History of Film

Description

Covering the key elements and players that have contributed to cinema's artistic and technical development, David Parkinson's book offers a remarkably concise overview of film throughout the world. Beginning with cinema's scientific origins, it assesses the achievements of an international body of film-makers, among them D. W. Griffith and the pioneers of the classical narrative; silent artists; the directors of Golden Age Hollywood; the Italian Neo-Realists; and the auteurs of the French New Wave. For this second edition, new chapter maps developments in form and technology from the mid-1990s to today, examining experiments in three-dimensionality, the revival of animation, and the democratisation of film-making following the digital revolution. Parkinson also highlights the best work to have emerged globally, from Poland to China, Korea and Mexico. With a fully updated glossary and bibliography, History of Film remains the definitive survey of this dynamic and popular art form.

David Parkinson is a freelance film critic and historian. He is a contributing editor at Empire magazine, and also writes for Radio Times, the Oxford Times, the Guardian and MovieMail. He runs a popular weekly film blog on the Guardian entitled 'Ask Parky', in which he uses his expertise to answer readers' questions.

'Impressively thorough ... adeptly articulates the contributions of particular directors and movements and provides succinct social and historical context for the subject' - Publishers Weekly 'Always readable...the detail and research are top stuff' - Cinemart 'Concise, serious, but very readable' - Library Review