A Short History of Film - Softcover

Wheeler Winston Dixon; Gwendolyn Audrey Foster

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0813542707 ISBN 13: 9780813542706

Publisher: Rutgers Univ Pr, 2008

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.

About this title

About the Author:

Wheeler Winston Dixon is the James Ryan Endowed Professor of Film Studies, University of Nebraska. He is author of over thirty volumes in film studies and cultural studies. His most recent book is Black and White Cinema: A Short History, from Rutgers University Press.Visit wheelerwinstondixon.com for more information on his many publications.

Gwendolyn Audrey Foster is Willa Cather Endowed Chair of English and Film Studies in the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Foster is author of numerous books in the areas of film studies/culturalstudies with books and articles on race, gender, and class, as well asfilm history and popular culture.Visit gwendolynaudreyfoster.com for more information on Foster's publications.

Review:

"This is the film history book we've been waiting for." (David Sterritt chairman, National Society of Film Critics)

"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." (Paula J. Massood Brooklyn College, CUNY 1999-01-01)

"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." (Stephanie Ogle Cinema Books 1999-01-01)

"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." (Choice 2008-08-01)

"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." (Library Journal, starred review 1999-01-01)

"A Short History of Film is the best 'one-stop shopping' volume on cinema history I have ever read. It offers not only thoroughness and concision, but also encourages meaningful browsing, as readers can pick and choose their topics of particular interest and then move on as desired."
(Catherine Ritchie Dallas Public Library 2012-04-14)

About this edition

• Publisher: Rutgers Univ Pr
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0813542707
• ISBN 13: 9780813542706
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 439