Film (Eyewitness Books)

Rating:
Summary: An incredible amount of information about motion pictures
Review: In the words of Shirley Temple "Goodness gracious!" I know the Eyewitness volumes are supposed to be "Like a mini-museum between the cover of a book" but "Film" makes me seriously wonder if there is such as thing as too much information. Actually, this book by Richard Platt with special photography by Dave King traces the history of motion pictures back beyond film. The first couple of spreads are devoted to magic lanterns, whirling wheels and mutoscopes. There are examples of not only the machines involved but what they showed to 19th-century audiences as well. I really cannot think of anything that is not covered in this book. There are spreads on film, cameras and projectors, as well as the arrival of talkies and the picture palaces of the golden age of film. We see examples of makeup, costumes, stunts, sets and props, special effects, sound and score, and editing. The only four-page section is on animation from cartoons to clay to computers. I should point out this is not just an onslaught of general information because there are fascinating details as well: in the section on comedies we learn where Charlie Chaplin got the bowler, coat, trousers, shoes and cane he used to create the Little Tramp. Ultimately "Film" is more about movie making than it is about the movies, although there are plenty of references to stars and movies both famous and almost forgotten. There is a lot of information included within the covers of this "maxi-museuem." Students are not going to just sit down and devour this book in a single reading. Just think: when Thomas Edison invented the Kinetosocope he thought it was just a cheap toy.