Early Cinema: Space, Frame, Narrative

Elsaesser, Thomas; Barker, Adam

ISBN 10: 0851702457 / ISBN 13: 9780851702452

Published by British Film Institute (edition 1990), 1990

The item might be beaten up but readable. May contain markings or highlighting, as well as stains, bent corners, or any other major defect, but the text is not obscured in any way. Seller Inventory # 0851702457-7-1-13

Synopsis:

In the twenty years preceding the First World War, cinema rapidly developed from a fairground curiosity into a major industry and social institution, a source of information and entertainment for millions of people. Only recently have film scholars and historians begun to study these early years of cinema in their own right and not simply as first steps towards the classical narrative cinema we now associate with Hollywood. The essays in this collection trace the fascinating history of how the cinema developed its forms of storytelling and representation and how it evolved into a complex industry with Hollywood rapidly acquiring a dominant role. These issues can be seen to arise from new readings of the so-called pioneers - Melies, Lumiere, Porter, and Griffith - while also suggesting new perspectives on major European filmmakers of the 1910s and 20s. Editor Thomas Elsaesser complements the contributions from leading British, American, and European scholars with introductory essays of his own that provide a comprehensive overview of the field. The volume is the most authoritative survey to date of a key area of contemporary film research, invaluable to historians as well as to students of cinema.

About the Author: THOMAS ELSAESSER was Professor Emeritus at the University of Amsterdam. His recent authored works included European Cinema and Continental Philosophy (2018); Film History as Media Archaeology (2016); German Cinema - Terror and Trauma: Cultural Memory since 1945 (2013); and The Persistence of Hollywood (2011).

Bibliographic Details

Title: Early Cinema: Space, Frame, Narrative
Publisher: British Film Institute (edition 1990)
Publication Date: 1990
Binding: Paperback
Condition: Fair
Edition: 1990.