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The Arts of Cinema

Exploring the unique aesthetic qualities of film

Martin Seel author Kizer S Walker translator

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Cornell University Press

Published:15th Jul '18

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The Arts of Cinema cover

This book provides a thoughtful examination of cinema's unique aesthetic qualities, exploring its connections to other art forms through various film examples, including The Arts of Cinema.

In The Arts of Cinema, Martin Seel delves into the intricate relationships between film and other artistic forms, examining what sets cinema apart in its unique aesthetic landscape. Through nine thoughtfully crafted chapters, Seel articulates the distinct qualities that define cinema, showcasing its potential to evoke emotions and provoke thought. By analyzing a diverse array of films, from the works of Antonioni and Hitchcock to classics like The Searchers and The Bourne Supremacy, he illustrates how these cinematic expressions achieve their artistic goals.

Seel's exploration reveals how cinema serves as a comprehensive aesthetic experience, inviting viewers to engage with its narratives and visual storytelling in profound ways. Each chapter not only highlights specific films but also contextualizes them within the broader spectrum of artistic endeavors, allowing readers to appreciate the nuances of film as a medium. His insights challenge conventional perceptions and encourage a deeper understanding of the emotional resonance that cinema can provide.

Ultimately, The Arts of Cinema offers a fresh perspective on the cinematic experience, emphasizing its ability to affect audiences on multiple levels. Seel’s analysis not only enriches our appreciation of individual films but also fosters a greater understanding of cinema as an art form that continually evolves and captivates the human experience.

In his tremendously stimulating aesthetics of cinema, Martin Seel writes that films absorb the presence of the spectator more than all other works of art.... One of the merits of his book is that it is informed by a wide spectrum of film history, from the Marx Brothers to Fassbinder.

* Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung *

In his stimulating volume, the philosopher Seel looks for the essence and especially the particularity of the cinema, tracing the roots of cinema in other arts. According to Seel, film takes up elements from all of these arts and realizes its unique potential. Films like Hitchcock's North by Northwest or Antonioni's Zabriskie Point explode the boundaries of space and draw all of the spectator’s senses into it.

* Deutschlandfunk [German Public Radio] *

An exciting work of ‘philosophy meets cinema’—intellectually sophisticated but written in a rich, playful style—this book is both impressive and delightful.

* academicworld.net *

Seel grounds his philosophical work in close textual analysis of a small selection of representative films, including Hollywood classics, such as The Searchers; art films, such as Caché; and more recent action films, such as The Bourne Supremacy. As a work of philosophy and film theory, the book is notable for its lively engagement with complex ideas and for its inviting prose. It will appeal primarily to those with a strong interest in film aesthetics.

* Choice *

Anyone who studies, watches, or appreciates films for their beauty and artistic value will enjoy Seel's musings in philosophy and art.

* Communication Booknotes Quarterly (CB

ISBN: 9781501709913

Dimensions: 229mm x 152mm x 21mm

Weight: 454g

180 pages