History of Film

The latest in Thames and Hudson's World of Art series, Parkinson's History of Film is impressively thorough despite its brevity. Beginning with cinema's inception in 19th-century inventions that exploited persistence of vision, Parkinson covers most of the major developments in film history. The rise of the Hollywood studio system, the evolution of national cinemas, and film movements of the modern era such as neorealism provide the framework for what perhaps too often reads like a laundry list of the most influential directors, titles and performers. Given the size of the volume, some subjects, such as animation, special effects, contemporary experimental cinema and the role of the home movie and video are given short shrift or neglected. An abrupt coda speculates on the future of film technology, an unfortunately dry conclusion to the book. Nevertheless, this scholarly overview is an excellent introduction to the key themes and pioneers of cinematic art. Parkinson adeptly articulates the contributions of particular directors and movements and provides succinct social and historical context for the subject. Generously illustrated throughout with black-and-white stills, History of Film features a central section of color illustrations that traces the development of color film processes. (Feb.)