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Moments That Made the Movies
Lushly illustrated, compellingly written―David Thomson's choice of the key moments in movie history In his first fully illustrated work, David Thomson breaks new ground by focusing in on a series of moments―which his readers will also experience in beautifully reproduced imagery―from seventy-two films across a 100-year-plus span. An indispensable counterpart to both his classic Biographical Dictionary of Film (called “a miracle” by Sight and Sound ) and his lauded recent history, The Big Screen (“a pungently written, brilliant book” according to David Denby), Moments takes readers on an unprecedented visual tour, where the specifics of the imagery the reader is seeing are inextricably tied to the text. Thomson?s moments range from a set of Eadweard Muybridge?s pioneering photographs to sequences in films from the classic― Citizen Kane , Sunset Boulevard , The Red Shoes ―to the unexpected― The Piano Teacher , Burn After Reading .
The excitement of Moments s? dynamic visuals will be matched only by the discussion it incites in film circles, as readers revisit their own list of memorable moments and then re-experience the films―both those included on Thomson's list and from their own life―as never before. Moments That Made the Movies will undoubtedly reaffirm Thomson's place as―according to John Banville―“the greatest living writer on the movies.” 200 images in color and black and white
The excitement of Moments s? dynamic visuals will be matched only by the discussion it incites in film circles, as readers revisit their own list of memorable moments and then re-experience the films―both those included on Thomson's list and from their own life―as never before. Moments That Made the Movies will undoubtedly reaffirm Thomson's place as―according to John Banville―“the greatest living writer on the movies.” 200 images in color and black and white
304 pages, Hardcover
First published October 7, 2013
5 people are currently reading
546 people want to read
About the author
David Thomson
66 books154 followersDavid Thomson, renowned as one of the great living authorities on the movies, is the author of The New Biographical Dictionary of Film, now in its fifth edition. His books include a biography of Nicole Kidman and The Whole Equation: A History of Hollywood. Thomson is also the author of the acclaimed "Have You Seen . . . ?": A Personal Introduction to 1,000 Films. Born in London in 1941, he now lives in San Francisco.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
July 1, 2023
The book title piqued my interest, but it was the book cover that roped me in (Golden Boy floating face down in Norma Desmond's swimming pool). And admittedly, at P350, the price was hard to beat. (Thank you, Big Bad Wolf.)
I had never heard of David Thomson prior to reading this, but expectations were low, at first blush: the dust jacket's uncredited blurb made me cringe with "focussing." I thought it was a glaring misspelling, until a quick Google check explained its wider use in British English. (My bad.) Further reading revealed stilted syntax, inconsistent phrasing, and the occasional off-putting cliche. And yet the writing, though shabbily edited if at all, grew on me. It eventually felt like listening to a visiting professor doing a series of free-wheeling lectures on the movies, spoilers be damned. It is unapologetically spontaneous and conversational, and best of all, prone to digressions and trivia. Much like readers waxing nostalgic over our favorite books on Goodreads, Moments That Made the Movies is very much a vanity project of Mr Thomson's, and his passion for movies is as palpable as that of the brilliant movie critic, Roger Ebert. I too love the movies, and David Thomson has spurred me to make lists and insights of my own. His book gets the Beethoven card from me: “To play a wrong note is insignificant; to play without passion is inexcusable.” Play on, Mr Thomson.
* There are 70 films in this list, and 2 series of stills. Surprisingly, of the 70 films listed I have only seen in its entirety 23, some of which I intend to watch again (as I did with A Place in the Sun, immediately after finishing this book). I also intend to watch about half a dozen films written about here, with one or two titles of the New Wave genre the author is clearly partial to. My list of 23 movies, as of January 16, 2022:
1 M
2 Gone with the Wind +
3 Citizen Kane
4 The Lady Eve
5 Casablanca +
6 Laura
7 The Third Man
8 Sunset Boulevard +
9 A Place in the Sun +
10 Strangers on a Train +
11 A Star is Born
12 The Night of the Hunter
13 The Searchers
14 Sweet Smell of Success
15 Touch of Evil
16 Anatomy of a Murder
17 North by Northwest
18 Psycho
19 Klute
20 The Godfather +
21 The Shining +
22 When Harry Met Sally
23 Zodiac
+ Movies that endeared to me, in varying degrees, in varying seasons, and for varying reasons.
I had never heard of David Thomson prior to reading this, but expectations were low, at first blush: the dust jacket's uncredited blurb made me cringe with "focussing." I thought it was a glaring misspelling, until a quick Google check explained its wider use in British English. (My bad.) Further reading revealed stilted syntax, inconsistent phrasing, and the occasional off-putting cliche. And yet the writing, though shabbily edited if at all, grew on me. It eventually felt like listening to a visiting professor doing a series of free-wheeling lectures on the movies, spoilers be damned. It is unapologetically spontaneous and conversational, and best of all, prone to digressions and trivia. Much like readers waxing nostalgic over our favorite books on Goodreads, Moments That Made the Movies is very much a vanity project of Mr Thomson's, and his passion for movies is as palpable as that of the brilliant movie critic, Roger Ebert. I too love the movies, and David Thomson has spurred me to make lists and insights of my own. His book gets the Beethoven card from me: “To play a wrong note is insignificant; to play without passion is inexcusable.” Play on, Mr Thomson.
* There are 70 films in this list, and 2 series of stills. Surprisingly, of the 70 films listed I have only seen in its entirety 23, some of which I intend to watch again (as I did with A Place in the Sun, immediately after finishing this book). I also intend to watch about half a dozen films written about here, with one or two titles of the New Wave genre the author is clearly partial to. My list of 23 movies, as of January 16, 2022:
1 M
2 Gone with the Wind +
3 Citizen Kane
4 The Lady Eve
5 Casablanca +
6 Laura
7 The Third Man
8 Sunset Boulevard +
9 A Place in the Sun +
10 Strangers on a Train +
11 A Star is Born
12 The Night of the Hunter
13 The Searchers
14 Sweet Smell of Success
15 Touch of Evil
16 Anatomy of a Murder
17 North by Northwest
18 Psycho
19 Klute
20 The Godfather +
21 The Shining +
22 When Harry Met Sally
23 Zodiac
+ Movies that endeared to me, in varying degrees, in varying seasons, and for varying reasons.
June 12, 2015
I meant to casually leaf through a few selections...impossible. About as much fun as books about movies get.
May 20, 2020
A book for people who appreciate movies in greater detail than me but I appreciate the selection and found some new films to watch. I will watch some of the scenes again from films I’ve seen as a result. A different view and appreciated
January 3, 2014
David Thomson is my favorite film critic, partly because I like how he picks what he wants to review and doesn't have to be in the grind of publishing reviews week after week. He's can be his own man. Also, he's a very good writer.
I love his encyclopedia of film where he chronicles all the big names (according to him and their place in film history). Made him being British is also a reason why I think he stands out. He doesn't have to deal with the American film crap that comes out year after year. He just sticks to what he knows and is the better for it.
Anyway, I read maybe half of the movie moments in this current book, because most of the movie moments are from movies I know nothing about. I always get the feeling reading his work that his main objective is simply to get young people to see old movies.
He likes some pretty avant garde films; stuff that I would never willingly see, but because he goes into such detail about them, it makes me want to see them. Or maybe I feel like I have seen them as he goes on lovingly about them.
I kind of feel that I'm not a real genuine movie goer, as Thomson has some pretty defined tastes, and I watch a lot of mainstream movies.
Some of the films he goes into depth on are Casablanca, North by Northwest, Citizen Kane, and Meet me in St. Louis. There are a lot of French New wave films too from the fifties and sixties. Not many in the last twenty years, or at least some surprising choices, but I assume that thirty years from now, some other film critic will be remembering all the classics from the eighties and nineties.
I love his encyclopedia of film where he chronicles all the big names (according to him and their place in film history). Made him being British is also a reason why I think he stands out. He doesn't have to deal with the American film crap that comes out year after year. He just sticks to what he knows and is the better for it.
Anyway, I read maybe half of the movie moments in this current book, because most of the movie moments are from movies I know nothing about. I always get the feeling reading his work that his main objective is simply to get young people to see old movies.
He likes some pretty avant garde films; stuff that I would never willingly see, but because he goes into such detail about them, it makes me want to see them. Or maybe I feel like I have seen them as he goes on lovingly about them.
I kind of feel that I'm not a real genuine movie goer, as Thomson has some pretty defined tastes, and I watch a lot of mainstream movies.
Some of the films he goes into depth on are Casablanca, North by Northwest, Citizen Kane, and Meet me in St. Louis. There are a lot of French New wave films too from the fifties and sixties. Not many in the last twenty years, or at least some surprising choices, but I assume that thirty years from now, some other film critic will be remembering all the classics from the eighties and nineties.
February 25, 2026
Moments That Made The Movies by David Thomson – I will refer here to Payday by Don Carpenter, which is one of The New York Times’ Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made – there are multiple notes on films from The NYT 1,000 and other lists on my blog https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20...
8 out of 10
Payday is not just one of The New York Times’ Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made, it has made it on my own list of favorites, and it should be among the first 200 or so, it reminds me of This Is Spinal Tap https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... another formidable film, though the latter is a comedy
Rip torn is phenomenal in the leading role of Maury Dann, a country music singer, I have been wondering why this extraordinary thespian has not had more chances like this, I mean being cast in the anti-hero or hero roles…yes, we have seen him in The Insider, Marie Antoinette, but supporting, not leading the cast
At the beginning, we see Maury Dann at this show, where a young woman is talking to him – she had been brought there by a man who will show up later in the narrative, with tragic consequences, so there goes the spoiler alert now – and because she is star – struck and he could see it, the performer invites her to his car
This is where he would take advantage – the man mentioned above would learn about it, and there would be a dramatic confrontation, at the climax of the feature – have sex with her in the parking lot…mind you, the fellow is not even ‘consecrated’, he is not your Prince, Bad Bunny, albeit he is on the way up
Indeed, at some stage, he has to stop in this small town, to get to the local radio host – this is happening in the 60s, 70s – and talk to him about the family, because he still needs whatever advertising he can get, however, when the local DJ talks about Dann coming to some event a few weeks later, the latter is refusing
Mayleen Travis is the woman that tries to support this large ego – he is a version of the Orange Monster from what used to be The White House, becoming the Orange House now – but the eejit is abusive, violent, slaps her, there are insults, infidelity in the open: he will have sex with another, in the same…car with his alleged girlfriend
Nonetheless, he is not exactly one dimensional – in other words, he would not become president, head of the MAGA group of ‘lunatics’ – he has moments of some grace, when he visits his mother, though he is sour and unpleasant, he gives her some pills (maybe cocaine, heroin) and then there is the trouble with the poor dog
The animal is tied up, with no food water, feces all around, and his mate is appalled, insisting he wants to buy the dog, to save him, the antihero, in his trade mark obnoxious state, refuses, and they even fight and kick each other, until the singer accepts the idea, and then allows the dog to get some decent treatment, away from this family
Now the philanderer is attracted by Rosamund McClintock, who looks so young it is an issue if she is of age, and she is, we understand, notwithstanding that, the man who will become a star – or maybe he is already, if of a lower rank – pushes, ad eventually copulates with this girl, just as Mayleen is asleep in the corner of the travelling car
Maury Dann kicks his ‘former lover’ out of the car, then he is in this restaurant, where a man confronts him over the other woman, mentioned above, and when they are out, after a brief altercation, the fellow is dead, and thus the singer makes his driver take the blame, because he is so arrogant and Trump-like, he can do whatever he wants, or maybe not everything….
Now for my standard closing of the note with a question, and invitation – I am on Goodreads as Realini Ionescu, at least for the moment, if I keep on expressing my views on Orange Woland aka TACO, it may be a short-lived presence
Also, maybe you have a good idea on how we could make more than a million dollars with this https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... – as it is, this is a unique technique, which we could promote, sell, open the Oscars show with or something and then make lots of money together, if you have the how, I have the product, I just do not know how to get the benefits from it, other than the exercise per se
There is also the small matter of working for AT&T – this huge company asked me to be its Representative for Romania and Bulgaria, on the Calling Card side, which meant sailing into the Black Sea wo meet the US Navy ships, travelling to Sofia, a lot of activity, using my mother’s two bedrooms flat as office and warehouse, all for the grand total of $250, raised after a lot of persuasion to the staggering $400…with retirement ahead, there are no benefits, nothing…it is a longer story, but if you can help get the mastodont to pay some dues, or have an idea how it can happen, let me know
As for my role in the Revolution that killed Ceausescu, a smaller Mao, there it is http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/03/r...
Some favorite quotes from To The Hermitage and other works
‘Fiction is infinitely preferable to real life...As long as you avoid the books of Kafka or Beckett, the everlasting plot of fiction has fewer futile experiences than the careless plot of reality...Fiction's people are fuller, deeper, cleverer, more moving than those in real life…Its actions are more intricate, illuminating, noble, profound…There are many more dramas, climaxes, romantic fulfillment, twists, turns, gratified resolutions…Unlike reality, all of this you can experience without leaving the house or even getting out of bed…What's more, books are a form of intelligent human greatness, as stories are a higher order of sense…As random life is to destiny, so stories are to great authors, who provided us with some of the highest pleasures and the most wonderful mystifications we can find…Few stories are greater than Anna Karenina, that wise epic by an often foolish author…’
8 out of 10
Payday is not just one of The New York Times’ Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made, it has made it on my own list of favorites, and it should be among the first 200 or so, it reminds me of This Is Spinal Tap https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... another formidable film, though the latter is a comedy
Rip torn is phenomenal in the leading role of Maury Dann, a country music singer, I have been wondering why this extraordinary thespian has not had more chances like this, I mean being cast in the anti-hero or hero roles…yes, we have seen him in The Insider, Marie Antoinette, but supporting, not leading the cast
At the beginning, we see Maury Dann at this show, where a young woman is talking to him – she had been brought there by a man who will show up later in the narrative, with tragic consequences, so there goes the spoiler alert now – and because she is star – struck and he could see it, the performer invites her to his car
This is where he would take advantage – the man mentioned above would learn about it, and there would be a dramatic confrontation, at the climax of the feature – have sex with her in the parking lot…mind you, the fellow is not even ‘consecrated’, he is not your Prince, Bad Bunny, albeit he is on the way up
Indeed, at some stage, he has to stop in this small town, to get to the local radio host – this is happening in the 60s, 70s – and talk to him about the family, because he still needs whatever advertising he can get, however, when the local DJ talks about Dann coming to some event a few weeks later, the latter is refusing
Mayleen Travis is the woman that tries to support this large ego – he is a version of the Orange Monster from what used to be The White House, becoming the Orange House now – but the eejit is abusive, violent, slaps her, there are insults, infidelity in the open: he will have sex with another, in the same…car with his alleged girlfriend
Nonetheless, he is not exactly one dimensional – in other words, he would not become president, head of the MAGA group of ‘lunatics’ – he has moments of some grace, when he visits his mother, though he is sour and unpleasant, he gives her some pills (maybe cocaine, heroin) and then there is the trouble with the poor dog
The animal is tied up, with no food water, feces all around, and his mate is appalled, insisting he wants to buy the dog, to save him, the antihero, in his trade mark obnoxious state, refuses, and they even fight and kick each other, until the singer accepts the idea, and then allows the dog to get some decent treatment, away from this family
Now the philanderer is attracted by Rosamund McClintock, who looks so young it is an issue if she is of age, and she is, we understand, notwithstanding that, the man who will become a star – or maybe he is already, if of a lower rank – pushes, ad eventually copulates with this girl, just as Mayleen is asleep in the corner of the travelling car
Maury Dann kicks his ‘former lover’ out of the car, then he is in this restaurant, where a man confronts him over the other woman, mentioned above, and when they are out, after a brief altercation, the fellow is dead, and thus the singer makes his driver take the blame, because he is so arrogant and Trump-like, he can do whatever he wants, or maybe not everything….
Now for my standard closing of the note with a question, and invitation – I am on Goodreads as Realini Ionescu, at least for the moment, if I keep on expressing my views on Orange Woland aka TACO, it may be a short-lived presence
Also, maybe you have a good idea on how we could make more than a million dollars with this https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... – as it is, this is a unique technique, which we could promote, sell, open the Oscars show with or something and then make lots of money together, if you have the how, I have the product, I just do not know how to get the benefits from it, other than the exercise per se
There is also the small matter of working for AT&T – this huge company asked me to be its Representative for Romania and Bulgaria, on the Calling Card side, which meant sailing into the Black Sea wo meet the US Navy ships, travelling to Sofia, a lot of activity, using my mother’s two bedrooms flat as office and warehouse, all for the grand total of $250, raised after a lot of persuasion to the staggering $400…with retirement ahead, there are no benefits, nothing…it is a longer story, but if you can help get the mastodont to pay some dues, or have an idea how it can happen, let me know
As for my role in the Revolution that killed Ceausescu, a smaller Mao, there it is http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/03/r...
Some favorite quotes from To The Hermitage and other works
‘Fiction is infinitely preferable to real life...As long as you avoid the books of Kafka or Beckett, the everlasting plot of fiction has fewer futile experiences than the careless plot of reality...Fiction's people are fuller, deeper, cleverer, more moving than those in real life…Its actions are more intricate, illuminating, noble, profound…There are many more dramas, climaxes, romantic fulfillment, twists, turns, gratified resolutions…Unlike reality, all of this you can experience without leaving the house or even getting out of bed…What's more, books are a form of intelligent human greatness, as stories are a higher order of sense…As random life is to destiny, so stories are to great authors, who provided us with some of the highest pleasures and the most wonderful mystifications we can find…Few stories are greater than Anna Karenina, that wise epic by an often foolish author…’
September 3, 2019
Interesting concept from a great movie writer: Pick a moment from a famous (or lesser known) movie and describe how it feels, or what it does to you, or how it makes you think. I haven't seen all of these movies, by any means (particularly the French and Japanese films), and some I would definitely not have chosen (Burn After Reading?), but every discussion is thought-provoking. David Thomson makes us look at movies in a different way, and I will be giving a lot of these movies a second (or first!) look.
May 20, 2014
Thomson does it again. A book that is closer to his "Biographical Dictionary of Film" series or his "Have You Seen...?", the "Moments..." he picks are illustrated with breath-taking stills from the films giving the reader a 3D entrance into how the critic's mind works. A perfect coffee table book and another great addition to David Thomson's pantheon of film writing.
January 10, 2015
This book covers some good movies, some of my fave movies, loved it, with 200+ illustrations.
August 19, 2022
This large volume describes one moment in seventy one different movies, complete with stills that capture that scene. David Thomson is one of the great authorities of cinema, and I already have posted my views on two of his other books. The first film is by Eadweard Muybridge from 1887 and is titled "One Woman Standing, Another Sitting and Crossing Legs". Although Thomson tells us it "is not a movie, yet it is a series of sequential stills". The next "seems like a big jump" to 1928 and Carl Theodor Dreyer's "The Passion of Joan of Arc" and so on through the years. Ending with The Coen Brothers "Burn After Reading" from 2008.
Typically, we get a couple of pages describing the moment and why it feels important. What it has done is to get me to look out for the following films, some for the first time, some that I haven't seen for a while:
"Touch of Evil" by Orson Welles 1958
"Anatomy of a Murder" by Otto Preminger 1959
"Blow Up" by Antonioni 1966
"Don't Look Now" by Nicolas Roeg 1973
"China Town" by Roman Polanski 1974
"Taxi Driver" by Martin Scorsese 1976
"Blue Velvet" by David Lynch 1986
"One False Move" by Carl Franklin 1992
"The Piano Teacher" by Michael Haneke 2001
"In the Cut" by Jane Campion 2003 "One of the great films of the twenty-first century"
"Birth" by Jonathon Glazer 2004
"A History of Violence" by David Cronenberg 2005
"Zodiac" by David Fincher 2007
"Burn After Reading" by Joel and Ethan Coen 2008 "One of the funniest films made this century"
There are obviously many great films missing from my list, but they are far too familiar to see before those above. Such as "Citizen Kane", "Gone with the Wind", "Strangers on a Train", "The Godfather", "Psycho" to name but a few.
Typically, we get a couple of pages describing the moment and why it feels important. What it has done is to get me to look out for the following films, some for the first time, some that I haven't seen for a while:
"Touch of Evil" by Orson Welles 1958
"Anatomy of a Murder" by Otto Preminger 1959
"Blow Up" by Antonioni 1966
"Don't Look Now" by Nicolas Roeg 1973
"China Town" by Roman Polanski 1974
"Taxi Driver" by Martin Scorsese 1976
"Blue Velvet" by David Lynch 1986
"One False Move" by Carl Franklin 1992
"The Piano Teacher" by Michael Haneke 2001
"In the Cut" by Jane Campion 2003 "One of the great films of the twenty-first century"
"Birth" by Jonathon Glazer 2004
"A History of Violence" by David Cronenberg 2005
"Zodiac" by David Fincher 2007
"Burn After Reading" by Joel and Ethan Coen 2008 "One of the funniest films made this century"
There are obviously many great films missing from my list, but they are far too familiar to see before those above. Such as "Citizen Kane", "Gone with the Wind", "Strangers on a Train", "The Godfather", "Psycho" to name but a few.
Read
March 9, 2024This book is not a list of the greatest movie moments (as I thought when I bought it). It is a collection of moments that 'made' the movies they were in.
If the first list could be subjective (and we can always have our favourite moments), this is doubly so - because first, we have to decide what 'makes' a movie and then figure the moments when that happens.
But I calibrated my expectations (after the first few chapters), the book turned out to be more enjoyable, more educative than a collection of known/classic moments.
So if you're willing to go beyond the recent Hollywood we have seen, if you're okay with a book without Spielberg/Lucas/Tarantino, if you're willing to read about interesting sequences of lesser known films that were as intriguing as the ones we probably know, then you would enjoy the book.
There's a bit of Welles, Hitchcock, Wilder, Polanski, but probably not the ones we instinctively remember. That's the strength and the weakness of the book. And there also lies whether you'd like to read it or not.
If the first list could be subjective (and we can always have our favourite moments), this is doubly so - because first, we have to decide what 'makes' a movie and then figure the moments when that happens.
But I calibrated my expectations (after the first few chapters), the book turned out to be more enjoyable, more educative than a collection of known/classic moments.
So if you're willing to go beyond the recent Hollywood we have seen, if you're okay with a book without Spielberg/Lucas/Tarantino, if you're willing to read about interesting sequences of lesser known films that were as intriguing as the ones we probably know, then you would enjoy the book.
There's a bit of Welles, Hitchcock, Wilder, Polanski, but probably not the ones we instinctively remember. That's the strength and the weakness of the book. And there also lies whether you'd like to read it or not.
December 18, 2018
During a 4 hour lull for a movie, I stopped into an Indigo in Toronto on Bloor St. W and got lost in several books, one of which was this one.
It's actually incredible the power of cinema and the breakdown of some of the most iconic and amazing moments ever recorded on film and audio.
I don't know if I'd own a book like this, but it was great to pass the time enveloped in the magic of the story again and the pages of the book.
It's actually incredible the power of cinema and the breakdown of some of the most iconic and amazing moments ever recorded on film and audio.
I don't know if I'd own a book like this, but it was great to pass the time enveloped in the magic of the story again and the pages of the book.
October 30, 2024
This handsomely designed and illustrated addition to David Thomson's irreplaceable library of film notation (i.e the 1000 title compendium: HAVE YOU SEEN?) stands as yet another triumph even if some of the later films in the collection do not quite live up to the earlier entries. His observations and especially the language he summons up in response to movie-going itself more than justifies the physical heft of this glossy coffee table edition.
April 25, 2025
David Thomson is always worth reading, and one line from this book really stood out:
"So I can say that the most special and indelible and infinite effect in the movies is not made in a computer, it is a shot of the human face when something momentous is happening to that person."
Echoes of several of Ingmar Bergman's views, of course, but a good representation of Thomson's aim in this book.
"So I can say that the most special and indelible and infinite effect in the movies is not made in a computer, it is a shot of the human face when something momentous is happening to that person."
Echoes of several of Ingmar Bergman's views, of course, but a good representation of Thomson's aim in this book.
May 5, 2017
My favorite writer on film. Shaking my head all throughout this book, marveling at the intelligence and wonder of his prose. Truly inspiring to me.
December 30, 2019
Slight. Doesn't exactly fulfill what it sets out to do. But David Thomson is a film critic I almost always enjoy reading.
July 10, 2015
Moments That Made the Movies contains some pleasingly atypical selections of both films and moments within them, but too many that seem generic. Even more surprisingly, Thomson's prose is for large stretches equally generic. Thomson is an excellent and astute critic, but seems too constricted by the conceit, the format, and the restrictions which he's placed upon himself. To his credit, he recognizes this, stating multiple times the flaws in the model, including the difficulty and/or impossibility of describing various scenes or moments, and the fact that those tend to be lesser films which can be reduced to one moment as opposed to being a cohesive greater whole at the expense of more memorable individual scenes. Rather than setting about disproving these various potential flaws of his attempt, however, he seems more willing to simply let his acknowledgments stand as excuses so that he can fall back on them and say "I told you so" when said shortcomings do in fact end up playing out.
The book is in some ways almost too personal; you want that personal touch, naturally, but what one loves most, perhaps especially in films, often can't easily be explained or rationalized, even by a professional, and Thomson's attempts to do so often feel like the explanation a joke, where much or all of the magic is systematically removed in the process and one is left feeling at the end as if they are clinically examining the disassembled parts of a now unrecognizable piece of machinery. The focus on specific moments can't help but bring to mind the listlessness of text trying to reproduce what originated as motion, even if it is in the admirable task of trying to evoke what makes it so beloved. The films are presented in such a way that does not especially give much new insight to someone who has seen them, nor present those unseen as being particularly compelling and worth seeking out, which leaves this book in the position of being perfectly serviceable and yet largely, if not wholly, unnecsssary. This ineffectiveness of the essays for each moment renders the book hardly better than just a list would have been, and in many ways this book best serves the function of a mere list, prompting the reader to create and compare the author's to her own.
There is barely distinguishable any of the freewheeling feel and passion that Thomson exudes in his New Biographical Dictionary of Film; that book, too, has its flaws to be sure, but could never be described as boring or joyless. Here, Thomson often lapses into a gloomy tone, as if nostalgically looking back to a type of movie which is without exception no longer made, but to accept this means to accept the dual fallacy that is always part and parcel of nostalgia, its two parts being that, implicitly, the memories are better than the reality, and two, that what is being mourned is definitviely in the past and is no more. Thomson seems to be actively trying to disprove the first part, arguing rather too forcefully at times in favor of moments, as if only barely able to convince himself, much less his readers, of the legitimacy of their greatness.
The book's formatting almost seems hyper-antic to counteract this glumness of tone, with multiple gaudy pull-quotes and would-be witty captions that feel cynically designed to distract from the prose itself. This feeling of trying to juice the material makes it feel even more substandard for Thomson than it does in its own right, and it does not exactly speak well of a text if a pull quote is needed for every brief (two to three page) essay, as if the material isn't compelling enough to command the reader's attention on its own. This flashiness becomes weary soon into the book and contiunes for another 250 pages. The text itself has a somewhat uneven feel as well, with tidbits of knowledge and trivia often feeling inserted arbitrarily, lacking a proper fit in the piece as is but included at the insistence of the author presumably, who may have too great a stature to be properly reined in in the editing process. (Such reining-in would also likely have included the excision of various would-be clever gibes that come across as forced and glib.) However, for a reader willing to play the role of editor and pick through the book for its own moments of merit, there are certainly a number of nuggets to be found, though likely not enough to be worth the effort or to make this book especially recommendable.
The book is in some ways almost too personal; you want that personal touch, naturally, but what one loves most, perhaps especially in films, often can't easily be explained or rationalized, even by a professional, and Thomson's attempts to do so often feel like the explanation a joke, where much or all of the magic is systematically removed in the process and one is left feeling at the end as if they are clinically examining the disassembled parts of a now unrecognizable piece of machinery. The focus on specific moments can't help but bring to mind the listlessness of text trying to reproduce what originated as motion, even if it is in the admirable task of trying to evoke what makes it so beloved. The films are presented in such a way that does not especially give much new insight to someone who has seen them, nor present those unseen as being particularly compelling and worth seeking out, which leaves this book in the position of being perfectly serviceable and yet largely, if not wholly, unnecsssary. This ineffectiveness of the essays for each moment renders the book hardly better than just a list would have been, and in many ways this book best serves the function of a mere list, prompting the reader to create and compare the author's to her own.
There is barely distinguishable any of the freewheeling feel and passion that Thomson exudes in his New Biographical Dictionary of Film; that book, too, has its flaws to be sure, but could never be described as boring or joyless. Here, Thomson often lapses into a gloomy tone, as if nostalgically looking back to a type of movie which is without exception no longer made, but to accept this means to accept the dual fallacy that is always part and parcel of nostalgia, its two parts being that, implicitly, the memories are better than the reality, and two, that what is being mourned is definitviely in the past and is no more. Thomson seems to be actively trying to disprove the first part, arguing rather too forcefully at times in favor of moments, as if only barely able to convince himself, much less his readers, of the legitimacy of their greatness.
The book's formatting almost seems hyper-antic to counteract this glumness of tone, with multiple gaudy pull-quotes and would-be witty captions that feel cynically designed to distract from the prose itself. This feeling of trying to juice the material makes it feel even more substandard for Thomson than it does in its own right, and it does not exactly speak well of a text if a pull quote is needed for every brief (two to three page) essay, as if the material isn't compelling enough to command the reader's attention on its own. This flashiness becomes weary soon into the book and contiunes for another 250 pages. The text itself has a somewhat uneven feel as well, with tidbits of knowledge and trivia often feeling inserted arbitrarily, lacking a proper fit in the piece as is but included at the insistence of the author presumably, who may have too great a stature to be properly reined in in the editing process. (Such reining-in would also likely have included the excision of various would-be clever gibes that come across as forced and glib.) However, for a reader willing to play the role of editor and pick through the book for its own moments of merit, there are certainly a number of nuggets to be found, though likely not enough to be worth the effort or to make this book especially recommendable.
August 18, 2016
I'm not quite sure what you'd make of this book if you weren't already familiar with David Thomson's work. Paradoxically if you are familiar with Thomson's work, you maybe frustrated by some of the repetition. Thomson's basic thesis is that we don't remember film's whole, it is normally two or three key moments that encapsulate a film for us. He proceeds to illustrate this by writing vignettes about key moments from 70 odd films spanning, near enough, the history of cinema.
The approach has weaknesses. This is not a history of cinema and sometimes films suffer when they are discussed sans context (although the book is good at some key historical turning points, such as the French New Wave and its impact on American cinema). As with all writing on film I suspect that sometimes it makes little sense if you haven't seen the movie in question (eg the entry on L'Eclipse). But it also has strengths - this is a Thames and Hudson book and is beautifully illustrated. It also mirrors Thomson's own strengths. Films are not just seen as the creation of the director and Thomson is particularly good at what it is that 'stars' bring to the movies (see the entry on Dietrich and Gary Cooper in Morocco, for example), but he is also good at the roles of cinematographers, composers and producers. He is also both imaginative, you may think his interpretations are little more than flights of fantasy, and iconoclastic (I don't think much of most of his selections post 1990). When he is good, he is brilliant. I'd highlight the treatment of Sansho the Baliff, The Conformist, Citizen Kane, The Third Man, and, above all, The Searchers, the ending of which he captures in its full magnificance (and this is by one of John Ford's fiercest critics). But even when he is wrong he can be enlightening. In my book he mistreads both Taxi Driver and Don't Look Now, but both sections are well worth reading.
(Right at the start Thomson warns us that he is not going to discuss what has got excluded and why, but it is an inevitable that you will want to play this game. My two-penneth on what ought to have been there would include Vertigo - the moment when Judy 'becomes' Madeline (its suffused with green light you will remember it); the death of Kyz at the burning mill in the Seven Samurai (all four elements are in turmoil); either the moment when Claudia Cardinale first appears in The Leopard or when she re-appears in Eight and a half, transforming both films in the blink of an eye; Daniel Day Lewis squaring off with Paul Dano in There Will be Blood; or, finally, Robert de Niro in Raging Bull, rehearsing On the Waterfront into a mirror - this is as good as acting can get, notwithstanding Day Lewis and Dano).
If you like films I'd recommend both that you get this and read it, it is not just a coffee table book.
The approach has weaknesses. This is not a history of cinema and sometimes films suffer when they are discussed sans context (although the book is good at some key historical turning points, such as the French New Wave and its impact on American cinema). As with all writing on film I suspect that sometimes it makes little sense if you haven't seen the movie in question (eg the entry on L'Eclipse). But it also has strengths - this is a Thames and Hudson book and is beautifully illustrated. It also mirrors Thomson's own strengths. Films are not just seen as the creation of the director and Thomson is particularly good at what it is that 'stars' bring to the movies (see the entry on Dietrich and Gary Cooper in Morocco, for example), but he is also good at the roles of cinematographers, composers and producers. He is also both imaginative, you may think his interpretations are little more than flights of fantasy, and iconoclastic (I don't think much of most of his selections post 1990). When he is good, he is brilliant. I'd highlight the treatment of Sansho the Baliff, The Conformist, Citizen Kane, The Third Man, and, above all, The Searchers, the ending of which he captures in its full magnificance (and this is by one of John Ford's fiercest critics). But even when he is wrong he can be enlightening. In my book he mistreads both Taxi Driver and Don't Look Now, but both sections are well worth reading.
(Right at the start Thomson warns us that he is not going to discuss what has got excluded and why, but it is an inevitable that you will want to play this game. My two-penneth on what ought to have been there would include Vertigo - the moment when Judy 'becomes' Madeline (its suffused with green light you will remember it); the death of Kyz at the burning mill in the Seven Samurai (all four elements are in turmoil); either the moment when Claudia Cardinale first appears in The Leopard or when she re-appears in Eight and a half, transforming both films in the blink of an eye; Daniel Day Lewis squaring off with Paul Dano in There Will be Blood; or, finally, Robert de Niro in Raging Bull, rehearsing On the Waterfront into a mirror - this is as good as acting can get, notwithstanding Day Lewis and Dano).
If you like films I'd recommend both that you get this and read it, it is not just a coffee table book.
August 23, 2014
I don't think David Thomson has to write books for anyone but himself anymore, and this book seems to be mostly about his own reveling in the movie moments he most likes. You're better off with his Biographical Dictionary of Film to learn about the movies and stars. The narrative of this book is mainly You Gotta See This plus a reflection on how most of these movies are about watching movies. Which is more reveling on Thomson's part, I think.
I want to say that this book's best feature is its lavish illustrations, but actually many of the moments (perhaps because they're so specialized) are rather fuzzily illustrated, and the heft and feel of the book is more that of a textbook than a coffee-table showpiece. And it is listed at $39.95 (I got mine for a buck at a library sale).
The best thing about the book for me (besides the stills from Laura and The Bandwagon) is Thomson's discussion of recent movies I've missed but which seem terrific when Thomson revels in them (e.g., Birth, In the Cut, A History of Violence). I'll have to make it a point to see them.
I want to say that this book's best feature is its lavish illustrations, but actually many of the moments (perhaps because they're so specialized) are rather fuzzily illustrated, and the heft and feel of the book is more that of a textbook than a coffee-table showpiece. And it is listed at $39.95 (I got mine for a buck at a library sale).
The best thing about the book for me (besides the stills from Laura and The Bandwagon) is Thomson's discussion of recent movies I've missed but which seem terrific when Thomson revels in them (e.g., Birth, In the Cut, A History of Violence). I'll have to make it a point to see them.
June 12, 2014
Not the most scholarly of works, but not a trivial listing of scenes either. Rather, an interesting collection that seems so natural that you wonder why no one has done this before. Each moment presents a glimpse into a film that makes you want to see it in its full context; the whole collection reminding you of one of those "desert island movie lists" that you talk about with friends, or perhaps on a first date as you try to figure out who 'who is this person?' Sure, there are some obvious moments that are missing while other less obvious moments are included, but that only adds to its charm. It's a fun if not thought provoking read that will have you contemplating your own favorite movie moments.
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April 17, 2014Esteemed critic Thomson picks his most memorable movie moments. He narrows it down to the top 100 or so and gives explanations for them. These kinds of lists are very personal what is memorable for him is not necessarily so for you. Thomson has a weakness for early comedies and dance. Some French and Japanese movies are included. Even in movies I'd have chosen myself he has picked scenes that are odd. Frankly a good bit of Thomson's criticism is lost on me. I did pick up names of a handful of films that I've not seen and would like to.
May 12, 2014
This book looks at memorable scenes in certain movies that have been seen as samples of outstanding film making, even though in some cases the film as a whole may not have been that remarkable. I've only seen 23 of the more than 70 films included here, but I would agree with the author's selections on most of the films I've seen. That includes films like Chinatown, Blow-Up, The Passenger, One False Move, and others. The book is nicely illustrated with many photographs and is a good quick way to discover films that you might want to see for the first time.
August 5, 2014
A mixture of the repetitive and the brilliant, David Thompson's picks of cinematic moments is a really enjoyable read with some great pictures. And this being a personal list, it's not too surprising how many of his picks involve sex or sexual undertones (some obvious and some reaching). It's not a fault, it just gets old quickly. Admitting how his words and pictures can't accurate describe the scenes, Thompson's writing is persuasive and touching enough that you want to see the films right away. I really enjoyed it, slight flaws and all.
June 10, 2014
Thomson has a nice writing style and a lifetime of insight in analyzing movies to back it up. His choice of movies in this book is diverse, with not just the obvious choices but also some more or less uncommon ones.
This is not a history of movies, nor does it aspire to be. This is a personal selection of movie moments that made a particular and lasting impression on the author, and leave it to Thomson to explain why.
This is not a history of movies, nor does it aspire to be. This is a personal selection of movie moments that made a particular and lasting impression on the author, and leave it to Thomson to explain why.
December 22, 2013
You can tell Thomson had a lot of fun with this one. A great book to pick through. A reminder of why our favorites resonate to us, and an intro to some future caves. My Queue just grew quite a bit.
October 6, 2013
Thomson riffs on scenes from classic films. Interesting as always but nonessential.
February 6, 2014
The book does exactly what you want a book like this to do - remind you of amazing films that you have seen and suggest films that you should see.
August 31, 2014
Beautiful book. I really enjoyed it.
February 21, 2015
I won this book through Goodreads.com. The author explores what he considers great moments in film. He does not rank these moments but lists them chronologically.
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