Understanding Movies, 11th Edition

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.


A pleasurable, very educational book about film   April 18, 2002
20 out of 21 found this review helpful

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!


Guidebook To Understanding Movies   May 19, 1998
9 out of 10 found this review helpful

This excellent and easy-to-understand book describes how to analyze and interpret movies in much the same way that we have been taught to analyze and critique literature. Spanning the whole of the 20th century and every conceivable genre, it is a must for anyone seriously interested in understanding movies thoroughly. Includes both theoretical and practical aspects of filmmaking.


Still the Best Bet.   July 27, 2000
Samuel Chell (Kenosha,, WI United States)
10 out of 12 found this review helpful

There is no shortage of comprehensive textbook tomes in this competitive market (several new ones have appeared since this 8th edition). But Giannetti achieves the "right" level of diction, readability, and detail whereas the other books tend to disappoint more frequently. Some are simply too obvious, unacademic, unselective in use of illustrations and others too weighted down by film jargon left over from graduate school. Even if Giannetti's distinction between "formalism" and "expression" occasionally seems difficult and overly arbitrary, it provides his overview with a focus that is lacking in the competition.


Perfect   July 24, 1999
Jonathan Leybovich (San Mateo, CA USA)
9 out of 11 found this review helpful

"Understanding Movies" is one of those rare works that so thoroughly conquers its domain it makes any other book on the same subject matter seem utterly pointless. This is remarkable enough in itself. What makes this book even more extraordinary is the broadness of the domain it manages to conquer. Read this book and you WIIL understand the film-making process. As such it is useful to both directors, actors, screenwriters, critics and even the casual film consumer.

The book is organized analytically, starting with the most basic elements of film (photography, composition) and working its way up to the most complex (theory, criticism). Actual films are used to illustrate the points, and the book is wonderfully free of the theoretical jargon that deadens so much of contemporary criticism.

Giannetti deserves high praise for putting together this wonderful book and I'm only glad I manged to stumble across it at the tail-end of my college career (in a non-film class, ironically enough).