Customer Reviews

Understanding Movies, 11th Edition

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is an essential book for students of cinema. It does one thing and it does it quite well: it introduces you to the language of film analysis, the categories that critics use to analyze a film. It doesn't try to cover film technology or history.

I totally agree with the other reviewer that the new editions are completely unnecessary, and serve only to destroy the market for used copies. Buy one of the older editions unless it's for a college class and you need the same edition as the class.

Gianetti's classic textbook has been around for a long time, and gone through several printings and new editions. There's a reason for that: it is one of the best introductions to the analysis and appreciation of film that is around. This is the book I was assigned when I took my first film class ("Film as Humanities") in college, and it opened up my eyes to a whole range of elements that contribute to the making of film meaning. Now, a few editions later, I am still assigning the book for my introduction to film studies classes.

What makes it so useful is that Gianetti focuses a chapter each on all of the different components that contribute to the significance of the final film product. He has a chapter on photography -- that introduces vocabulary for describing the images of film, the lighting, the framing, and the way in which the arrangement of elements on screen can direct the eye of the viewer. He has other chapters on movement, composition, editing, acting, story, drama, sound, and ideology, among others.

A refreshing feature of the book, especially for an introductory level text, is that it does not make a sharp distinction between "art" films and "entertainment" flicks -- all of the elements he discusses apply to any films, and he illustrates them with copious examples from both the history of cinema and also from popular and accessible films of the last decade and even last year. At the same time, he is not timid about making judgments about films -- and giving his readers several tools for making critical judgments about what makes some films better than others.

A guiding theme of the book, that lends continuity to each of the chapters and to the book as a whole, is Gianetti's emphasis on a distinction between the "realist" and the "classicist" and the "formalist" tendencies in film. In his chapter on story, among other helpful analyses of narrative styles and the formation and development of genres of film storytelling, he also explains what one would expect from a realist approach to storytelling versus a classicist (i.e. mainstream Hollywood) style versus a formalist approach. He similarly discusses realist and formalist approaches to editing and composition and acting and sound. This basic distinction turns out to be the key to understanding a wide range of differences between approaches to film.

While he doesn't go into film theory directly, he points out where some of the critical ideas he raises have provoked controversy among film theorists, and he is able to capture clearly the key ideas that are debated by film theorists without in any way bogging the text down in jargon. He maintains througout an emphasis on what might be called first-level film analysis -- before we can apply theory to films, before we can reflect on the nature of film, or on the deeper meanings of films, we really do need to learn how to get clear about what is on the surface: what is happening on the screen and in the sound and in the story, and why. While there are other good introductory film books out there that focus on different aspects of film (like Bordwell's Film Art), I really can't imagine a better guide than Gianetti's to getting clear about what is there on the surface. Highly recommended for those interested in the nature of film.

Giannetti's book is an excellent and very comprehensive resource for anyone interested in the art of filmmaking. Countless films (both classic and modern) from around the globe are dissected and illustrated throughout the book alongside each chapter's content, and I found the material as entertaining and interesting as it was informative. As a novice in the field, I learned plenty about the art of creating films and I gained a newfound respect for many popular and obscure titles. I applaud Giannetti for writing such a detailed, yet readable textbook and would recommend this book to all students, teachers, and general film enthusiasts.

What I like about this book is the way it's laid out for easy reading. The pictures are great memory refreshers of movies one may have seen and did not fully understand their rational and purpose. As a poet, I like the way it's linked with poetry and creative writing in many ways. One may also find several references to poetic style filtered through the book. The reading goes into details regarding the classification and various styles of films in the areas of realism, classicism and formalism. The principle regarding Mise en Scene was very interesting, especially the movies. The editing of shots from different angles make it clear as to why some films are disjointed and do not flow smoothly. Understanding how sound effects really bring movies to life over stage plays is an interesting process. The various styles of writing, storylines, ideology and drama are really strong areas in the text. This is an excellent book regarding the understanding of movies and their existing relationships to stage plays, musicals, and poetry. Other interesting books to read are: "Trilogy Moments for the Mind, Body and Soul" with the new Epulaeryu poetic form; "Everyday Miracles" by Margaret Okudo; "The Language of Poetry Forms" by Tree Good; and, "My Walk with Jesus" by Christina Jussaume.

Analytical breakdown of the various aspects of creating movies. Editting, mise-en-scene, acting and more. This book opened my eyes to the individual parts that mesh together to create a great movie. It enriched my enjoyment of film and sharpened my taste for a good product.

This is the volume we are using in my cinema class this semester, and I have to agree with other positive reviews of the book that I've read before buying it. This book is a good read for anyone that appreciates movies; the process of what goes into making movies and all of the components that the film makers consider when approaching a product. The author's writings are easy to understand and there are ample pictures to go along with, and illustrate, what he describes. We've just begun class, and already I have learned much on the subject.

This book served as a textbook for an Introduction to Film Class that I was taking, so I had to read it from cover to cover.

Make no doubt about it. This is a textbook, written in a very technical style. It provides the reader with many tools and terms to use when breaking down film images, understanding how they were constructed, and discussing the content of a film scene.

Although this book covers everything from the history of film, to acting, editing, and sound use, one of the most significant segments that our class focused on was the 15 elements of Mise-En-Scene (which is scene composition). This mise-en-scene analysis seems to be one of it's major selling points, since there are essays available online based on this author's system.

Unlike many of the other reviewers, I have not had access to previous editions, however I felt that this one fell a little short of some of the most modern trends in film-making. One thing that is most conspicuously absent is any detail about modern computer effects and the use of digital recording versus traditional film recording and editing. This is a very significant part of the modern movie industry, and I'm surprised that an Edition of this book released so recently omits these details.

I'm not sure this book is worth it's high price tag. The information content is decent, yet it seems highly opinionated in places. It would be one source among others that I would use if I wanted to get a complete understanding of film. It is not a bad book, but the cover price is very high.

If I were you, I'd buy it used or try to find a substantially reduced price.

I feel that this book is written in a less formal style than most textbooks. The author occasionally overcomplicates some topics, but overall does a good job of explaining technical terms. I have noticed several grammatical errors, but nothing major. Overall, a good general introduction to understanding the elements of filmmaking.

It was a great experience. The book was in the condition it was presented in. Great bargain. Delivery was smooth. I could not have asked for more.

What can I say...It was just what my son needed and at a wonderful price. Thanks!!