Film Theory and Criticism: Introductory Readings

This is a good source for any student of film studies to have laying around, as it'll save you the trouble of checking out 7+ books from the library to get just a few of the essays featured in here. All of them are important, influential pieces that are a must-read to have a foundation in the ongoing film theory debates. Not a beginner text, by any means, but certainly an excellent resource and a comprehensive starting point for theory essays.

If you're looking to get into film studies, this is THE essential anthology to buy. I've seen pretty much every major anthology of film theory out right now and this is without a doubt the most comprehensive of the lot.

First, a word of warning: one review indicates that the essays are difficult and this is very true. "Introductory Readings" is slightly misleading because this collection isn't aimed at someone completely new to the field. Some of these essays (particularly those by Metz and Deleuze) assume quite a bit of knowledge on topics such as Lacanian psychoanalytic theory and postmodern critical theory. It's really not a "film appreciation guide" in any way. Those are out there and they're great at what they do, but this is different. It's a collection on some of the most important theoretical essays in the field.

It's now in the 6th edition and there are a fair amount of new essays. I'm not sure that it's worth upgrading if you have a recent edition though. I definitely wouldn't discard your 5th edition, as this edition drops at least three or four essays in favor of newer ones.

A couple things are noteworthy: first, there is now a presence of Deleuze, an omission that seemed curious until now. Second, there is a wider range of ideas now. The best example is Jeff Sconce's article on new critical approaches to exploitation cinema. I always felt this collection slightly favored historic theoretical works (e.g. Eisenstein, Pudovkin) over newer approaches, but the inclusion of writers such as Sconce help to balance the collection out.

I can't recommend this collection highly enough. There is a very good reason that every intro to film theory course uses this anathology. No serious film student should be without this.

Although this not is a comprehensive volume of film theory, it's an invaluable resource for serious cinema students.

Very highly recommended both as a reference text and as dense but intriguing recreational literature.

Despite some jargon that it difficult to penetrate, finallys this book is an intelligent and original approach to film theory; his views on Eisenstein are fresh and valid, and he roams through film history with a confidence that elevates the book. Too bad that Braudy employs so much arcane language, as if written for academics rather than fans. Still, it's worth the effort to extract the fine parts.

This is a must-have reader for film studies. Most of the TAs and professors at my school dip into this reader to create their classpacks and exam reading lists. The reader, a selection of key essays or excerpts, will introduce you to the language of film studies -- the major theorists from Bazin, Eisenstein, Burch, to Mulvey, Gunning and Dyer etc.; the differing methods of film studies from genre, psychoanalytic, reception, and Frankfurt studies. These are some of the key essays that have shaped film studies criticism over the last century. The book is pricey but well worth it, especially if you don't have the dough to stock up on the original texts. Some of the readings are difficult precisely because they are theory and meant for an academic or professional audience. Take your time, reread selections and savor some of the ideas that still shape how we see and make movies today.