Hollywood Cinema

I purchased this book as part of a university course. I took the rather radical liberty of reading it right-through before the start of the course. It was not difficult. Packed full of insight into insight Maltby's text has proven to be a real source of enlightenment. Nearly seven hundred pages make it quite clear that nothing, but nothing, is as it seems. The reader may have a strong political energy or none whatsoever but should realise that making movies works on many political levels. It may be unpalatable but it is often undeniable. A capitalist economy is a reality. I thought genre was convenient sales language, now I understand how 'emotional landscapes' are used 'to construct ourselves socially.' I've never really been a fan of westerns but when I learn of exactly how they are operating I am most impressed. Did you know that modern films make their money from rental and sell-through dvds and not the cinema release which only serves to recoup production costs and advertises the product? Well I did not. These are almost trivial asides when it comes to the breadth of Maltby's work. The movie (the word is explained) 'is a performance and not a text.' A construction of camera, editing and scenery. And its time. 'My principle aim,' concludes the author, 'has been to argue that Hollywood cinema must be understood through the specific historical conditions of its circulation as a commercial commodity.' And this is many years before James Cameron's Avatar. Highly recommended.

In Hollywood Cinema, Richard Maltby (Professor of Film Studies in the School of Cultural Studies at Sheffield Hallam University) draws upon his many years of expertise to provide a definitive account of the production of movies under the studio system from its inception down to the present time; an explanation of how the film industry works (including distribution and exhibition); an exploration of Hollywood's place in American popular culture and international mass culture; an analysis of the formal properties of Hollywood films (including space, time, performance and narrative); and a chronology of Hollywood Cinema. This broad-raging cultural exploration and historical survey is highly recommended, "reader friendly" volume for film buffs and film students, as well as an essential, core addition to academic and community library film studies collections.