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قدرت فیلم
در کتاب قدرت فیلم، هاوارد سوبر، که بسیاری او را برجستهترین استاد سینما در امریکا میدانند، با لحنی آموزگارانه و همزمان صمیمی، از الف تا یای فیلم را در قالب مدخلهایی موجز و پرمغز درس میدهد. کتاب حاضر به بررسی اصول و الگوهایی میپردازد که فیلمها را محبوب و بهیادماندنی میسازند و این اصول و الگوها مفید خواهند بود، هم برای کسانی که قصد فیلمسازی دارند و هم برای آندسته از عاشقان سینما که میخواهند فیلمها را بهتر بفهمند. هر مدخل این کتاب منحصربهفرد پیشاپیش الهامبخش و راهنمای چندیل نسل از بزرگترین فیلمسازان و نویسندگان هالیوود بوده است.
تکتک صفحات این کتاب حکیمانه و آزادیبخش مملو از فهم روشنی است که هاوارد سوبر از داستانگویی سینمایی دارد. و باید گفت بخش اعظم آن به نحوی حیرتانگیز خلاف چیزهایی است که به اصطلاح «همه میدانند»! این کتاب در یک کلام اثری ارزشمند و شایان توجه است. (فرانسیس فورکاپولا)
آنچه را که زمانی ارسطو برای درام انجام داد اکنون هاوارد سوبر برای فیلم انجام داده است. قدرت فیلم کتابی عمیق و موجز است و همزمان تجربۀ خواندنش نیز به نحوی معجزهآسا فرحبخش است. (دیوید کوپ، فیلمنامهنویس امریکایی)
تکتک صفحات این کتاب حکیمانه و آزادیبخش مملو از فهم روشنی است که هاوارد سوبر از داستانگویی سینمایی دارد. و باید گفت بخش اعظم آن به نحوی حیرتانگیز خلاف چیزهایی است که به اصطلاح «همه میدانند»! این کتاب در یک کلام اثری ارزشمند و شایان توجه است. (فرانسیس فورکاپولا)
آنچه را که زمانی ارسطو برای درام انجام داد اکنون هاوارد سوبر برای فیلم انجام داده است. قدرت فیلم کتابی عمیق و موجز است و همزمان تجربۀ خواندنش نیز به نحوی معجزهآسا فرحبخش است. (دیوید کوپ، فیلمنامهنویس امریکایی)
469 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
77 people are currently reading
852 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
November 17, 2021
میشه گفت یکی از کتابهاییه که برای دوستداران سینما به قول خارجیا "باید-خواند" هست
هر چند مطالب تومخی هم کم نداره
هر چند مطالب تومخی هم کم نداره
November 27, 2021
بهغایت خواندنی و جذاب. گرچه تفاوت نظر زیادی با مؤلف دارم. مسئلهی اصلی کتاب، کشف عناصریست که یک اثر سینمایی را بهیادماندنی میکنند.
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June 16, 2022کتاب بدی نیست. نکات مهمی که در دیدن فیلم باید در نظر بگیریم را در خود دارد. با این حال کلیشهایست و بیشتر به درد مخاطبی میخورد که اساسن هیچی از سینما نمیداند. شاید بتوان گفت یک شروع خوب است برای خواندن سینما. اگر مثل من چند سال است که جدی سینما را پیگیری میکنید و مطالعه، نیازی به خواندنش نیست.
August 23, 2009
A dictionary that contains all the knowledge of myth and narrative for storytelling in all its forms.
May 7, 2012
More a book of the art of story telling. I view movies differently now, and appreciate the well developed characters more.
June 15, 2016
Only criticism is the alphabetised structure, which makes it difficult to return to related ideas that happen to be scattered throughout the book. Some excellent advice on storytelling here.
May 28, 2023
"به سینما میرویم در طلب امید"
خیلی دوست داشتم این کتابو.
خود نویسنده و مترجم همون اول چند نکته رو روشن میکنن:
۱. این کتاب بررسی فیلم های معروف و محبوب آمریکائیه و به سینمای آرتهاوس و تجربی نمی پردازه.
۲. کتاب به نسبت حجیمه و موضوعات گسترده ای رو در بر میگیره. بهتره هرازگاهی یه ناخونک زد بهش تا اینکه در یه نشست کامل خوندش.
بیشتر از یک ساله که جسته گریخته این کتابو خوندم و از جایی به بعد متوجه شدم که به عنوان یه کتاب راجع به سینما بهش نگاه نمی کنم. هاورد سوبر بیشتر به دنبال پرسه زدن در فضای پر رمز و راز بین تماشاچی و تصویره و بررسی مفاهیمی که در این فضا شناورن. کنش ها و واکنش هایی که در فیلم و درون مخاطب در حال رخ دادنه. چرا فیلم های محبوب "کار می کنند" به خصوص برای مردم آمریکا. نتیجه گیری هایی که سوبر می کنه قطعا همگی درست نیستن. ولی شجاعتی که برای به هم وصل کردن نقطه ها به خرج میده (نقطه هایی در درام ارسطویی، فرهنگ مصرفگرای آمریکایی و کتاب مقدس و...) ستودنی و به شدت خوندنیه.
خیلی دوست داشتم این کتابو.
خود نویسنده و مترجم همون اول چند نکته رو روشن میکنن:
۱. این کتاب بررسی فیلم های معروف و محبوب آمریکائیه و به سینمای آرتهاوس و تجربی نمی پردازه.
۲. کتاب به نسبت حجیمه و موضوعات گسترده ای رو در بر میگیره. بهتره هرازگاهی یه ناخونک زد بهش تا اینکه در یه نشست کامل خوندش.
بیشتر از یک ساله که جسته گریخته این کتابو خوندم و از جایی به بعد متوجه شدم که به عنوان یه کتاب راجع به سینما بهش نگاه نمی کنم. هاورد سوبر بیشتر به دنبال پرسه زدن در فضای پر رمز و راز بین تماشاچی و تصویره و بررسی مفاهیمی که در این فضا شناورن. کنش ها و واکنش هایی که در فیلم و درون مخاطب در حال رخ دادنه. چرا فیلم های محبوب "کار می کنند" به خصوص برای مردم آمریکا. نتیجه گیری هایی که سوبر می کنه قطعا همگی درست نیستن. ولی شجاعتی که برای به هم وصل کردن نقطه ها به خرج میده (نقطه هایی در درام ارسطویی، فرهنگ مصرفگرای آمریکایی و کتاب مقدس و...) ستودنی و به شدت خوندنیه.
August 21, 2012
My fascination with the relationship between films and the real world was greatly satisfied by the wisdom I found in this book. Mr. Suber writes about films and so much more, including our relationship to heroes and a short acerbic definition of propaganda. He writes, specifically, about memorable popular films, which he defines as films that were popular in their day and continue to be popular for 10 years. He also offers a long list of examples.
The entries, listed alphabetically, cover Comedy, Tragedy, Structure, Characters, Plot, and a lot more. Oh, and Aristotlatry wherein he notes that the three act structure is a modern invention. His dry humor pervades the entries and makes for fun and easy reading. Although, I can't say the concepts are always easy.
The entries, listed alphabetically, cover Comedy, Tragedy, Structure, Characters, Plot, and a lot more. Oh, and Aristotlatry wherein he notes that the three act structure is a modern invention. His dry humor pervades the entries and makes for fun and easy reading. Although, I can't say the concepts are always easy.
May 12, 2021
What a gem. Covers seemingly every topic you can think of, succinctly boiling each down to concise truths about film, art, and life. One of the best things about this book is that, rather than introducing academic film school concepts, all the dots are already in your head, but the author connects them ways that you never thought to. This allows you to truly learn, engage with, and remember the material on a deep level. Can't tell you how many times I said to myself "Wow. I never thought about it that way before". The mark of a real educator.
November 8, 2016
Tons of fantastic tiny lessons on film packed into a single book. Howard Suber is clearly the shit when it comes to breaking down and analyzing all aspects of movies. If you can't take his classes, this is the next best thing, it's like having all of his notes for his courses. A must read for film lovers/filmmakers.
June 11, 2012
Not only have I had the opportunity to have class with Prof Suber, but I visited his house for a potluck dinner. But, for those who do not have these opportunities, I recommend this book. Especially those cinephiles and (aspiring) industry insiders.
December 19, 2020
This is a nice reference book for film tropes and terms. It has a special place on my bookshelf next to my Bedford Glossary of Literary Terms.
My only negative comment is that I wish that it contained more.
My only negative comment is that I wish that it contained more.
May 9, 2018
It's revelating at first, but loses a lot of its impact on the way.
(But the author cautioned the readers to NOT read it all in one heap, so that's a bit on me...)
(But the author cautioned the readers to NOT read it all in one heap, so that's a bit on me...)
February 10, 2024
UCLA film school professor emeritus Howard Suber’s book, THE POWER OF FILM, published in 2006, is encyclopedic; literally: its paragraph-to-three-page entries in alphabetical order from Accidents to Writing What You Know. The 250+ entries are collected from what Suber estimates at over eight thousand pages of notes, handouts and articles developed over more than forty years and sixty-five different courses Suber taught in the process of founding UCLA’s Film School.
These short essays, targeted primarily as advice to screenwriters, are—like the man, as it turns out— refreshingly simple, common-sensical, sometimes brusque and free of jargon. They are also frequently repetitive and built around the importance of central character(s) in a story, as in various plot devices (tests, sacrifices, qualities, etc.) that allow the hero to “prove he is a hero” worthy of the audience’s respect.
These same essays appear to be the common source material, some seventeen years later, for the much more illustrative six-part film series of the same title recently broadcast on TCM, which I watched at the same time I read the book. Not only is it much more appropriate for this material to be presented in film form, it also allows for the inclusion of applicable clips from the films cited in direct juxtaposition with Suber’s remarks about them, much as he describes the films being screened in his classrooms just prior to his lectures.
The film series gathered together Suber’s observations into six topic areas, such as ”Memorable and Popular,” “Trapped Between Fate and Destiny” through to the finale, “Love and Meaning,” which much more clearly than the book exemplifies his avowed goal of trying to determine what makes certain film stories memorable and worthy of repeated screenings, and his conclusion that the best are built around complex characters and relationships. Not an earth-shaking revelation, but true nonetheless, and valuable when your students are learning how to write film scripts.
All of Suber’s major observations and themes on display in the film are also in the book, if less-well organized than in the series. Here’s an example of a representative book entry in its entirety:
“INTELLIGENCE: In drama, intelligence consists mostly of the ability to meet the unknown or the unexpected, what in another context is called “street smarts.” No dramatic hero ever learned anything important in a book or at school. So, what are you doing reading this book? Your answer demonstrates that the principles we follow in movies are not the principles we follow in life. (See also: POWER; INGENUITY)”
This is a good example of one of the many of Suber’s conclusions that I can pick nits with, as being perhaps too overly simple and perfunctory. I’m fairly certain I can find a dramatic hero or two amongst his list of memorable films who learned something important (that is useful in meeting his dramatic challenge) in school. Salieri (who would never have comprehended Mozart’s superiority without his education), in AMADEUS, comes to mind. James Stewart’s (MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON) character’s simple optimism about America, which sees him through and prevails, presumably came at least in part from some of his early schooling.
Suber’s statements are sometimes just too broad. But, not too often. And, the passage certainly reveals Suber’s conversational style and attitude, his tendency to assume, as well as his penchant for provocation; a not entirely inappropriate tendency for a college professor. Also on the plus side, it should be pointed out how often Suber’s comments apply to life as well as art, as in: “The claim that something is boring often tells us as much about the bored as it does about the bore.”
Ultimately, this book is a reference tool, not a narrative, and as such, has obvious value to student as well as dilettantes. I enjoyed it.
These short essays, targeted primarily as advice to screenwriters, are—like the man, as it turns out— refreshingly simple, common-sensical, sometimes brusque and free of jargon. They are also frequently repetitive and built around the importance of central character(s) in a story, as in various plot devices (tests, sacrifices, qualities, etc.) that allow the hero to “prove he is a hero” worthy of the audience’s respect.
These same essays appear to be the common source material, some seventeen years later, for the much more illustrative six-part film series of the same title recently broadcast on TCM, which I watched at the same time I read the book. Not only is it much more appropriate for this material to be presented in film form, it also allows for the inclusion of applicable clips from the films cited in direct juxtaposition with Suber’s remarks about them, much as he describes the films being screened in his classrooms just prior to his lectures.
The film series gathered together Suber’s observations into six topic areas, such as ”Memorable and Popular,” “Trapped Between Fate and Destiny” through to the finale, “Love and Meaning,” which much more clearly than the book exemplifies his avowed goal of trying to determine what makes certain film stories memorable and worthy of repeated screenings, and his conclusion that the best are built around complex characters and relationships. Not an earth-shaking revelation, but true nonetheless, and valuable when your students are learning how to write film scripts.
All of Suber’s major observations and themes on display in the film are also in the book, if less-well organized than in the series. Here’s an example of a representative book entry in its entirety:
“INTELLIGENCE: In drama, intelligence consists mostly of the ability to meet the unknown or the unexpected, what in another context is called “street smarts.” No dramatic hero ever learned anything important in a book or at school. So, what are you doing reading this book? Your answer demonstrates that the principles we follow in movies are not the principles we follow in life. (See also: POWER; INGENUITY)”
This is a good example of one of the many of Suber’s conclusions that I can pick nits with, as being perhaps too overly simple and perfunctory. I’m fairly certain I can find a dramatic hero or two amongst his list of memorable films who learned something important (that is useful in meeting his dramatic challenge) in school. Salieri (who would never have comprehended Mozart’s superiority without his education), in AMADEUS, comes to mind. James Stewart’s (MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON) character’s simple optimism about America, which sees him through and prevails, presumably came at least in part from some of his early schooling.
Suber’s statements are sometimes just too broad. But, not too often. And, the passage certainly reveals Suber’s conversational style and attitude, his tendency to assume, as well as his penchant for provocation; a not entirely inappropriate tendency for a college professor. Also on the plus side, it should be pointed out how often Suber’s comments apply to life as well as art, as in: “The claim that something is boring often tells us as much about the bored as it does about the bore.”
Ultimately, this book is a reference tool, not a narrative, and as such, has obvious value to student as well as dilettantes. I enjoyed it.
May 2, 2024
Howard Suber’s 2006 encyclopedia-style guidebook is the perfect companion to the 2024 six-part miniseries of the same title currently streaming on MAX. Suber, who taught film history and theory at UCLA, had years of class notes and handouts to get him started. His prose is clear and unpretentious. His focus is clearly defined. “My life’s work,” he says in his introduction, “has been devoted to trying to understand why certain films are memorable and popular and others are not.” His examples come from familiar Hollywood products. He identifies character types and relationships, narrative patterns, and themes that often recur in films that stick in our minds. The entries are highly cross-referenced, so there are many paths through his argument.
Here is his entry on the Cute Meet often seen in romantic comedy:
“AS DON LOCKWOODis racing to get away from his fans in Singin' in the Rain, he literally drops into the front seat of the car being driven by Kathy Selden, who just happens to be driving by. This "Cute Meet" (or, as it is called in Hollywood, the "Meet Cute") is the traditional way in which lovers meet in countless romantic comedies. There is no problem in the notion that lovers are "meant" to meet. If your society doesn't do the prearranging of your marriage for you, some deity or outside force will do just as well.
“The danger in what the industry calls the "Meet Cute" scene is that the heavy hand of the filmmaker will, like the shadow of the boom that holds the microphone, be seen by the audience. Like so much else in drama and film, contrivance works best when it hides the process that produced it.
(See also: DESTINY)”
Here is his entry on the Cute Meet often seen in romantic comedy:
“AS DON LOCKWOODis racing to get away from his fans in Singin' in the Rain, he literally drops into the front seat of the car being driven by Kathy Selden, who just happens to be driving by. This "Cute Meet" (or, as it is called in Hollywood, the "Meet Cute") is the traditional way in which lovers meet in countless romantic comedies. There is no problem in the notion that lovers are "meant" to meet. If your society doesn't do the prearranging of your marriage for you, some deity or outside force will do just as well.
“The danger in what the industry calls the "Meet Cute" scene is that the heavy hand of the filmmaker will, like the shadow of the boom that holds the microphone, be seen by the audience. Like so much else in drama and film, contrivance works best when it hides the process that produced it.
(See also: DESTINY)”
September 4, 2024
I first watched the series, then read this book. I’d already become more thoughtful about how I watch movies and television, but these helped refine how I consume visual media to something similar to how I’ve thought about books for decades. I binged the series then immediately ordered this book. I’ve been recommending the series to anyone who’ll listen and mention this book as well. This will both make you a more thoughtful film viewer and enhance your enjoyment.
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February 18, 202340 odd years of general film teaching experience condensed to pint-sized entries -- actually modified "tracts" the author handed out during lectures. Very general ideas and info, concerned chiefly with American popular films and the nature of their popularity. Interesting enough as a quick reference though some will find the entries entirely unfulfilling.
November 17, 2021
An odd format makes for a very fun, and funny read. More of an amusing reflection on your film education than it is educational in its own right.
August 3, 2022
خوش خوان و بسیار مفید برای فیلمنامه نویسان، کارگردانها و منتقدین
November 19, 2023
A handy compendium of storytelling advice, not just for filmmakers.
July 15, 2025
Me lo compré por la absoluta cara porque vi la palabra "cine" en la portada, y se ha convertido en el mejor libro de cine que me he leído hasta ahora. De la A a la Z todas las claves por las cuales las películas populares se convierten en populares. Excelente para aprender de manera nada pesada pautas de narración cinematográfica. Muchos ejemplos de pelis, muy concreto y muy interesante, he aprendido muchísimo.
Mi libro tiene más postits que páginas.
Mi libro tiene más postits que páginas.
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August 12, 2015
The millennial bible
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