Hollywood

Very Short Introductions #461

by Peter Decherney, Elif Ünver (Translator)

Bu kelimenin çağrıştırdığı tüm o sinematik vurgu herkesin hayatında az ya da çok bir işleve, birçok deneyim ve anıya karşılık gelir. Birleşik Devletler kaynaklı küresel bir sanayi olduğu da herkesin malumudur ama tüm bu ayrıntılar hâlâ etraflı bir çözümlemeyi hak eder. Zira telif hakkı savaşlarından bağımsız stüdyo projelerine, devasa bir propaganda aygıtı olarak iş görmekten tüm dünyaya hükmeden bir kültürel kodlayıcı olmaya dek, Hollywood her renk ve kisvede farklı bir tartışmanın fitilini ateşler. Gelişen teknolojiler, star sistemi, önce televizyonun, sonra da internetin başını çektiği heybetli meydan okuma, tüm bunlar Hollywood’u düz anlamıyla imlediği her şeyin ötesine taşır ve bu çalışma da tüm bu dinamiklere tek tek ve özenle odaklanıyor.

Genres: Nonfiction, Film, History, Art, The United States Of America, Reference

189 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2015

Reviews

[Андрій Резніченко · Rating 5 out of 5]

Коротка історія кіно через історію Голлівуда. Нікелодеони, німе кіно, звукове кіно, Друга Світова війна, диски, Нетфлікс і Амазон – загалом культурні і політичні аспекти міцно зчеплені з технічними, і це доволі цікаво читати. Виписав більше сотні нових англійських слів, більше десятка фільмів. Книжка планувалася такою собі підготовкою до прочитання "Одного разу в Голлівуді", а вийшла ще гарним вступом до фільму "Вавилон" – «Jazz Singer», нікелодеони, «Cinerama» зробили можливим розпізнавання алюзій у стрічці.

[Neil R. Coulter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of the film-related "Very Short Introduction" volumes that I've read (Film, by Michael Wood, and The History of Cinema, by Geoffrey Nowell-Smith), this one is by far my favorite as an introduction to students who have no background in film history or film studies. Peter Decherney's book benefits by having a more limited scope—Hollywood—which I believe gives students a better understanding of what's happening currently in film than the other, broader-focused, books do. Decherney not only relates the history of the Hollywood system, but he connects each era in such a way that the changes and developments now taking place fit into a clear continuity of the history. This is all really good. The book mentions some films and directors, but not an overbearing amount of referencing, which frees the teacher to bring in whatever films he wants to introduce the students to. This is the intro text I would choose even if the class weren't focused exclusively on Hollywood.

[Kiely · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't like movies at all until quarantine last spring. I would have been lucky if I saw a dozen movies a year, and most of those were literary adaptations, rom coms, or films with actors that I just thought were hot. In March 2020, I decided on a whim to watch Hitchcock's "To Catch a Thief" with my grandma one night, and that catapulted me into a sincere love and admiration for not only the films of Old Hollywood themselves, but also the actors who played their roles so well and had such fascinating lives off the screen, too.

It's interesting to me that almost all Old Hollywood films were basically propaganda promoting an American, capitalistic way of life; there's a long, complex, and sometimes sordid and sketchy history behind the silly screwball comedies or steamy film noirs that so many people (including myself) love. In many ways, the Old Hollywood film production system wasn't interested in creating high art at all: they were interested in churning out more and more productions with attractive actors to keep people going to the movies, and by making movie after movie that seemed like just repetitions of the same old plot. The Production (Hays) Code, established in the 1930’s, was also a form of propaganda: providing what appeared to be a clear-cut outline of American morality for films to follow, but really developing a series of codes for enlightened viewers to read between the lines of what the government would allow to be shown to the American public. Decherney is very quick to point out that the Production Code wasn’t really censorship, but it did further encode early Hollywood films as commodities rather than pieces of art. In fact, films didn’t even fall under the First Amendment freedom of speech until the 1950s: the movie business was considered just that, a business, which was “capable of evil.”

There’s a disconnect that my brain can’t quite reconcile between the films that I love, for example The Philadelphia Story (1940), with its ridiculous plot, three very attractive and appealing lead actors, funny dialogue and lovable characters, with the fact that it is part of a long history of pro-American propaganda. But anyway, context is important, and so is film history. Decherney does a solid job of condensing the history of American film into 130 pages, and I enjoyed reading his “very short introduction.”

[Grace Hillabrant · Rating 5 out of 5]

short and sweet history of Hollywood!

[Avneesh Mehta · Rating 3 out of 5]

A truly "very short" introduction to Hollywood history. Concisely takes the reader from the early nineteenth century to present day. A must read for anyone with even a fleeting interest in the world of film and media. My generation tends to think that we're the first ones seeing a great technological change, but it's really just a cycle of "innovation - resistance - adoption" that's been repeating itself for decades with every evolutionary phase in the industry. Good to have some perspective.

[Eddie Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic crash course in Hollywandland history, covering the tech, the politics and the people. Highly recommended

[Katariina Kottonen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Film and Television Studies was my minor at university, which means that a lot of the information in Hollywood: A Very Short Introduction had been familiar to me beforehand. Still, even this introductory account provided at least two additional aspects: more facts about the American film industry and an 'inside' angle of the narrative.

I remain unconvinced that Hollywood has been as much of a self-sufficient, global power throughout the 20th century as suggested by Peter Decherney in this book. India, Nigeria, and China remain the world leaders in terms of quantity, and while Hollywood has the highest revenue, the American industry has never existed in isolation — although Decherney's account leaves that impression.

That caveat aside, I have found Hollywood: A Very Short Introduction to be informative and helpful. Origins of the American film industry are presented as rooted in litigation, standardisation, and self-imposed censorship — this is 1907–1909 onwards. It is hardly surprising that Hollywood continues to progress one court decision at a time; referring to technological and distribution changes, as well as to persons engaged in the industry.

The list of films cited in the books, as well as the bibliography at the end of it, are fantastic sources for further engagement with the topic. (I, certainly, intend to take advantage of both!)

Ultimately, Hollywood: A Very Short Introduction is just that. A good part of this little book is a dry account of fascinating events, with an emphasis on political and technological (rather than artistic or cultural) choices. That is somewhat balanced out by the illustrations, of which they are many, and by the underlying suggestion that the audience is, inevitably, familiar with Hollywood.

[Andrew Kwatinetz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book as a companion to a 4-week online class with Penn professor Decherney. It’s a quick, informative rundown of the history of Hollywood, giving a good perspective on the recurring challenges to the system.

[Monica St. Dennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

popsugar challenge 2021: read a book set somewhere you'd like to visit in 2021
52 book club challenge 2021: read a book by an author with a nine-letter last name

[Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read as a textbook for school, but surprisingly engaging and easy to get through.

[Janelle Lino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative

I am glad that I purchased this book for my History of Hollywood class. It mentions a lot of things that I didn't know.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the text book for a University of PA alumni course on the history of Hollywood. I found the book to be highly readable and enjoyable (as was the course itself).

[Giada · Rating 3 out of 5]

L'ho letto per l'università più che per piacere personale, è comunque abbastanza chiaro diventa forse un po' confuso negli ultimi due capitoli sugli anni '70 e '80 o forse ero io che non ne posso più di preparare esami. Però in generale è una buona lettura e soprattutto all'inizio mi è sembrato chiaro nell'esposizione (anche se non sempre appunto)

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

The supplement to edX course with same name is easily digestable and gives the briefest of context for a handful of movies of yesteryear.