How to Read a Film: Movies, Media, and Beyond
Product ID: 1701996
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Richard Gilman referred to How to Read a Film as simply "the best single work of its kind." And Janet Maslin in The New York Times Book Review marveled at James Monaco's ability to collect "an enormous amount of useful information and assemble it in an exhilaratingly simple and systematic way." Indeed, since its original publication in 1977, this hugely popular book has become the definitive source on film and media. Now, James Monaco offers a special anniversary edition of his classic work, featuring a new preface and several new sections, including an "Essential Library: One Hundred Books About Film and Media You Should Read" and "One Hundred Films You Should See." As in previous editions, Monaco once again looks at film from many vantage points, as both art and craft, sensibility and science, tradition and technology. After examining film's close relation to other narrative media such as the novel, painting, photography, television, and even music, the book discusses the elements necessary to understand how films convey meaning, and, more importantly, how we can best discern all that a film is attempting to communicate. In addition, Monaco stresses the still-evolving digital context of film throughout--one of the new sections looks at the untrustworthy nature of digital images and sound--and his chapter on multimedia brings media criticism into the twenty-first century with a thorough discussion of topics like virtual reality, cyberspace, and the proximity of both to film. With hundreds of illustrative black-and-white film stills and diagrams, How to Read a Film is an indispensable addition to the library of everyone who loves the cinema and wants to understand it better. Review: A classic invaluable text. - I've been a reader of Monaco's How to Read a Film since the first edition. Over the years my admiration for it grows and grows. It is one of the few decent comprehensive books on the theories, history, technologies and cultural impact of motion pictures that manages to be both accessible to a novice and still valuable to an expert in the field. It's also very well written in a style that makes it a pleasure to read. Review: very broad yet also deep coverage - When I tried to sign up for a community college "Intro to Film" course, I found that rather than being ubiquitous as I had assumed, such courses are frequently impossible to find these days. So I went looking for a book instead. My stumbling on "How To Read A Film" was a fortunate accident, it was just what I was seeking (and it didn't cost an arm and a leg). The book ranges very widely to cover a lot of different angles you might not expect to find between a single pair of covers: film technology, related media technologies, artistic history, commercial history, analysis, theory, relation to literary techniques, and the place of film within the arts. I realized only later that the relatively breezy style covers a whole lot of depth. I was painlessly introduced to quite a bit of fairly arcane terminology: things like "mise en scene" of course, but did you know where the term "pull-down" in your DVD creator program came from? (The author has made substantial revisions in new editions in order to keep this book current, even to the point of replacing whole chapters. If possible, it's worth getting a current edition; otherwise some topics may seem notably dated. Some editions also come with a DVD; if you want a DVD so the examples aren't just stills, you will have less choice of editions, and may not be able to choose the most current one. My comments refer to the Fourth Edition. )
| Best Sellers Rank | #122,892 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #10 in Film & Television #15 in Movie Theory #246 in Movie History & Criticism |
| Customer Reviews | 4.5 out of 5 stars 305 Reviews |
A**R
A classic invaluable text.
I've been a reader of Monaco's How to Read a Film since the first edition. Over the years my admiration for it grows and grows. It is one of the few decent comprehensive books on the theories, history, technologies and cultural impact of motion pictures that manages to be both accessible to a novice and still valuable to an expert in the field. It's also very well written in a style that makes it a pleasure to read.
C**S
very broad yet also deep coverage
When I tried to sign up for a community college "Intro to Film" course, I found that rather than being ubiquitous as I had assumed, such courses are frequently impossible to find these days. So I went looking for a book instead. My stumbling on "How To Read A Film" was a fortunate accident, it was just what I was seeking (and it didn't cost an arm and a leg). The book ranges very widely to cover a lot of different angles you might not expect to find between a single pair of covers: film technology, related media technologies, artistic history, commercial history, analysis, theory, relation to literary techniques, and the place of film within the arts. I realized only later that the relatively breezy style covers a whole lot of depth. I was painlessly introduced to quite a bit of fairly arcane terminology: things like "mise en scene" of course, but did you know where the term "pull-down" in your DVD creator program came from? (The author has made substantial revisions in new editions in order to keep this book current, even to the point of replacing whole chapters. If possible, it's worth getting a current edition; otherwise some topics may seem notably dated. Some editions also come with a DVD; if you want a DVD so the examples aren't just stills, you will have less choice of editions, and may not be able to choose the most current one. My comments refer to the Fourth Edition. )
A**R
READS LIKE A COLLEGE TEXTBOOK
If you're interested in reading about the technical side of how movies are made, this book is for you. It gives you the history behind the technologies that make modern movies possible.
E**R
A classic book about movies & moviemaking
I’m not sure semiotics offers the best way to understand movies and moviemaking, as the author claims. I think an alternative approach that combines the ethnography of moviemaking and moviemakers along with the insights deriving from a narratological approach to film will draw closer to the topic, but that’s just me. Quibbling aside, this book is a major contribution—an informative read not just for professionals in media studies, but also useful for serious movie fans who want to learn more about how movies work their magic.
S**S
Title does not lie
Classic film book that describes film theory, history, technique, and technology. If I taught a class on Film Study, this would be my text book. Very readable and comprehensive.
N**S
To Talk or To Watch
I had to buy this book for a Topics in Film: Independent Film class so I didn't have a choice in which book to buy. This book while has an interesting ideas, but overall this is an opinion of a person that is showed as a fact. We have film making students in our class and a lot of them disagree with some points that the author is talking about. While movie is subjective to begin with it, so is the discussion about the movies. There is a lot of historical information in there that it feels like this book is more for Art History rather then about movies. Overall not a very bad book and has some good information, just be prepared to read a lot.
N**A
Fast delivery
I am so pleased with the purchase. The book is in a great condition, not saying that it is also amazing in its content. Highly recommended to read for those who are interested in film history and theory. Moreover, the book arrived month and some days before the date of the estimate delivery, which I was very pleased to find out.
R**.
Five Stars
Excellent book, in great condition, and very useful to me. Thanks!!!
A**W
Foundations of film making, made easy to understand
This is a seminal paper or book. It's easy to read but engages you in how films have been made and the hidden sub-text or meaning that comes through via everything from the use of symbols, camera angles, choice of actor, lighting, sound, etc. It provides a historical context too, so that you can see how film making and the stories told through film have evolved with the changes in technology, society and culture... from the variety shows that spun off from the early vaudville traditions and theatre to today's evolution of reality TV concepts that have emerged as a result of the web and technology bringing the audience closer to the production. I sense it was written for someone who wants to study the art of film making and the orgins of the Art BUT, even if you are simply a film buff or want to have a better appreciation of the art and the hidden meaning in films (whether for TV or the big screen) it's a rewarding read... it can make a dinner conversation more interesting.
B**.
Great for students
Book arrived as advertised. A solid introduction to film and media studies for students.
A**R
A must read for film students.
It is really a great book for film students. This book covers every aspect of film. I'll recommend this book for starters and potential film makers.
D**P
Worth reading
Great book with a lot of very useful information for all skill levels.
E**A
excelente
excelente
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