The Wiley-Blackwell history of American film
Cynthia A. Barto Lucia (Editor), Roy Grundmann (Editor), Art Simon (Editor)
Comprising 90 smart, useful essays written by accomplished film historians and critics, this sprawling, richly illustrated collection covers myriad subjects. The range of topics is impressive, as close to comprehensive as one can reasonably expect (the editors note that the book is not intended to be encyclopedic). Keenly aware of context, the essays examine US film as an art form, a technology, and an industry. Organized chronologically (the first volume covers the period from film's origins through the silents), the set has essays on traditional narrative films (romances, screwball comedies, Westerns, musicals, biopics, gangster films, film noir, science fiction, horror films) and on documentaries, different kinds of animation, avant-garde work, independent cinema, underground and blaxploitation films, pornography, and blockbusters. Many of the essays treat individuals - King Vidor, D.W. Griffith, Frank Capra, Orson Welles, Oliver Stone, the Coen brothers, among others - while others consider such subjects as audiences, women/minorities, sound, special effects, and film criticism. Missing are essays dedicated to film about Native Americans and about sport. All of the essays are well researched (and include bibliographies), and most are lucid and relatively jargon free. Several contributions are excellent, e.g., Robert Sklar's introduction to volume 1, "Writing American Film History." A superb compendium. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries. D.A. Nathan Skidmore College. Review by Choice Review. Copyright American Library Association, used with permission
eBook, English, 2012
Wiley-Blackwell, Chichester, West Sussex, 2012