Film Art: An Introduction, Thirteenth Edition
By David Bordwell, Kristin Thompson And Jeff Smith
Contents:
PART ONE • Film Art and Filmmaking
CHAPTER 1 Film as Art: Creativity, Technology, and Business 2
Art vs. Entertainment? Art vs. Business? 3
Creative Decisions in Filmmaking 4
CREATIVE DECISIONS: A Modern, Old-Fashioned
Musical: La La Land 5
Mechanics of the Movies 9
Illusion Machines 9
Making Films with Photographic Film 10
Filmmaking with Digital Media 13
Making the Movie: Film Production 17
The Scriptwriting and Funding Phase 17
The Preparation Phase 18
The Shooting Phase 20
The Assembly Phase 23
A CLOSER LOOK: Some Terms and Roles in Film
Production 25
Artistic Implications of the Production Process 29
Modes of Production 29
Large-Scale Production 29
Exploitation, Independent Production, and DIY 30
Small-Scale Production 31
Artistic Implications of Different Modes of Production 33
Bringing the Film to the Audience: Distribution and
Exhibition 34
Distribution: The Center of Power 34
Exhibition: Theatrical and Nontheatrical 40
Ancillary Markets: Taking Movies beyond
the Theater 42
Artistic Implications of Distribution and Exhibition 43
Screens and Sounds: Stylistic Opportunities and
Challenges 45
SUMMARY 48
PART TWO • Film Form
CHAPTER 2 The Significance of Film Form 50
The Concept of Form in Film 51
Form as Pattern 51
Form Versus Content 52
Formal Expectations 53
Conventions and Experience 55
Form and Feeling 56
Form and Meaning 57
Evaluation: Good, Bad, or
Indifferent? 60
Principles of Film Form 62
Function 62
Similarity and Repetition 63
A CLOSER LOOK: Creative Decisions: Picking Out
Patterns 64
Difference and Variation 66
Development 67
Unity and Disunity 69
SUMMARY 70
CHAPTER 3 Narrative Form 71
Principles of Narrative Form 71
What Is Narrative? 72
Telling the Story 73
CREATIVE DECISIONS: How Would You Tell the
Story? 73
Plot and Story 74
Cause and Effect 76
Time 79
A CLOSER LOOK: Playing Games with Story Time 82
Space 84
Openings, Closings, and Patterns of Development 85
Narration: The Flow of Story Information 87
Range of Story Information:
Restricted or Unrestricted? 87
Depth of Story Information: Objective or Subjective? 90
The Narrator 93
A CLOSER LOOK: When the Lights Go Down, the
Narration Starts 94
CREATIVE DECISIONS: Choices about Narration in
Storytelling 96
The Classical Hollywood Cinema 97
Narrative Form in Citizen Kane 99
Overall Narrative Expectations in Citizen Kane 99
Plot and Story in Citizen Kane 100
Citizen Kane’s Causality 102
Time in Citizen Kane 102
Motivation in Citizen Kane 105
Citizen Kane’s Parallelism 106
Patterns of Plot Development in Citizen Kane 106
Narration in Citizen Kane 107
SUMMARY 109
PART THREE • Film Style
CHAPTER 4 The Shot: Mise-en-Scene 112
What Is Mise-en-Scene? 112
The Power of Mise-en-Scene 113
Components of Mise-en-Scene 115
Setting 115
Costume and Makeup 121
Lighting 125
Staging: Movement and Performance 132
A CLOSER LOOK: The Film Actor’s Toolkit 134
Putting It All Together: Mise-en-Scene in Space and
Time 141
CREATIVE DECISIONS: Mise-en-Scene in a Sequence
from L’Avventura 142
Space 143
CREATIVE DECISIONS: Guiding Our Attention in Blackand-
White and Color 149
Time 150
Narrative Functions of Mise-en-Scene in Our Hospitality 154
SUMMARY 158
CHAPTER 5 The Shot: Cinematography 159
The Photographic Image 159
The Range of Tonalities 159
Speed of Motion 164
A CLOSER LOOK: From Monsters to the Mundane:
Computer-Generated Imagery in The Lord of the
Rings 165
Perspective 168
Framing 178
Frame Dimensions and Shape 179
A CLOSER LOOK: Virtual Perspective: 3D 180
CREATIVE DECISIONS: Using Widescreen
Framing 184
Onscreen and Offscreen Space 186
Camera Position: Angle, Level, Height, and Distance of
Framing 188
CREATIVE DECISIONS: Camera Position in a Shot from
The Social Network 191
The Mobile Frame 195
CREATIVE DECISIONS: Mobile Framing and Film Form
in Grand Illusion and Wavelength 204
Duration of the Image: The Long Take 209
Real Time Is . . . What? 210
Functions of the Long Take 210
The Long Take and the Mobile Frame 212
SUMMARY 215
CHAPTER 6 The Relation of Shot to Shot: Editing 216
What Is Editing? 217
CREATIVE DECISIONS: Why Cut? Four Shots from
The Birds 218
Dimensions of Film Editing 219
Graphic Relations between Shot A and Shot B 219
Rhythmic Relations between Shot A and Shot B 224
Spatial Relations between Shot A and Shot B 225
Temporal Relations between Shot A and Shot B 227
Continuity Editing 230
Spatial Continuity: The 180° System 231
Continuity Editing in The Maltese Falcon 233
Continuity Editing: Some Fine Points 237
CREATIVE DECISIONS: Are You Looking at Me?
Point-of-View Cutting in Rear Window 241
Crosscutting 244
A CLOSER LOOK: Intensified Continuity: Unstoppable,
- A. Confidential, and Contemporary Editing 246
Temporal Continuity: Order, Frequency, and Duration 251
Alternatives to Continuity Editing 253
Graphic and Rhythmic Possibilities 253
Spatial and Temporal Discontinuity 254
CREATIVE DECISIONS: Discontinuity Editing in
October 259
SUMMARY 262
CHAPTER 7 Sound in the Cinema 263
Sound Decisions 263
The Powers of Sound 264
Sound Shapes Our Understanding of Images 265
Guiding Our Eye and Mind 265
Fundamentals of Film Sound 267
What Do We Hear? 267
Recording, Altering, and Combining Sounds 270
CREATIVE DECISIONS: Editing Dialogue: To Overlap
or Not to Overlap? 273
Musical Motifs in Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings 277
A CLOSER LOOK: Orchestrating Romance in Jules
and Jim 280
Dimensions of Film Sound 281
Rhythm 281
Fidelity 284
Space 285
A CLOSER LOOK: Offscreen Sound and Optical Point
of View: The Money Exchange in Jackie Brown 287
Sound Perspective 294
Time 295
Conversation Piece 299
SUMMARY 302
CHAPTER 8 Summary: Style and Film Form 303
The Concept of Style 303
CREATIVE DECISIONS: Style and the Filmmaker 304
Decision Making: Techniques Working Together 305
Watching and Listening: Style and the Viewer 306
Analyzing Style 307
- What Is the Film’s Overall Form? 307
- What Are the Main Techniques Being Used? 308
- What Patterns Are Formed by the Techniques? 308
- What Functions Do the Techniques
and Patterns Fulfill? 309
A CLOSER LOOK: Stylistic Synthesis in Shadow
of a Doubt 311
Style in Citizen Kane 313
Mystery and the Penetration of Space 313
Style and Narration: Restriction
and Objectivity 315
Style and Narration: Omniscience 317
Narrative Parallels: Settings 318
Parallels: Other Techniques 319
A Convincing Newsreel 320
Plot Time through Editing 321
Style and the Viewer’s Response 322
A CLOSER LOOK: Gravity: Film Style in the
Digital Age 323
SUMMARY 325
PART FOUR • Types of Films
CHAPTER 9 Film Genres 328
Understanding Genre 329
Defining a Genre 330
Analyzing a Genre 331
Genre History 333
A CLOSER LOOK: Creative Decisions in a Contemporary
Genre The Crime Thriller as Subgenre 334
The Social Functions of Genres 337
Four Genres 339
The Western 339
The Horror Film 341
The Musical 344
The Sports Film 348
SUMMARY 351
CHAPTER 10 Documentary, Experimental, and Animated Films 352
Documentary 352
What Is a Documentary? 352
The Boundaries between Documentary and Fiction 354
Genres of Documentary 355
Form in Documentary Films 356
Categorical Form: Introduction 357
CREATIVE DECISIONS: Engaging Viewers Using
Categorical Form 358
An Example of Categorical Form:
Gap-Toothed Women 359
Rhetorical Form: Introduction 364
An Example of Rhetorical Form: 13th 365
Experimental Film 371
A Range of Technical Choices 371
Types of Form in Experimental Films 372
Abstract Form: Introduction 373
CREATIVE DECISIONS: Designing Form in an Abstract
Film 373
An Example of Abstract Form: Ballet Mécanique 374
Associational Form: Introduction 379
An Example of Associational Form: Koyaanisqatsi 381
The Animated Film 388
Types of Traditional Animation 389
Types of Computer Animation 390
An Example of Traditional Animation: Duck Amuck 394
An Example of Experimental Animation:
Dimensions of Dialogue 396
SUMMARY 400
PART F I V E • Critical Analysis of Films
CHAPTER 11 Film Criticism: Sample Analyses 402
The Classical Narrative Cinema 403
His Girl Friday 403
Do the Right Thing 406
Moonrise Kingdom 410
The Piano 414
Narrative Alternatives to Classical Filmmaking 422
Breathless (À Bout de souffle) 422
Tokyo Story (Tokyo Monogatari) 427
Chungking Express (Chung Hing sam lam) 432
Documentary Form and Style 436
Man with a Movie Camera (Chelovek s kinoapparatom) 436
The Thin Blue Line 440
Form, Style, and Ideology 445
Meet Me in St. Louis 445
Ali: Fear Eats the Soul 450
CHAPTER 10 Documentary, Experimental, and Animated Films 352
Documentary 352
What Is a Documentary? 352
The Boundaries between Documentary and Fiction 354
Genres of Documentary 355
Form in Documentary Films 356
Categorical Form: Introduction 357
CREATIVE DECISIONS: Engaging Viewers Using
Categorical Form 358
An Example of Categorical Form:
Gap-Toothed Women 359
Rhetorical Form: Introduction 364
An Example of Rhetorical Form: 13th 365
Experimental Film 371
A Range of Technical Choices 371
Types of Form in Experimental Films 372
Abstract Form: Introduction 373
CREATIVE DECISIONS: Designing Form in an Abstract
Film 373
An Example of Abstract Form: Ballet Mécanique 374
Associational Form: Introduction 379
An Example of Associational Form: Koyaanisqatsi 381
The Animated Film 388
Types of Traditional Animation 389
Types of Computer Animation 390
An Example of Traditional Animation: Duck Amuck 394
An Example of Experimental Animation:
Dimensions of Dialogue 396
SUMMARY 400
PART S I X • Film Art and Film History
CHAPTER 12 Historical Changes in Film Art: Conventions and Choices, Tradition
and Trends 456
CREATIVE DECISIONS: Film Form and Style across
History 457
Traditions and Movements in Film History 459
Early Cinema (1893–1903) 460
Photography and Cinema 461
Edison versus Lumière 461
Early Form and Style 462
Méliès, Magic, and Fictional Narrative 463
The Development of the Classical Hollywood Cinema
(1908–1927) 464
Hollywood and the Studio System of Production 464
Classical Form and Style in Place 466
German Expressionism (1919–1926) 467
French Impressionism and Surrealism
(1918–1930) 470
Impressionism 471
Surrealism 472
Soviet Montage (1924–1930) 474
Artists and the State 474
NEP Cinema 475
The Priority of Editing 476
The Movement Ends 476
PART F I V E • Critical Analysis of Films
CHAPTER 11 Film Criticism: Sample Analyses 402
The Classical Narrative Cinema 403
His Girl Friday 403
Do the Right Thing 406
Moonrise Kingdom 410
The Piano 414
Narrative Alternatives to Classical Filmmaking 422
Breathless (À Bout de souffle) 422
Tokyo Story (Tokyo Monogatari) 427
Chungking Express (Chung Hing sam lam) 432
Documentary Form and Style 436
Man with a Movie Camera (Chelovek s kinoapparatom) 436
The Thin Blue Line 440
Form, Style, and Ideology 445
Meet Me in St. Louis 445
Ali: Fear Eats the Soul 450
CHAPTER 10 Documentary, Experimental, and Animated Films 352
Documentary 352
What Is a Documentary? 352
The Boundaries between Documentary and Fiction 354
Genres of Documentary 355
Form in Documentary Films 356
Categorical Form: Introduction 357
CREATIVE DECISIONS: Engaging Viewers Using
Categorical Form 358
An Example of Categorical Form:
Gap-Toothed Women 359
Rhetorical Form: Introduction 364
An Example of Rhetorical Form: 13th 365
Experimental Film 371
A Range of Technical Choices 371
Types of Form in Experimental Films 372
Abstract Form: Introduction 373
CREATIVE DECISIONS: Designing Form in an Abstract Film 373
An Example of Abstract Form: Ballet Mécanique 374
Associational Form: Introduction 379
An Example of Associational Form: Koyaanisqatsi 381
The Animated Film 388
Types of Traditional Animation 389
Types of Computer Animation 390
An Example of Traditional Animation: Duck Amuck 394
An Example of Experimental Animation:
Dimensions of Dialogue 396
SUMMARY 400
PART S I X • Film Art and Film History
CHAPTER 12 Historical Changes in Film Art: Conventions and Choices, Tradition
and Trends 456
CREATIVE DECISIONS: Film Form and Style across
History 457
Traditions and Movements in Film History 459
Early Cinema (1893–1903) 460
Photography and Cinema 461
Edison versus Lumière 461
Early Form and Style 462
Méliès, Magic, and Fictional Narrative 463
The Development of the Classical Hollywood Cinema
(1908–1927) 464
Hollywood and the Studio System of Production 464
Classical Form and Style in Place 466
German Expressionism (1919–1926) 467
French Impressionism and Surrealism
(1918–1930) 470
Impressionism 471
Surrealism 472
Soviet Montage (1924–1930) 474
Artists and the State 474
NEP Cinema 475
The Priority of Editing 476
The Movement Ends 476
The Classical Hollywood Cinema after the Coming of Sound
(1926–1950) 478
Converting to Sound 478
Problems and Solutions 478
Studios, Genres, and Spectacle 479
Deep Focus and Narrative Innovations 480
Italian Neorealism (1942–1951) 481
Leaving the Studio 482
A New Model of Storytelling 482
The Movement’s End and Its Legacy 483
The French New Wave (1959–1964) 483
Critics Become Moviemakers 484
A New Wave Style 484
Neorealism Recast 485
Into the Mainstream and Beyond 485
The New Hollywood and Independent Filmmaking,
1970s–1980s 486
Blockbusters and Indie Pictures 487
The Rise of the Movie Brats 487
Other Paths 488
The 1980s and After 489
Hollywood and Independents, To Be Continued 491
Hong Kong Cinema, 1980s–1990s 492
A Local Tradition Goes Global 492
The New Generation: Two Schools 493
Story and Style 493
Legacy Overseas 495
FILM ADAPTATIONS
WRITING A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF A FILM
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR “FILM AS ART: CREATIVITY, TECHNOLOGY, AND BUSINESS”
Glossary G-1
Index I-1