Looking at Movies: An Introduction to Film, 3rd Edition

Since their invention a little more than a hundred years ago, movies have become one of the world’s largest industries and the most powerful art form of our time. A source of entertainment that makes us see beyond the borders of our previous experience, movies have always possessed powers to amaze, frighten, and enlighten us. They challenge our senses, emotions, and intellect, pushing us to say, often passionately, that we love (or hate) them. Because they arouse our most public and private feelings—and can overwhelm us with their sights and sounds—it’s easy to be excited by movies. The challenge is to join that enthusiasm with understanding, to say why we feel so strongly about particular movies.