How to Watch a Movie

by Thomson, David

• ISBN13: 9781101910849
• ISBN10: 1101910844
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2017-01-24
• Publisher: Vintage

Summary

In his most inventive exploration of the medium yet, David Thomson—one of our most provocative authorities on all things cinema—shows us how to get more out of watching any movie. Guiding us through each element of the viewing experience, considering the significance of everything from what we see and hear on-screen—actors, shots, cuts, dialogue, music—to the specifics of how, where, and with whom we do the viewing, Thomson explicates the movie watching experience with his customary candor and wit. Delivering keen analyses of films ranging from Citizen Kane to 12 Years a Slave, in How to Watch a Movie, Thomson shows moviegoers how to more deeply appreciate both the artistry and the manipulation of film—and in so doing enriches our viewing experience immensely.

Author Biography

David Thomson has written about film for The Guardian, The Independent, The New York Times, The New Republic, Salon, Movieline, Film Comment, and Sight & Sound. He is the author of more than thirty books on film, including The New Biographical Dictionary of Film, Rosebud: The Story of Orson Welles, and The Whole Equation: A History of Hollywood. He lives in San Francisco.

Table of Contents

1 Are We Having Fun?
2 Screens 
3 Alone Together? 
4 See It Once, Watch It Twice? 
5 Watching and Seeing 
6 What Is Cinematic Information? 
7 What Is a Shot? 
8 What Is a Cut, and Does It Hurt? 
9 What Do You Hear? 
10 What Is a Story, and Does It Matter? 
11 Who Makes These Movies? 
12 What Does a Hero Do?  
13 Can You See the Money? 
14 The Document and the Dream 
15 Where Is the Screen? 

Acknowledgments 
Index