I picked up this book, in part, because of the several ...[good ratings]... Isn't it great when people you don't even know turn you on to a GREAT book? I have always been a movie enthusiast, but recently, having discovered how great DVDs look and sound, I am starting to re-discover my love of movies. I want to know more about how movies work, and how different effects are acheived. This book has been wonderful in helping my understanding of cinema. From the first chapter onward, I have found insights into movies that help me look at them with a slightly different eye: why are the colors like that in this scene? Why is the shot framed like it is? Although this book seems like it could be used as a textbook in a beginning film class, I carry it around with me and read it, and even re-read parts. Thanks for the great tip. Yes a five-star book! Fun to read!

"Understanding Movies" is an excellent primer book for anyone starting to learn the art of film. It is not a book that tells you why certain films are great, or why some are inferior. Rather, its objective is for the readers to acquire a good awareness of film art so they will be able to form their own opinions about the films they see. The book is comprised of 11 chapters which can be read out of sequence: Photography, Mise en Scene, Movement, Editing, Sound, Acting, Drama, Story, Literature, Ideology, Theory. Every chapter begins with an short overview (abstract) that points out the key ideas in the chapter, then it proceeds to elaborate on them. Emphases are made not just on the technical aspects of film-making, but artistic ones as well. For instance, the chapter on photography discusses not only things like f/stop, aperture, and exposure, but also how photography can achieve certain dramatic and psychological effects.

Without any hint of snobbery, the book uses examples from all kinds of films, from revered classics to recent box-office hits, to illustrate aspects of the art form. For instance, it cites James Cameron's TITANIC (hardly perceived as teaching material for film art) as an example of a filmmaker's subtle use of different flesh tones to evoke a sense of optimism or doom.

The chapter on "Ideology" was not available on some earlier editions. It provides a fascinating discussion on how movies often contain either implicit or explicit political leanings, religious beliefs, ethical values, and other allusions that reflect the attitudes of the filmmakers. It also includes a discussion on portrayals of gays and lesbians in films.

The book is replete with still photos from movies, each accompanied with a wonderful caption that serves as a mini-analysis of a certain aspect of the movie itself, so that readers can get a quick lession on film art. Illustrations that stand out include: a series of screenshots from the Odessa Staircase sequence in THE BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN, storyboards from the cropdusting scene in NORTH BY NORTHWEST, a shot-by-shot analysis of a scene from Hitchcock's SABOTAGE that demonstrates sometimes an actor's performance can be made more effective when his or her face is unseen.

This is not a film review book. You won't see capsule reviews, cast biography, production history, etc. written about every single movie. This book does cite from about 300 films, but it only uses them as examples for discussing certain aspects of film art. It often assumes the readers have already seen the films in question. That brings up my biggest concern: the book often gives away plot details of the movies it discusses. To compensate for that, a lot of films cited by the book are popular hits that have likely been seen by most people, such as PRETTY WOMAN, TITANIC, DIE HARD, etc.

Each new edition of the book differs from earlier ones mainly in the selection of still photos. Newer editions contain more stills from recent films. The first three editions came out in 1971, '75, and '80 respectively. Hence, if you want to see more coverage of, say, films made in the 70s, be sure to get at least the 3rd edition or later.

Last but not least, the book ends with a comprehensive appraisal of CITIZEN KANE that (a) analyzes the movie itself, (b) serves as a grand summation for the book, and most importantly, (c) invites the reader to apply all the knowledge gained from the book to becoming a more astute film viewer.

This book is a must for anyone interested in movies or for film students. I first came into contact with this book in 1985 while at film school and it remains on my book shelf as a wonderful reference book. This book covers everthing from a-z and is well illustrated. The photographs are great and are direct references from the text - not just a visual for the sake of it, as often happens in subscribed texts. This is one of those books I would call "A MUST BUY." I am considering buying the most current version - eventhough I am working in a different industry.

John Langdon and Edward Judge have captured the essence of the Cold War in this fine book. Useful for historians, teachers, students and anyone interested in a global perspective on the forty years following World War II, A Hard and Bitter Peace is truly remarkable!