Publisher Description

How films are conceived,planned, and produced leaves a mark upon the films, directly and structurally. The relations between film style and mode of production are, according to the authors, reciprocal and mutually influencing. The authors trace such topics as style, economics, and technology over time, demonstrating how significant changes occurrred in Hollywood from the earliest days through the sixties.

Notes

It is quite simply the single most important publishing event in the field of American film history to occur within the last twenty-five years. No other work in this discipline even begins to approach its theoretical grounding, historical self-awareness, or critical power. -- Robert C. Allen, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill "It is quite simply the single most important publishing event in the field of American film history to occur within the last twenty-five years. No other work in this discipline even begins to approach its theoretical grounding, historical self-awareness, or critical power." -- Robert C. Allen, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Author Biography

David Bordwell is Professor of Film at the University of Wisconsin at Madison and head of the Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research. Janet Staiger is Assistant Professor of Cinema Studies at New York University. Kristin Thompson is Honorary Fellow at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

Table of Contents

Part 1. The classical Hollywood style, 1917-60 by David Bordwell An excessively obvious cinema Story causality and motivation The Hollywood mode of production to 1930, by Janet Staiger Classical narration The formulation of the classical style, 1909-28, by Kristin Thompson Time in the classical film Film style and technology to 1930 Space in the classical film The Hollywood mode of production, 1930-60, by Janet Staiger Shot and scene Film style and technology, 1930-60, by David Bordwell The bounds of difference Historical implications of the classical Hollywood cinema, by David Bordwell and Janet Staiger The Hollywood mode of production: its conditions of exercise Standardization and differentiation: The reinforcement and dispersion of Hollywood's practices The director system: management in the first years The director-unity system: management of multiple-unit companies after 1909 The central producer system: centralized management after 1914 The division and order of production: the subdivision of the work from the first years through the 1920s From primitive to classical The formulation of the classical narrative The continuity system Classical narrative space and the spectator's attention The stability of the classical approach after 1917 Technology, style and mode of production, by David Bordwell and Janet Staiger Initial standardization of the basic technology, by Kristin Thompson Major technological changes of the 1920s, by Kristin Thompson The Mazda tests of 1928 The introduction of sound, by David Bordwell The labor-force, financing and the mode of production The producer-unit system: management by specialization after 1931 The package-unit system: unit management after 1955 Deep-focus cinematography Technicolor Widescreen processes and stereophonic sound Since 1960: the persistence of a mode of film practice Alternative modes of film practice

Review

"A tour de force... destined to become itself a classic in film studies and a magnificent introduction to the American cinema for a much wider audience... 'The Classical Hollywood Cinema' will surely arouse discussion and debate--how could it not, since no one who studies film at whatever level can henceforth ignore it." American Film "This brilliant achievement will not soon be surpassed. It will be the foundation for all future research in the field..." Choice

Promotional

"It is quite simply the single most important publishing event in the field of American film history to occur within the last twenty-five years. No other work in this discipline even begins to approach its theoretical grounding, historical self-awareness, or critical power." -- Robert C. Allen, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Review Quote

""This brilliant achievement will not soon be surpassed. It will be the foundation for all future research in the field..."" -- Choice

Promotional "Headline"

How films are conceived,planned, and produced leaves a mark upon the films, directly and structurally. The relations between film style and mode of production are, according to the authors, reciprocal and mutually influencing. The authors trace such topics as style, economics, and technology over time, demonstrating how significant changes occurrred in Hollywood from the earliest days through the sixties.

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