The way Hollywood tells it : story and style in modern movies / David Bordwell.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Bordwell, David.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Motion picture industry--United States--History.

Motion picture industry.

Motion pictures--Aesthetics.

Motion pictures.

Motion pictures--United States--History.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (309 p.)

Place of Publication:

Berkeley : University of California Press, c2006.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Hollywood moviemaking is one of the constants of American life, but how much has it changed since the glory days of the big studios? David Bordwell argues that the principles of visual storytelling created in the studio era are alive and well, even in today's bloated blockbusters. American filmmakers have created a durable tradition-one that we should not be ashamed to call artistic, and one that survives in both mainstream entertainment and niche-marketed indie cinema. Bordwell traces the continuity of this tradition in a wide array of films made since 1960, from romantic comedies like Jerry Maguire and Love Actually to more imposing efforts like A Beautiful Mind. He also draws upon testimony from writers, directors, and editors who are acutely conscious of employing proven principles of plot and visual style. Within the limits of the "classical" approach, innovation can flourish. Bordwell examines how imaginative filmmakers have pushed the premises of the system in films such as JFK, Memento, and Magnolia. He discusses generational, technological, and economic factors leading to stability and change in Hollywood cinema and includes close analyses of selected shots and sequences. As it ranges across four decades, examining classics like American Graffiti and The Godfather as well as recent success like The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, this book provides a vivid and engaging interpretation of how Hollywood moviemakers have created a vigorous, resourceful tradition of cinematic storytelling that continues to engage audiences around the world.

Contents:

Front matter

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction: Beyond The Blockbuster

1. Continuing Tradition, By Any Means Necessary

2. Pushing the Premises

3. Subjective Stories and Network Narratives

4. A Certain Amount of Plot: Tentpoles, Locomotives, Blockbusters, Megapictures, and the Action Movie

1. Intensified Continuity: Four Dimensions

2. Some Likely Sources

3. Style, Plain and Fancy

4. What's Missing?

Appendix: A Hollywood Timeline, 1960-2004

Notes

Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 24. Apr 2020)

ISBN:

9786612759420

9781423755494

1423755499

9781282759428

1282759426

9780520932326

0520932323

9781598759396

1598759396

OCLC:

64394494