What do you think?
Rate this book
Eyewitness Companions
Eyewitness Companions: Film
Offering coverage from Woody Allen to Roberto Rossellini, from "Schindlers List" to "Goldfinger" everything you ever wanted to know about film but were afraid to ask, this is a comprehensive, fun to browse, and easy-to-use guide to everything you need to know about movies and the people behind them. It is for the cinema-literate enthusiast and the popcorn-popping film-goer. Join us behind the camera and find out about how films are made and who makes them from the greatest animators, to the most talented set designers. Explore different genre and movie styles from westerns, musicals and sci-fi, to cult movies and documentaries. Take a trip from Hollywood to Bollywood and we'll show you what makes different World cinema styles unique. We'll give you the low-down on the best films to watch and reveal the ones they've influenced. Plus, check out the 100 must-see movies of all time.
512 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
13 people are currently reading
143 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 24, 2009
Ronald Bergan is a film historian and critic. In this volume, part of the Eyewitness Companions series, he looks at film. The book begins with a brief history of movies, from Thomas Edison and Henry Reichenbach to the Lumiere Brothers to D. W. Griffith and onwards. During the discussion of the history of cinema, one interesting feature is the list of box office hits for each decade, from the beginning to the present. Did you know that "The Big Parade" was the top box office hit in the 1920s? I surely did not!
The next section focuses on how movies are made, from pre-production to post-production. After that, a not fully satisfying review of genres and examples of each. Some don't really sound like genres to me; each is so brief that you don't get a real sense of what is at stake. Following this is a section entitled "World Cinema," in which various countries/areas with a substantial movie industry are profiled, from Africa to India, from Russia to Central America.
The penultimate section explores the world of Directors. There are profiles and "filmographies" of whom the author sees as the greatest 200 directors of all time. Take one example to get a flavor for the discussion. I randomly flipped to a page and saw the discussion of Joseph Mankiewicz' body of work. The entry noted which of his movies one might wish to watch (e.g., The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, All about Eve, Julius Caesar, Guys and Dolls. . . .). The entries are quite brief, but they provide pretty decent coverage of major directors (although one can always quibble about inclusion and exclusion--but sometimes that's a part of the fun with encyclopedic works such as this).
Finally, the top 100 movies of all time (with the stipulation that no director can have more than one on the list--perhaps a criterion that leaves out masterpieces of prolific and excellent directors such as Alfred Hitchcock or Stephen Spielberg or to the detriment of this section.
Anyhow, a typical work in this useful series of books.
The next section focuses on how movies are made, from pre-production to post-production. After that, a not fully satisfying review of genres and examples of each. Some don't really sound like genres to me; each is so brief that you don't get a real sense of what is at stake. Following this is a section entitled "World Cinema," in which various countries/areas with a substantial movie industry are profiled, from Africa to India, from Russia to Central America.
The penultimate section explores the world of Directors. There are profiles and "filmographies" of whom the author sees as the greatest 200 directors of all time. Take one example to get a flavor for the discussion. I randomly flipped to a page and saw the discussion of Joseph Mankiewicz' body of work. The entry noted which of his movies one might wish to watch (e.g., The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, All about Eve, Julius Caesar, Guys and Dolls. . . .). The entries are quite brief, but they provide pretty decent coverage of major directors (although one can always quibble about inclusion and exclusion--but sometimes that's a part of the fun with encyclopedic works such as this).
Finally, the top 100 movies of all time (with the stipulation that no director can have more than one on the list--perhaps a criterion that leaves out masterpieces of prolific and excellent directors such as Alfred Hitchcock or Stephen Spielberg or to the detriment of this section.
Anyhow, a typical work in this useful series of books.
March 10, 2011
I actually learned a few more tricks of the trade and got a sense of what cinema and going to the movies is all about. Character developments and plots along with trickery in deliverance and effects are key in creating a classic piece.
Now, the classics are behind us as we now live in the times of CGI animations, remakes, and sequels.
I heard a rumor that a remake was being planned for a classic film that scared an entire generation from going in the water.
That's right, Jaws. Now wheather this is going to be re-make or a fifth installment to the sereis, there would need to be quite an impressive amount of elemts to make this film successful.
Hopefully it doesn't flop like the Jaws the Revenge.
But it really boils down to the viewers.
Now, the classics are behind us as we now live in the times of CGI animations, remakes, and sequels.
I heard a rumor that a remake was being planned for a classic film that scared an entire generation from going in the water.
That's right, Jaws. Now wheather this is going to be re-make or a fifth installment to the sereis, there would need to be quite an impressive amount of elemts to make this film successful.
Hopefully it doesn't flop like the Jaws the Revenge.
But it really boils down to the viewers.
January 1, 2010
Dorling Kindersley pack their books with info from cover to cover and Film is no exception. If you are a movie buff, then here is the book for you, covering the history of cinema, film genres, world cinema, A-Z of directors and a list of 100 top movies, what is not in here is not worth bothering with.
September 1, 2020
Excelente diagramação e possui uma boa gama de recomendações, algumas que desconhecia e outras totalmente óbvias. Gostei bastante da separação por categorias (país, época, gêneros e diretores), pois além de expressar bem resumidamente a importância desses itens, organiza e torna o livro uma espécie de livro de consulta, pra deixar na mesa de centro da sala.
February 4, 2016
Not the easiest book to read. Sure it is a reference book, but I just got the feeling that Bergan wasn't writing this for the lay-person. The list of films and awards at the end is quite useful for the trivia nights though. {;-) Overall I was a little disappointed with this one.
February 25, 2008
A surprisingly wonderful little book on film. It has a ton of stuff (and people) you wouldn't expect a DK book to have, and is nicely detailed and organized. Like a portable little IMDB!
October 31, 2008
An essential reference for any fan of hollywood. Full of trivia and tons of great photos. Makes the choice between a good book and a good movie all the more difficult.
January 23, 2013
A wonderfully illustrated, visual and colourful overview of movie history in a way only DK Eyewitness books can deliver it.
August 30, 2016
مرجع مُهم ..
كانوا متجاهلين سينما مصر بشكل سخيف وواضح
كانوا متجاهلين سينما مصر بشكل سخيف وواضح
December 6, 2015
Bon livre de référence sur le cinéma, selon différentes thématiques (histoire, réalisateurs, pays, genres, etc...)
February 4, 2016
Film encyclopedia. Films, directors, prodcution, history. Very interesting.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews