Cinema has had a hugely influential role on global culture in the 20th century at multiple levels: social,political,and educational. The part of British cinema in this has been controversial - often derided as a whole,but also vigorously celebrated,especially in terms of specific films and film-makers. In this Very Short Introduction,Charles Barr considers films and filmmakers,and studios and sponsorship,against the wider view of changing artistic,socio-political,and industrial climates over the decades of the 20th Century. Considering British cinema in the wake of one of the most familiar of cinematic reference points - Alfred Hitchcock - Barr traces how British cinema has developed its own unique path,and has since been celebrated for its innovative approaches and distinctive artistic language.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts,analysis,perspective,new ideas,and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
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Publisher: Oxford University PressISBN: 9780199688333Weight: 124 gDimensions: 174 x 111 x 8 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
Writing with a graceful style and a quiet wit,Barr has made a valuable contribution to the increasing array of cinematic Very Short Introductions.It's a long time since I've read such a short book that seems so rich in content and offered so comprehensive and lucid approach to a complex phenomenon. This is a book for any intelligent non-specialist reader with an interest in British film.An entertaining and very informative tour of British film history,starting from the silent days of course,but taking a more productive route than a simple chronological tour.This short introduction is...a shrewd one... it informs and also inspires.Not the least among this small book's many pleasures are its lucid,nuanced prose style and the elegant manner in which thematic threads are teased out and followed through...it is a sensitive,sensible,and sharply perceptive introduction that will be welcomed by students new to the field,while those who think they know everything about the subject already will find some fresh observations.It guides and galvanises; it informs and also inspires. As a starting point for an inquisitive student,... it soon earns ample respect for its selectiveness,as well as appreciation for the additional lines of inquiry that it suggests.
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