Flashback. A Brief History of Film 5th Edition

Editorial Review

Consolidating major figures and film movements into their decade of greatest influence or prestige, this “no-nonsense” book offers a generously illustrated, concise, and very readable history of fiction movies with an emphasis on American cinema. Eclectic in methodology and written in a plain English style that audiences can relate to, it examines the full scope of traditional film history and criticism, viewing film as both an art and an industry– as it mirrors popular audience values, social ideologies, and historical epochs. Film discussions include titles such as Forrest Gump, Jurassic Park, There's Something About Mary, Face Off, the Lion King, Saving Private Ryan, Good Will Hunting, Pulp Fiction, Choosing Amy, The Piano, Menace II Society, Sweet Hereafter, The English Patient, Sense and Sensibility, Shakespeare in live, The Full Monty, The Crying Game, Life is Beautiful, and like Water for Chocolate. For anyone who enjoys going to, and thinking about, the movies.

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Customer Reviews

useful for new film students from foreign/asian countries.

2008-08-16
I got this book as a required textbook for one of my class. overall its easy and good read, not boring. pretty informative too.
and it is useful for new film students from foreign/asian countries.

interesting

2007-05-12
Well I got this book for a class. It turned out to be an interesting book though. It had alot of interesting facts and for being a testbook it was not soooo dry to read.

An awkward approach in the new era of film studies.

2007-03-30
I do not think this book was as good as some of the other textbooks I have reviewed for use in my History of Cinema class. The one reason is that the book deals with history through an auteur approach, detailing each filmmaker. The current focus is typically a hybrid approach; using historical details, the business of film, and theory to teach the subject matter. Filmmakers are used as ways to interpret the consequences of that history. I was also surprised when a few major films were left out of the book, mostly foreign lesser known filmmakers. But how can you not discuss Rashomon when discussing Akira Kurosawa? This should not be a top choice for college level film classes.

Very well organized, well beyond your average reviewer...

2002-08-23
I just finished checking out this book. Very well layed out: breaks down the history of film in a decade-by-decade fashion, further distinguishing american films from international cinema (which I particularly found a little pointless, but...) In general, I found the author's criteria to be well in line with those of a "smart" (or critical, if you may) moviegoer. Not a table book or a bed-side book, however: it is a textbook for a college-level film class.

An indispensable film resouce

2000-12-27
A survey of both American and International cinema, the text provides a thoroughly illustrated history of film ranging from the early works of the Lumiere brothers to the recent Magnolia. Authored by an English professor, the writing is organized, concise, and most importantly, interesting.

Upon finishing the book, I garnered a certain respect and appreciation for film and filmmakers, something that had not occurred to me with others texts. For example, it details the struggle of the German cinema during the time of the Third Reich. The reasons such acclaimed artists such as Fritz Lang and Leni Riefenstahl were being exploited for their abilities, and conversely how other talents were being suppressed for their rebellion. As I read more, I learned how political figures and movements often parallel cinematic output, and the awesome power that the silver screen can have on influencing the masses.

I highly recommend Flashback to anyone who has even the slightest interest in film. The copious amounts of photographs breaks up the text nicely, and there is certainly something for everyone.