Film studies

Filmstudiesphoto1

Film studies is an academic discipline that deals with various theoretical, historical, and critical approaches to film. It is sometimes subsumed within media studies and is often compared to television studies.

History

The study of film began in the early 20th century, with the advent of silent films. Early film theorists like Sergei Eisenstein, Rudolf Arnheim, and André Bazin laid the groundwork for the field. The discipline gained prominence in the 1960s and 1970s with the rise of film theory and the establishment of film studies programs in universities.

Key Concepts

Film Theory

Film theory is a set of scholarly approaches within the academic discipline of film studies that questions the essential properties of film and its relationship to reality, other arts, individual viewers, and society at large. Notable film theories include auteur theory, genre theory, and feminist film theory.

Film History

Film history is the study of the historical development of the medium of film. This includes the evolution of film technology, the history of film production, and the history of film genres and movements such as German Expressionism, Italian Neorealism, and the French New Wave.

Film Criticism

Film criticism involves the analysis and evaluation of films. Critics often discuss a film's narrative structure, visual style, and thematic content. Prominent film critics include Pauline Kael, Roger Ebert, and Andrew Sarris.

Methodologies

Film studies employ various methodologies, including:

• Formalism (art)
• Structuralism
• Post-structuralism
• Psychoanalytic theory
• Marxist film theory
• Cultural studies

Notable Scholars

• Laura Mulvey
• David Bordwell
• Kristin Thompson
• Christian Metz
• Jean-Louis Baudry

Related Pages

• Cinema of the United States
• World cinema
• Documentary film
• Experimental film
• Film genre
• Film theory
• Film criticism
• Film history
• Media studies
• Television studies