REFERENCE

A Chronology of Film: A Cultural Timeline from the Magic Lantern to Netflix

by Ian Haydn Smith
Thames & Hudson. Mar. 2021. 272p. ISBN 9780500023693. $29.95. REF
COPY ISBN
Haydn Smith’s (The Short Story of Film; Cult Filmmakers) nuanced chronology blends discussions of groundbreaking films, filmmaking innovations, and noteworthy historical and cultural events. As he expounds on the history of film, from cave painting to Eadweard Muybridge’s The Horse in Motion to the effect of 9/11 and social media on filmmaking, a time line runs along the bottom of the pages, noting the invention of the radio, the Battle of the Somme, Emmett Till’s lynching, Google’s debut, and more. Short descriptions of some 200 movies are scattered throughout (A Trip to the Moon; 8 ½; Parasite), with hundreds of photographs. Haydn Smith’s scope is wide, including international films, feature films, and documentaries.
VERDICT Scholars will especially appreciate the depth of thought, and the images make this work an enjoyable browse for casual film buffs.
Reviewed by Maggie Knapp, Trinity Valley Sch., Fort Worth, TX , Oct 01, 2021
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