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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
FilmQuake is a perfectly fine book about the short history of film as a creative medium, best suited for people beginning in the world of filmmaking or film criticisms. The authors compiles a list of note worthy films throughout periods in film's history. Where he falls short is his innability to observe anything new, leaving his descriptions of films base level and at times, uninteresting.
As someone who is well versed in the history of cinema, a book like FilmQuake is definitely more helpful to someone unfamiliar with film history. Ian Haydn Smith's writing is simple and straightforward, chronicling the major changes in cinema through 50 landmark films, including not only beloved classics like Citizen Kane or Do The Right Thing, but also feminist and queer films like Wanda, Atlantique, and Paris Is Burning. Having seen all of the films already, the book did not give me anything new, but it was still a pleasant watch, and it can be very rewarding to anyone who is yet to discover these gems and their context in the history of cinema and the world.
3.5/5
3.5/5
informative
fast-paced
Could be written with some / any flair, and have been sub-edited even briefly, but i used to eat up this kind of thing when I was a young dork and it was nice to go back
This was definitely an interesting read. It looks how the film making practice and peoples changing views on what they want to watch including great cinematic controversies. Starting from the very first films. Also looking at the change in sounds and technology used. I enjoyed the layout of the book. I thought the time line at the beginning of each chapter was very useful. Which looked at key events that occurred during that time period. I enjoyed learning about the different introductions of technology, and changes in film use and different director's. However, I didn't really know many of the films that were included and just wanted to learn more from each one. Just as it started getting interesting it moved on to the next film. I would class it as an introduction to films that cause quakes in the visual art of cinematography. I also really would of loved to learn about films that caused great controversies and feedback from some critics or from people who watch them. I finished the whole book and did learn quite a bit from it so that is always a good thing and im glad I experienced the book. I was just left wanting a bit more information. That is just my opinion and I am one person. I always recommend that you try a sample of the book to make up your own mind or get it out from your library and give it a go as I'm sure other people will love this title more than I did. Many thanks to the author and publishers for producing an Great insight into the changes in world cinematic.
(I received a free ecopy of 'FilmQuake' from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, so thank you NetGalley and thank you Quarto Publishing Group - White Lion!)
I've been thinking a lot about canonicity lately (the idea that certain books, movies, works of art etc. are superior, timeless and representative of culture) so I was interested to read 'FilmQuake: The Most Disruptive Films in Cinema'. To be clear, Ian Haydn Smith does stick to the brief, though he often seems to interpret "disruptive" as "new", justifying many of the entries by citing whichever technique or style revolutionised the form and set trends. As a result, the usual suspects of "canon" films show up, like Citizen Kane, Birth of a Nation and 2001: A Space Odyssey. He explains his technical terms and breaks the book down into sections by decade so, from a film history point of view, this would definitely be a useful primer. I also liked that each subsection includes a little timeline of key historical events to put the movies into context.
I would have liked more detail on what he means by "disruptive" and more reflection on the ethics of some of his choices. For example, Smith includes Birth of a Nation due to its impact on the history of cinema and race relations. He's very clear about the film's heinous racism and real world impact, clearly demonstrating that movies and popular culture matter and influence real world behaviour, ideology and politics. In that way, I suppose, it was "disruptive", both in terms of its technical innovations and the boost it gave to the KKK. But should it really still be taught and included in books like this? Does its inclusion validate and elevate it as a piece of art? What about directors who were known to be abusive or predatory towards members of their casts? What message does it send to film students (and future film makers) that we still admire and teach their work? Does it normalise abuse? These are important questions and it's a shame Smith doesn't explore them. Acknowledging and discussing the ethical issues surrounding his selection process would have strengthened the book overall, especially if it is aimed at students.
That said, I appreciate that Smith clearly was trying to be inclusive in the films he features and side panels handily highlight important ideological shifts and movements in cinema (i.e. feminist film, LGBT film, Black cinema etc.). I hadn't heard of some of the older feminist films and directors he mentions (I'm not a film expert), for example, so Film Quake is definitely a great resource in that sense. And its clear, chronological presentation and Smith's succinct, readable entries make it an accessible read, whether or not you're a film buff. The glossary and further reading section at the end is also very handy for both film students and fans (like me!). It has definitely given me a list of movies to check out, in any event!
I've been thinking a lot about canonicity lately (the idea that certain books, movies, works of art etc. are superior, timeless and representative of culture) so I was interested to read 'FilmQuake: The Most Disruptive Films in Cinema'. To be clear, Ian Haydn Smith does stick to the brief, though he often seems to interpret "disruptive" as "new", justifying many of the entries by citing whichever technique or style revolutionised the form and set trends. As a result, the usual suspects of "canon" films show up, like Citizen Kane, Birth of a Nation and 2001: A Space Odyssey. He explains his technical terms and breaks the book down into sections by decade so, from a film history point of view, this would definitely be a useful primer. I also liked that each subsection includes a little timeline of key historical events to put the movies into context.
I would have liked more detail on what he means by "disruptive" and more reflection on the ethics of some of his choices. For example, Smith includes Birth of a Nation due to its impact on the history of cinema and race relations. He's very clear about the film's heinous racism and real world impact, clearly demonstrating that movies and popular culture matter and influence real world behaviour, ideology and politics. In that way, I suppose, it was "disruptive", both in terms of its technical innovations and the boost it gave to the KKK. But should it really still be taught and included in books like this? Does its inclusion validate and elevate it as a piece of art? What about directors who were known to be abusive or predatory towards members of their casts? What message does it send to film students (and future film makers) that we still admire and teach their work? Does it normalise abuse? These are important questions and it's a shame Smith doesn't explore them. Acknowledging and discussing the ethical issues surrounding his selection process would have strengthened the book overall, especially if it is aimed at students.
That said, I appreciate that Smith clearly was trying to be inclusive in the films he features and side panels handily highlight important ideological shifts and movements in cinema (i.e. feminist film, LGBT film, Black cinema etc.). I hadn't heard of some of the older feminist films and directors he mentions (I'm not a film expert), for example, so Film Quake is definitely a great resource in that sense. And its clear, chronological presentation and Smith's succinct, readable entries make it an accessible read, whether or not you're a film buff. The glossary and further reading section at the end is also very handy for both film students and fans (like me!). It has definitely given me a list of movies to check out, in any event!
informative
fast-paced
Overall I enjoyed reading this book. The author presents an overview of the history of film through experimental and ground breaking films. The author explains why each film he has chosen deserves inclusion. Some of films are well known, while others deserve to be. The book is a quick and informative read.