The History of Cinema for Beginners

The History of Cinema for Beginners is an informative introductory text on the history of narrative film and a reference guide for those who seek basic information on interesting movies. The book spans over one hundred years of film history, beginning with events leading up to the invention of the medium, and chronicles the early struggle of the pioneers. Readers are introduced to people behind and in front of the camera and presented with all major achievements of the silent and sound periods – even the most intangible film theories are explained and made easily digestible. The unique aspect of The History of Cinema for Beginners is its global approach to the subject of film history. The author introduces the reader to such significant developments as the soviet montage, Italian neorealism, the French new wave, the British Kitchensink cinema and the new German film, while providing a comprehensive coverage of American genre films such as slapstick comedy, the western, film noir, and science fiction. In addition, The History of Cinema for Beginners invites the reader to delve into the lesser known regions of world cinema: Eastern Europe, South-East Asia, South America and others. The book also presents every key figure in the vast world of cinema with detailed information on his or her background, technique and major accomplishments. In a lighthearted manner, filmmakers such as D.W. Griffiths, Sergei Eisenstein and Orson Welles present their unique approach to movie making. The book’s main goal is to make learning about movies as entertaining as it is watching them.