A Chronology of Film: A Cultural Timeline from the Magic Lantern to Netflix

by Ian Haydn Smith

A Chronology of Film presents a fresh perspective on the medium by tracing the complex links between technical innovations, social changes, and artistic interventions in the order that they occurred.


Organized around a central timeline that charts the development of film from the earliest moving images to present-day blockbusters, this volume features key films, film commentaries, and contextual information about the period in which they were produced. By revealing the social, political, and cultural environments in which these films were created, this book reveals new insights into great directors like Alfred Hitchcock, Federico Fellini, Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Jane Campion, Barry Jenkins, Pedro Almodo´var, and Bong Joon-ho and films such as Bonnie and Clyde, The Godfather, Moonlight, and Parasite.


The book features lavish film stills, commentaries, and lively “In Focus” features with information about the social, stylistic, technical, political, and cultural events of each period.

Genres: Film, Nonfiction

272 pages, Hardcover

Published March 9, 2021

About the author

Ian Haydn Smith is the editor of Curzon and BFI Filmmakers magazines. He has written and broadcast widely on film and photography.

Reviews

[Glendon Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this for Christmas last year, and started reading it assuming it would be a pretty breezy summary of film history. Instead, Ian Haydn Smith compiles together an almost overwhelming tour of film from its inception to the modern age, focusing largely on the US as expected but taking plenty of pit-stops to unpack the development of film movements in France, Germany, Iran, South Korea, and more. Perhaps a bit too much to read in the span I tried to read it in, but it provides a wonderful resource for anyone looking to get deeper into film, complete with timelines and sources and a veritable wealth of movies and directors to check out.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

oih lugesin seda ka peaaegu aasta aega...
igatahes super kokkuvõte maailmakinost ja kuidas tegelikult varasem kunstki on mõjutanud filmikunsti arengut. peale filmide arenemise kronoloogiliselt ka eraldi vaatluse alla võetud konkreetsed riigid ja teemad, mis vääriks rohkem tähelepanu. armastan kino veel rohkem nüüd igatahes <3

[Kieran · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Thames Chronology of Film is nothing short of a cinematic time machine — and I mean that in the most enthusiastic, slightly nerdy, frame-by-frame way possible. From the flicker of the first silent reels to the lush digital landscapes of the 21st century, this book captures it all with the precision of a scholar and the excitement of a true film lover.

Every page bursts with gorgeous stills, posters, and behind-the-scenes photos that make you want to pause life, grab some popcorn, and start a movie marathon through history. The timeline format makes it ridiculously satisfying to trace the evolution of film — you can see how styles, technology, and storytelling cross-pollinate across decades and continents. It’s like watching cinema grow up right before your eyes.

The commentary balances nerdy detail (camera formats! early color experiments! editing innovations!) with pure passion for the art form. Even if you think you know film history, The Thames Chronology of Film will make you realize there’s always another rabbit hole to dive into.

This isn’t just a coffee table book — it’s the ultimate cinephile’s spellbook. Whether you’re a casual movie buff or the kind of person who quotes Kurosawa at parties, this book belongs on your shelf, glowing proudly between your Criterion Collection discs.

[Monique · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took me forever, but I finally finished this tome! Exhaustive and thorough, this was encouraging to me as a film studies teacher that I’m definitely covering the right stuff. I did find the timelines frustrating; they would provide info, then several pages later an essay would cover that same info after the images had already moved on to a new timeline. It made it a little confusing. Otherwise the images were stellar and I loved seeing the overlap between world culture and how that informs our movies.

[Hana · Rating 4 out of 5]

insightful ạ