Film Art: An Introduction and Film Viewers Guide (Paperback)

~ David Bordwell (Author), Kristin Thompson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Film is an art form with a language and an aesthetic all of it's own, and since 1979 David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson's "Film Art" has been the most repeated introduction to the art and analysis of cinema. In the new seventh edition, "Film Art" continues it's commitment to providing the best introduction to the fundamentals of serious film study. Images throughout the book are collected from actual film frames, not from production stills or advertising photos. This book has been extensively re-designed to improve readability and teachability. Additionally, the text can be packaged with the award-winning "Film, Form, and Culture CD-ROM", and is supported by an extensive instructor's manual and text-specific website.

About the Author

David Bordwell is professor of Film Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He holds a master's degree and a doctorate in film from the University of Iowa. Kristin Thompson is an honorary Fellow at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She holds a masters degree in film from the University of Iowa and a doctorate in film from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Langua; 7th Pkg edition (July 18, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0072878800
• ISBN-13: 978-0072878806
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #874,074 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I DO recommend this book, August 15, 2004

By	G. C. (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews

The previous review of this book was by a film professor. This one is by a film STUDENT. This book was required reading for my first film class which was an introduction to film class called: the Language of Film. This book is definitely a great introduction to the art of film. It is not a book about filmmaking. It is a book that introduces with each chapter a new angle from which film can be studied. Everything about film is covered: Film history; genre films; narrative form; the stages of film production, distribution, and exhibition; mise-en-scene; editing and sound in cinema; film criticism; and the future of film. Each section is accompanied by examples and screen captures from popular classic and modern films, and scattered quotations from popular and obscure filmmakers.

The title of this book is a perfect description of what the book is. If you are a beginner, it is perfect for an overview or outline of what film is. If you are an advanced film student, it is great for sharpening your knowledge of film.

With regard to the previous review by the film professor who was afraid that this book would put off his/her students, it would be better for students to know early on what they are getting themselves into. If you are actually turned off after reading this book, you shouldn't go any further with your film studies.

In conclusion, this is a great book that introduces the purely cinematic aspects of film that distinguishes it from every other art form. I highly recommend it.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From a film professor, August 24, 2004

By	JCW (Columbus, Ohio) - See all my reviews

Since an earlier review was from a film professor who trashed this book, I thought it would be a good idea if another film professor stepped forward to defend it. The complaints from the aforementioned film professor are vague -- Film Art is apparently "pretentious" and "full of itself." If my college professors advanced criticisms that were as vague as that, and provided absolutely NO evidence or further explanations of their opinions, I wouldn't have continued my studies. It's pretty sad when a beginning undergraduate film student offers a much more articulate and thorough review of a text than a professor.

In any case, Film Art is an excellent introduction to the study of film, largley because it is NOT pretentious or full of itself. Unlike many theoretical accounts of film, Film Art is set forth in extremely clear language, is painstakingly organized for maximum clarity, is filled with visual examples and evidence from a staggeringly wide variety of films (Hollywood, foreign, documentary, avant-garde, old, new, etc.), and is thoroughly informed by both a mastery of film aesthetics and history, but also a practical knowledge of film production. Though it is not about film production and was not written by fillmmakers, its authors are totally familiar with the practices of film production and, unlike so many film scholars who leave production details to the techies, employ this body of practical knowledge to clarify how films work.

An excellent resource for teachers and students alike!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Text is good. The publisher is sloppy!, December 12, 2004

By	M. Hester (USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I used this text for my Introduction to Film and Film Studies course. It was usually an easy to read and understand text. The main problem that I have with the text itself is the examples used. I highly doubt that introductory students have seen a lot of the films used such as Ozu's "Tokyo Story" and Resnais's "Last Year at Marienbad". The authors might want to consider using examples from films that are a little more widely viewed than Eisenstein's films.

If you're a prof and considering this book, please make sure that what you call a tracking shot actually matches what the textbook says. If you don't, it can create endless confusion.

Also, the publisher of this book really need to go into the text and fix some problems. More than once I was told that an example was on page 000 and there's a section in the mise-en-scene chapter that says that information has been removed and should be put back in. This can be confusing and also makes the book look sloppy.