A History of Film [Paperback]

Jack C. Ellis (Author), Virginia Wright Wexman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 17, 2001 | ISBN-10: 0205318568 | ISBN-13: 978-0205318568 | Edition: 5th

Heavily revised and with a new-co-author, A History of Film, is a comprehensive international survey of the narrative fiction film from its beginnings to the present. In this book, the contributions of major film-producing countries, significant filmmakers, and their films are highlighted within social, artistic, economic, and technological contexts. This fifth edition constitutes a major revision and update - over half the book is new! The new edition updates the book's historical coverage while considerably expanding it to incorporate women and minority filmmakers and audiences, avant-garde and documentary traditions, and the wide array of global filmmaking practices. Illustrations from frame enlargements appear throughout. For film enthusiasts, or anyone interested in the history of film.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Heavily revised and with a new-co-author, A History of Film, is a comprehensive international survey of the narrative fiction film from its beginnings to the present. In this book, the contributions of major film-producing countries, significant filmmakers, and their films are highlighted within social, artistic, economic, and technological contexts. This fifth edition constitutes a major revision and update - over half the book is new! The new edition updates the book's historical coverage while considerably expanding it to incorporate women and minority filmmakers and audiences, avant-garde and documentary traditions, and the wide array of global filmmaking practices. Illustrations from frame enlargements appear throughout. For film enthusiasts, or anyone interested in the history of film.

Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Allyn & Bacon; 5th edition (September 17, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0205318568
• ISBN-13: 978-0205318568
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,912,120 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not perfect, but provides a good overview, May 29, 2001

By 

"literarydaemon" (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: History of Film, A (Paperback)

Though less formal than a typical textbook, this book practically functions as one. The reading is quick, though the author tends to get carried away on personal tangents. Nevertheless, it provides an impressive overview of cinematic history, from its modest start in the 1890s until the 1990s. One negative aspect is that many films and directors are left out, owing to space constraints, I assume. (the book is over 400 pages!) Still,one great aspect of this book is a list of recommended (historically- and aesthetically-relevant) films at the end of each chapter, sorted by director and year. Also, though America and Hollywood occupy a substantial part of the text, the author makes a concerted effort to give equal historical credence to international movements. A worthy resource for film buffs and students, as well as anyone else interested in the development of cinema.

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Do yourself a service and buy it in the real world, September 13, 2011

By 

iveseenspikynor - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: History of Film, A (7th Edition) (Paperback)

When I opened my order two days ago, I was terribly...miffed.

This "book" is about as real as a three dollar bill and just as useless.

This knock-off of Wexman's "A History of Film, 7th Edition" could only have been printed off of the fabricators's PC printer. The fake-copy is made with computer paper, and the paper was cut poorly to where the body of text is too high on the page.

What's worse, their printer seems to have been low on ink. For example, boxes Wexman uses to designate timelines and lists of films she considers good examples of the subject matter, are nearly impossible to see... and the text inside is at times illegible. The subjects of photographs are almost unrecognizable as anything that has ever appeared on celluloid.

Meanwhile, the real "History of Film, 7th ed." is thinner and is printed on the proper paper. (I know this because I've been forced to buy a badly treated used-edition from the campus bookstore; also, I've looked through a classmate's personal copy)

One might think that a cheap copy of the book would be as good as anything, especially if you're living on a student's budget, but if you're going to pay eighty-bucks-plus-tax to buy the thing anyway, you might as well buy the legit thing and get your money's worth.

Also, Wexman often uses specific stills from a film to illustrate things like composition, lighting, acting, makeup, etc - techniques, film making styles that may have originated in the work or even been unique to it. Important details for a film major which make the faults in the fake copy all the more noticeable.

This thing and it's sellers have been granted a 1 out of 5 stars. A concession of 'kudos' for successfully ticking me off.