and ultimately the computer-generated imagery of the present day. It details significant periods in world cinema, including the early major industries in Europe, the dominance of the Hollywood studio system in the 1930s and 1940s, and the French New Wave of the 1960s. Attention is given to small independent efforts in developing nations and the more personal independent film movement that briefly flourished in the United States, the significant filmmakers of all nations, and the effects of censorship and regulation on production everywhere. In addition, the authors incorporate the stories of women and other minority filmmakers who have often been overlooked in other texts.
Engaging and accessible, this is the best one-stop source for the history of world film available for students, teachers, and general audiences alike.
Review
andquot;This is the film history book we've been waiting for.andquot;
Review
andquot;A Short History of Film is a comprehensive and detailed overview of the last 100 years of international film history. It will prove to be a useful reference tool for all students of film, both in and out of the classroom.andquot;
Review
andquot;A new history of international film at an affordable price. Nothing like those text book prices for a change. Includes perspectives on women and minorities in film along with innovations in technology, genres, studios, and conglomerates.andquot;
Review
andquot;With the goal of offering 'a fast paced tour' of movie history, Dixon and Foster have produced a study in the tradition of Paul
Rotha's The Film till Now. The authors touch all the bases--they address new trends in international moviemaking, technologies, and critical theory and the emergence of new national and ethnic cinemas--and relate film history to social history. Each new technique, style, school, trend, and newly visible ethnic or feminist group takes its place in the larger history, and Dixon and Foster make it all accessible to the neophyte reader without ever breaking the pace. Uncommonly well-reproduced stills and a topically organized bibliography enhance the discussion. Highly recommended.andquot;
Review
andquot;This excellent introduction stands out in a crowded field with its lively, accessible writing, broad coverage, and particular focus on traditionally marginalized figures in film history...the most striking aspect of the book is the coverage of women, African Americans, and Third World filmmakers, which strongly complements its solid coverage of American and European film. Illustrations abound, and even the best-versed cineaste will find new films to track down after reading the breezy, enthusiastic analysis in this book. Highly recommended for all collections, this text would also make an excellent textbook for introductory film-studies courses.andquot;
Review
andquot;Dixon covers the entire history of black and white movies in one volume, and talks about the films and cinematographers who created these films, and often got little credit for their work. Fascinating and compelling, this is essential reading for anyone who loves movies.andquot;
Review
andldquo;Dixon has an encyclopedic knowledge of film history, and a subtle and well-honed aesthetic sense. He rescues important films from oblivion, and finds fresh angles of approach to films that are already familiar.andquot;
Review
andquot;Wheeler Winston Dixonandrsquo;s colorful study of black-and-white cinema reaffirms yet again his unfailing expertise as a critic, historian, and dazzlingly fine writer. Indispensable for students, scholars, and movie buffs alike.andquot;
Synopsis
This updated edition presents new and amended coverage of film in general as well as the final works and birth/death dates of notable directors. Its expanded focus on key films brings the new edition firmly into the digital era and chronicles the death of film as a production medium. With more than 250 rare color and black-and-white stills, the book is unmatched in its panoramic view of the medium as it is practiced in the U.S. and around the world as well as its sense of cinemaandrsquo;s sweep in the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries.
Synopsis
The history of international cinema is now available in a concise, conveniently sized, and affordable volume. Succinct yet comprehensive, A Short History of Film provides an accessible overview of the major movements, directors, studios, and genres from the 1880s to the present. More than 250 rare stills and illustrations accompany the text, bringing readers face to face with many of the key players and films that have marked the industry.
Beginning with precursors of what we call moving pictures, Wheeler Winston Dixon and Gwendolyn Audrey Foster lead a fast-paced tour through the invention of the kinetoscope, the introduction of sound and color between the two world wars, and ultimately the computer generated imagery of the present day. They detail significant periods in world cinema, including the early major industries in Europe, the dominance of the Hollywood studio system in the 1930s and 1940s, and the French New Wave of the 1960s. Special attention is also given to small independent efforts in developing nations and the corresponding more personal independent film movement that briefly flourished in the United States, the significant filmmakers of all nations, censorship and regulation and how they have affected production everywhere, and a wide range of studios and genres. Along the way, the authors take great care to incorporate the stories of women and other minority filmmakers who have often been overlooked in other texts.
Compact and easily readable, this is the best one-stop source for the history of world film available to students, teachers, and general audiences alike.
Synopsis
Black and White Cinema is the first study to consider black-and-white film as an art form in its own right, providing a comprehensive and global overview of the era when it flourished, from the 1900s to the 1960s. Including over forty stills that give us a unique glimpse behind the scenes, Wheeler Winston Dixon introduces us to the masters of this art, including directors, set designers, and award-winning cinematographers like James Wong Howe, Freddie Francis, and Sven Nykvist.and#160;
Synopsis
From the glossy monochrome of the classic Hollywood romance, to the gritty greyscale of the gangster picture, to film noirandrsquo;s moody interplay of light and shadow, black-and-white cinematography has been used to create a remarkably wide array of tones. Yet today, with black-and-white film stock nearly impossible to find, these cinematographic techniques are virtually extinct, and filmgoersandrsquo; appreciation of them is similarly waning. and#160;
and#160;
Black and White Cinema is the first study to consider the use of black-and-white as an art form in its own right, providing a comprehensive and global overview of the era when it flourished, from the 1900s to the 1960s. Acclaimed film scholar Wheeler Winston Dixon introduces us to the masters of this art, discussing the signature styles and technical innovations of award-winning cinematographers like James Wong Howe, Gregg Toland, Freddie Francis, and Sven Nykvist. Giving us a unique glimpse behind the scenes, Dixon also reveals the creative teamsandmdash;from lighting technicians to matte paintersandmdash;whose work profoundly shaped the look of black-and-white cinema. and#160;
and#160;
More than just a study of film history, this book is a rallying cry, meant to inspire a love for the artistry of black-and-white film, so that we might work to preserve this important part of our cinematic heritage. Lavishly illustrated with more than forty on-the-set stills, Black and White Cinema provides a vivid and illuminating look at a creatively vital era.
and#160;
About the Author
WHEELER WINSTON DIXON is the James Ryan Professor of Film Studies, the coordinator of the film studies program, and a professor of English at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. He is a filmmaker and the author or editor of numerous works, includingand#160;Death of the Moguls: The End of Classical Hollywood; the best-sellingand#160;A Short History of Filmand#160;now in its second edition, coauthored with Gwendolyn Audrey Foster (both by Rutgers University Press); andand#160;Cinema at the Margins; Streaming: Movies, Media, and Instant Access.and#160;
Table of Contents
One- The Invention of the Movies
Two- The Birth of an American Industry
Three- World Cinema: The Silent Era
Four- The Hollywood Studio System in the 1930s and 1940s
Five- International Cinema through World War II
Six- Postwar Challenges to the Movies
Seven- World Cinema in the 1950s
Eight- The 1960s Explosion
Nine- World Cinema 1970 to the Present
Ten- The New Hollywood
Glossary of Film Terms
Bibliography
Index