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Ocho y Medio. 2002. 135 p. ... Read more

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An examination of 250 of the world's greatest visual directors, from classic Hollywood filmmakers to the more obscure independent and international directors, describes the amazing visual styles of each. Original.Amazon.com Review
In a refreshingly literal examination of "moving pictures,"Geoff Andrew, film editor of London's Time Out magazine,explores the work of 250 filmmakers, one frame at a time. Andrew'sapproach is akin to yelling "Freeze!" in the middle of a movie, andthen analyzing the frozen image as if it were a stand-alone photo. Histechnique is enormously successful, revealing the individual elementsof composition--background, staging, lighting, body positioning,facial expression--that when compiled add up to the overarchingfeeling a film transmits to viewers. Dissecting a single frame alsohas the effect of sparking immediate appreciation for the countlessfactors a great director must not only be aware of but also giveconstant attention to.

Following the hilariously self-mockingforeword by Joel and Ethan Coen (which eliminates any possibility ofthe book being labeled stodgy or high-falutin), Andrews admits in theintroduction that his selection process was difficult. He focuses ononly those directors with a "recognizably distinctive visual style,"and the selected stills are those that are "somehow representative ofthe filmmaker in question, which is not the same as saying it is themost beautifully visual image (let alone the most familiar) from hisor her finest or most famous film."

In addition to themeticulously chosen stills, Andrew's text demands your involvement inthe picture. He begins each explanation with a description of theshot: "Sex, violence, fear: a chanteuse has forced an innocent youthshe's found watching her from the closet to strip and make love to herat knifepoint; but is someone now watching them?" Continuing hisanalysis, he illustrates how this scene fits into the director'svision for the film, and how it relates to his or her complete body ofwork. Insightful, incisive, and intelligent, Andrew makes clear tomovie fans what skilled directors must know in their very being--ifone picture paints a thousand words, a film is capable ofmillions. --Brangien Davis ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

interesting but brief
I was disappointed to find that the section on each director was only one page long! And most of that page is taken up by a movie still photograph, so there is really only one paragraph per director. Barely enough to introduce the director, let alone discuss their work. Andrew is quite opinionated, and he is not afraid to dismiss the work of some of the most popular and successful directors. Nevertheless, most of the time I found myself agreeing with his evaluations, in those cases when I was familar with the director's work. Valuable for a capsule intro to a variety of directors, but those wanting more serious and in-depth discussions should look elsewhere. Also, this was published in 1999, so all the important movies made since then are left out. For directors like Tarantino, David Lynch and the Coen brothers, this is a serious limitation.

A great exploration in unknown filmmakers
The Director's Vision has been a great introduction to many filmmakers that I was previously unaware of.The book does not give much context to each filmmaker except for a 1/2 page blurb of a key film in their career and a short "see also" feature.What it has done for me is given me the groundwork to explore many different cinematic directions that I was previously unaware of.I was quite able to put these films into context after viewing them.In other words, I would much rather see a film and then discuss it than read extensively about it, put it in context, and then see it.This book is not for the well-read cinephile.It is simply an introduction that lets the film speak for itself.

Brief but good, but we need a Volume 2...
Simply put, this is exactly what it says with one page sections for each entry as well as a still for each as well.Though the comments are great, the filmographies are a bit light. Some glaring omissions however, and I'm going to list a bunch for you so you're forewarned:

Ron Howard, Sam Raimi, Peter Jackson, Joel Schumacher, Robert Rodriguez, Wolfgang Peterson, Chang Cheh, Atom Egoyan, John McTiernan, Tsui Hark, Tony Scott, Michael Bay, Paul Verhoeven, Steven Soderbergh, Robert Wise, Darren Aronofsky, Hayao Miyazaki, Katsuhiro Otomo, Tom Tykwer, David Fincher, Don Bluth, Richard Donner, Blake Edwards, Rob Reiner, Ivan Reitman, Kevin Smith, Alex Proyas, Victor Fleming, the Farrellys, the Wachowskis, the Hughes, John Hughes, Chris Columbus, M. Night Shyamalan, Ken Burns, Paul Thomas Anderson, Wei Lo, the Zuckers, Chuck Jones, Frank Oz, Jim Henson, John G. Avildsen, Kenneth Branagh, Cameron Crowe, Brad Bird, Michael Moore, Neil Jordan, Don Coscarelli, Ralph Bakshi, Peter Jackson and director's making note since publication like Jonathan Mostow, Christopher Nolan, Guy Ritchie, Ang Lee and Bryan Singer and many more, making "Another 250" an easy task I'm sure.

Fine overview and introduction
Although I agree with some of the criticisms raised about this book (no mention of cinematographers; a few bad spoilers--don't read about Nicholas Roeg if you haven't seen Don't Look Now-- excluded directors (No Soderbergh? No Ang Lee??)), some other complaints are unwarranted (any decent film writer is going to be opinionated). It's also one book which manages to blend image and word extremely well; so many film books only contain words, and film is an incredibly visual medium.
The best thing about the volume is being introduced to new filmmakers one might not have heard of--Alexander Dovzhenko ("Earth"), Youssef Chahine, Len Lye, Hans-Jurgen Syberberg... which is not to say that the book is obscure--classic directors like Griffith, Welles, Godard and Truffaut.
It's also fun reading about one's favorite directors and seeing what Andrew has to say about them--Gilliam, Jarmusch, Jeunet & Caro, Antonioni, Kiarostami.
All in all, a fine addition to one's film library.

Original premise with excellent observations
This book would be ideal for a college film class, as it discusses the merits of many famous directors as well as some you may not have known were so significant. The brief, one-page descriptions get to the heart of each director's significance. One still from each director's work exemplifies the point the author is making.

These descriptions made me want to seek out films by the directors. I am very interested in researching some of the lesser known ones in the book, based on the author's observations. This book looks at film as an art form and gives a glimpse at each director's personal style and contribution to the art form.

However, if you are looking for an in-depth study or a pop-culture overview, the brevity may leave you wanting. What you won't get is a complete survey of their careers, or lots of sensational stories. Those are best left to tell-tale bios and tabloids. This book is strictly about the art and artists. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Shock and Aahh in Washington
I thoroughly enjoyed this very cynical and screwball film.The Coen Brothers are at their satiric best in nailing some of the archetypes of the nation's capital, assisted by a stellar cast.There are over the top performances by John Malkovich, Frances McDormand,George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Tilda Swinden who play respectively:an alcoholic, washed-out CIA analyst; a New Age-addicted health club employee, a minor league security official who can't keep his zipper up;an air-headed and larcenous personal trainer; and a glacially cold and calculating pediatrician.

A well-known Washington DC acupuncturist with a lot of A-list clients once said that the trouble with his patients was that they were too self-absorbed to be self-aware.Embedded in the hilarious "Burn After Reading" is pretty much the same message.

There is some violence in the flick and it is shocking (to me at least) when it comes, but it is in the film for good purpose and advances the plot effectively.

Residents of the nation's capital will enjoy some of the familiar scenery in this film, though it appears that at least some of it was shot outside of Washington.That enjoyment offers some consolation for the otherwise rough treatment that we locals come in for at the hands of the Coens.

This is a lot of fun. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Winnipeg Free Press, published by Thomson Gale on November 8, 2007. The length of the article is 723 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: DVD / video.(Video Reviews)
Author: Gale Reference Team
Publication: Winnipeg Free Press (Magazine/Journal)
Date: November 8, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Page: 66

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Product Description
This digital document is an article from Proceso, published by CISA Comunicacion e Informacion, S.A. de C.V. on March 30, 1997. The length of the article is 660 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Secuestro Voluntario.(TT: Fargo)
Author: Javier Betancourt
Publication: Proceso (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 30, 1997
Publisher: CISA Comunicacion e Informacion, S.A. de C.V.
Issue: n1065Page: p60(1)

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Product Description
This digital document is an article from American Decades: Primary Sources, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 496 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.American Decades Primary Sources provides fresh insight into the decade's most important events, people, and issues. Entries representing a diversity of views that provide insight into the seminal issues, themes, movements and events from the decade. Also included are concise contextual information, notes about the author and further resources. American Decades Primary Sources includes chapters on the arts, medicine and health, media, education, world events, religion, government and politics, lifestyles and social trends, law and justice, religion, business and the economy, and sports. Included to provide unique perspectives and a wealth of understanding are first hand accounts that include oral histories, songs, speeches, advertisements, TV, play and movie scripts, letters, laws, legal decisions, newspaper articles, cartoonsand recipes. ... Read more