Aesthetics and the Cinematic Narrative: An Introduction

(Hardback)

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Description

A concise historical survey of Aesthetics as a philosophical discipline.

Since the inception of cinema in the late nineteenth century, filmmakers have employed a wide array of precursory aesthetic= strategies in the conception and creation of their disparate works. The existence of these traditional antecedents have afforded= filmmakers a diverse range of technical and artistic applications towards the construction of their respective cinematic narratives. Furthermore, the socio-political and cultural contexts in which films are conceived often inform the manner in which particular aesthetic sensibilities are selected and deployed. Aesthetics and the Cinematic Narrative provides a concise historical survey of Aesthetics as a practical philosophical discipline and applies several of its underlying principles to the examination of filmic storytelling.

Reviews

By linking the history of aesthetics from the classical period through the Romantics and into our own day, Michael Peter Bolus helps us understand contemporary cinema in its Gestalt context. Whether analyzing Run Lola Run or the films of Akira Kurosawa, Bolus provides a stimulating discussion on the nature of aesthetics and interpretation. His book is a fascinating study of the very essence of cinema and proves that beauty can still redeem us from being human, all too human.
Salvador Carrasco, DGA Director (The Other Conquest) and Head of Santa Monica College Film Production Program

Author Bio

Michael Peter Bolus is adjunct professor of film studies at Santa Monica College and Department Chair of the Liberal Arts Program at the Los Angeles Film School, USA.