Highlights
Themes that interest students.
The business of Hollywood is business. This theme is central both to Jon Lewis’s scholarly work and to American Film: A History. Among other topics, the text covers the relationship between content regulation and financial interest; the longstanding cultural tensions between Hollywood and American culture; the relationship between “product line” filmmaking and “auteur” or other ambitious and risky filmmaking; conflicts between labor and management in Hollywood; and the significance of the youth market since the 1960s.
A stunning art program.
Over 250 eye-catching images are included, offering an exciting visual supplement to the concepts and history discussed in the text.
A brisk and enjoyable read.
Lewis writes in an engaging and accessible manner; students are likely to enjoy reading ahead of the syllabus.
Chapter openers and closers that help students recall main points.
Each chapter of American Film begins with a stage-setting opener that lays out the main themes and provides the cultural and historical context; each chapter ends with a summing-up that of the chapter’s coverage that provides a bridge to the next chapter.
A comprehensive history that isn’t overwhelming.
American Film is organized around a chronological structure; its chapters proceed decade-by-decade through the entire arc of American film history. Combined with the accessible prose and engaging art program, this simple organization makes for a book that is appropriate for all levels of undergraduate readers.
Copyright © 2007, W. W. Norton & Company. All rights reserved.
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