On the History of Film Style

The study of cinematic style has in many ways shaped attitudes towards films. Style assigns films to a tradition, distinguishes a classic and signals the arrival of an innovation. This book aims to show how film scholars have attempted to explain stylistic continuity and change across the history of cinema. The author explores the theories of style launched by Andre Bazin, Noel Burch and other film historians. In the process he celebrates a century of cinema, integrating discussions of the film classics such as "The Birth of a Nation" and "Citizen Cane", with analysis of more current box-office successes such as "Jaws" and "The Hunt For Red October". The contributions of noted and neglected directors are examined, and the author considers the earliest film making, the accomplishments of the silent era, the development of Hollywood, and the strides taken by European and Asian cinema in recent years. The book proposes that stylistic developments often arise from filmmakers' search for efficient solutions to production problems. The author traces this activity across history through a detailed discussion of cinematic staging.