Engaging Cinema: An Introduction to Film Studies

by Bill Nichols

Engaging Cinema emphasizes the interactions between society and cinema and introduces students to film studies as it is actually done by scholars and critics. In what ways do films influence and interact with society? What social forces determine the kinds of movies that get made? How do movies reinforce―and sometimes overturn―social norms? As societies evolve, do the films that were once considered ‘great’ slip into obscurity? Which ones? Why? These questions, and many others like them, represent the mainstream of scholarly film studies today. In Engaging Cinema , Bill Nichols offers the first book for introductory film students that tackles these topics head-on.

Published in a handy 'trade paperback' format, Engaging Cinema is inexpensive and utterly unique in the field―a perfect complement to or replacement for standard film texts.

Genres: Film, Nonfiction, Academia, Reference, Theory

576 pages, Paperback

First published January 28, 2010

About the author

Bill Nichols (born 1942) is an American film critic and theoretician best known for his pioneering work as founder of the contemporary study of documentary film. His 1991 book, Representing Reality: Issues and Concepts in Documentary, applied modern film theory to the study of documentary film for the first time. It has been followed by scores of books by others and by additional books and essays by Nichols. The first volume of his two-volume anthology Movies and Methods (1976, 1985) helped to establish film studies as an academic discipline.

Bill Nichols is Professor Emeritus in the Cinema Department at San Francisco State University and Chair of the Documentary Film Institute advisory board.

Reviews

[Jesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely invaluable—I turned to this countless times for refreshers and ideas in how to present many of the key ideas, concepts and terms of cinema studies to my students in ways that were both clear and meaningful (I honestly don't know what I would have done without the concise explanation of film semiotics). And I swear I'm not biased just because he was my thesis advisor!

[leni · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book while doing research for my BA and found it incredibly helpful. I used it as a base for the theoretical part of my paper. It's insightful, interesting and easy to follow.

[Shaylee Rieff · Rating 3 out of 5]

idk if it’s fair for me to say i read this book because me and my TA both know i was not doing the readings with the way that my scene analysis papers kept turning out. whenever there was the rare occasion i did pick this book up it was a major snooze fest. it was written well and had some good points but i definitely took this class to watch movies not to read books. the quarter isn’t even over yet but i figured i could make my review now cause im definitely not going to be reading this book again.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave 4 stars because of all the films and their significance that the author reveals. I now have a huge list of to-watch films. I also feel more equipped to appreciate and analyze cinema at a higher level.

However, the book is really for an introductory undergraduate freshman class, which assumes the reader is unfamiliar with basic humanities concepts. The author explained foundational sociological, psychological, and philosophical ideas as well as academic methods of research, writing, and presentation. So some readers may be bored in some parts of the book, due to the author simply restating things that they already learned about.

Bottom line: Looking for an easy film history book and for film recommendations? And you want to see how they connect to the humanities? Check this book out.

[Quin · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a textbook, pretty enjoyable and useful. I can see myself returning to the final chapter about writing about film if I ever decide to not be lazy and write an essay or something.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this more as a sociology book than a film one, though it certainly offers insights into writing which could help the reader in school -- or analyzing films for fun. There is next to nothing technical or production-related, which in retrospect, I know I shouldn't have expected from the book's description. It's worth perusal, and I'll keep my copy for reference during school also.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent film studies primer - smart without being wonky. Never once mentioned Lacan yet synthesized those discourses associated with such a difficult theorist with great clarity and intelligence. Smart, smart, smart.

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not just a book about cinema! It covers everything from sociology and psychology and anthropology. A great mix of classic and modern as well as international cinema is covered. I would recommend this to anyone who likes movies! Get ready to learn a ton of stuff and so easy to read.

[aaberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written, comprehensive and easy-to-read introduction to film studies.

[Puck · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would love to be a student in one of his lecture classes. This dude is awesome.