The Anatomy of Film

Anatomy of Filmprovides a solid foundation of film fundamentals while offering rich examples from the past and present. Designed to be used in film-as-literature or introduction to film courses in English, film, or communication departments,Anatomy of Filmcovers all of the essential elements of film from genre, lighting, and editing to music, sound, and narration and its student-friendly approach makes it ideal for those new to the discipline. Along with a strong focus on genre, this text also features a chapter devoted to the connection between film and literature. Ultimately, this comprehensive text demonstrates a genuine enthusiasm for the medium while exploring both the humanistic and analytical aspects of film criticism.

Bernard F. Dick is Professor of Communication and English in the School of Art and Media Studies at Farleigh Dickinson University’s Teaneck, New Jersey campus. He is the author of a number of books on film including The Star-Spangled Screen: The American World War II Film, Engulfed: The Death of Paramount Pictures and the Birth of Corporate Hollywood, and most recently, Hal Wallis, Producer to the Stars.

1. UNDERSTANDING THE MEDIUM

Film as a Hybrid Art

The Creation of the Narrative Film

The Diversity of the Medium

Examining a Film Text

2. GRAPHICS AND SOUND

Graphics

Sound

3 FILM, SPACE, AND MISE-EN-SCÈNE

The Shot

Combining Shots: The Sequence

From Shot to Shot

Assembling the Shots

Mise-en-scène

4. ENHANCING THE IMAGE: COLOR, LIGHTING, AND VISUAL EFFECTS

Coloring the Image

Lighting the Image

Special Effects/Visual Effects (SFX, VFX)

5. FILM GENRES

The Musical

The Western

The Crime Film

Film Noir

The Combat Film

Comedies

The Reflexive Film

The Woman’s Film

Documentary

The Horror Film

Science-Fiction

Understanding Genre

6. FILM SUBTEXT

Mythic Associations

Visual/Iconic Associations

Intellectual Associations

Musical Associations

7. THE FILM DIRECTOR

Auteurism

Collaboration

Variety

Repetition

Quotations

Borrowings

An Interview with Billy Wilder

An Interview with Alan Alda

8. FILM AND LITERATURE

The Flashback

The Flashforward

Point of View

Film Adaptation

The Nature of Screenwriting

9. FILM ANALYSIS

Casablanca (Michael Curtiz, 1942)

Raging Bull (Martin Scorsese, 1980)

The Truman Show (Peter Weir, 1998)

A.I. Artificial Intelligence (Steven Spielberg, 2001)

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Ang Lee, 2001)

10. FILM THEORY AND CRITICISM

The History of Film Criticism

Practical Criticism

Guidelines for Film Criticism

APPENDIX I: Films Discussed and Directors

APPENDIX II: Sample Student Papers

APPENDIX III: Video and DVD Rental and Purchase Sources and Web Sites

GLOSSARY OF MOTION PICTUTE TERMS

INDEX