Rating: 
Summary: A textbook of narrative film from its beginnings to today.
Review: A History of Narrative Film chronicles the earliest history
of the narrative film from its beginnings with Edison and the Lumieres, through the great silent era, the advents of
sound and color, to today's world of computer generated special effects. The book focuses on significant technical developments and artistic trends in the history of films. It
includes chapters on the coming of sound, Eisenstein and the
rise of montage, genres like the film noir, directors such as Orson Welles, W.D. Griffith and Alfred Hitchcock, and foreign films. It is richly illustrated with photos and prints from
most of the films covered in the text.
David Cook is a professor of English and Film Studies at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. He has taught courses in
film studies for over 15 years.
Rating: 
Summary: Extremely comprehensive!
Review: An excellent compendium of cinematic knowledge, from Edison and Lumiere up to Robocop and Tron. I happen to also be taking a film history class with Dr. Cook and I can say that although his teaching style is a bit dry, he certainly knows his stuff. The book is well organized in terms of chronology and geography, tracing artistic movements and schools of thought from the prehistory through 1895 and beyond. The only thing that kept it from 5 stars would be its sometimes overwhelming amount of information (particularly lists of foreign film titles, not all of which are translated) - as a student, I would prefer that the text focused on the films that had a discerable impact on the development of the genre rather than just being listed for their own sake. Definitely recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Encyclopedic Coverage
Review: Even considering its more than 1,000 pages, this book packs an astounding amount of information between its covers. In attempting to provide a comprehensive history, the book's strength sometimes becomes its weakness--on many topics, Cook offers sketchy coverage, occasionally reduced to simple lists of films and filmmakers. A natural hazard, perhaps, of such an undertaking. Despite that, there are many excellent sections, including those on the early development of the film industry and some of the discussions of particular films, directors, and genres, such as Potememkin, Orson Welles, and film noir. Ultimately, it's a worthwhile volume for the reference shelf of anyone interested in film.
Rating:
Summary: An awesome source of information!
Review: I originally found this book while researching the film ratings system for a college paper. I found great information for my research but the book actually slowed down my work because I spent so much time reading about unrelated topics just for the joy of it. This is a must own for anybody who loves film. I found it not only informative but also extremely interesting.
Rating:
Summary: A great film history text book
Review: I've been teaching film history for over ten years and this is the best history of cinema I have ever read. While there is quite a bit on American studio films, the book shines in its coverage of silent and international cinema. A great work!
Rating:
Summary: A great film history text book
Review: I've been teaching film history for over ten years and this is the best history of cinema I have ever read. While there is quite a bit on American studio films, the book shines in its coverage of silent and international cinema. A great work!
Rating:
Summary: This is the best General History available
Review: Imagine having the gall to write a history of "Narrative Film" -- not just Hollywood production, but ALL film, from ALL OVER...Well Cook does, and does it better than anyone else. The most amazing thing about this book is that is reads so well: you can literally open it up anywhere, start reading, and start learning -- and be entertained at the same time. I just love reading this book. The second amazing thing is that Cook seems to have seen a lot of movies and taken the time to think carefully about them. As a result his comments, his sense of historical perspective, and his assertions are usually accurate, frequently insightful, and always enlightenling. If you're studying film in ANY context, this is the book to buy. If you prefer a video store with a foreign language section instead of your local Blockbuster, this is the catalog for you. Within days of reading this book I was making lists of films that I had to see (The Red And The White, and the Wadja trilogy among them), and running out to find them. For those in need of a text-book, this is the best value-for-money you can get. For thos FEARING a text-book, relax: it's actually a real page turner. Any short-commings? There are some minor factual errors (the photographs demonstrating zoom, telephoto and wide lenses use inaccurate frames from Barry Lyndon, for example), but nothing to worry about -- there so much about this book that's good it really doesn't make a difference. The only real problem is that it will never be big enough. This is the book against which the others are judged.
Rating:
Summary: This is the best General History available
Review: Imagine having the gall to write a history of "Narrative Film" -- not just Hollywood production, but ALL film, from ALL OVER... Well Cook does, and does it better than anyone else. The most amazing thing about this book is that is reads so well: you can literally open it up anywhere, start reading, and start learning -- and be entertained at the same time. I just love reading this book. The second amazing thing is that Cook seems to have seen a lot of movies and taken the time to think carefully about them. As a result his comments, his sense of historical perspective, and his assertions are usually accurate, frequently insightful, and always enlightenling. If you're studying film in ANY context, this is the book to buy. If you prefer a video store with a foreign language section instead of your local Blockbuster, this is the catalog for you. Within days of reading this book I was making lists of films that I had to see (The Red And The White, and the Wadja trilogy among them), and running out to find them. For those in need of a text-book, this is the best value-for-money you can get. For thos FEARING a text-book, relax: it's actually a real page turner. Any short-commings? There are some minor factual errors (the photographs demonstrating zoom, telephoto and wide lenses use inaccurate frames from Barry Lyndon, for example), but nothing to worry about -- there so much about this book that's good it really doesn't make a difference. The only real problem is that it will never be big enough. This is the book against which the others are judged.
Rating:
Summary: Comprehensive.
Review: It's between this text or Gerald Mast's. Personally I find the Mast book a bit more balanced and readable. Cook gives such lengthy, descriptive accounts of films such as Birth, Potemkin, and Kane that students can practically skip viewing the films.
Rating:
Summary: Comprehensive.
Review: It's between this text or Gerald Mast's. Personally I find the Mast book a bit more balanced and readable. Cook gives such lengthy, descriptive accounts of films such as Birth, Potemkin, and Kane that students can practically skip viewing the films.
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