A chronicle of world cinema
Saturday, 10.04.2010, 09:49am (GMT+5.5)
COMING AT a time when Indian cinema and particularly Tamil cinema is witnessing some interesting changes, this book by Sivan chronicles the evolution of world cinema in a simple and lucid manner. He takes the reader on a journey through world cinema not by tracing the innovations and momentous developments but by relating stories about the people behind them.
Early on, the author transports the reader to the late 19 {+t} {+h} century France as he projects the scene, in the dark hall of hotel Grande Café with about 35 people, when the first ever motion picture, 'Workers Leaving The Lumière Factory', of the Lumière brothers, was screened.
Sivan looks at the history of cinema in three significant time-spans: 1885-1929 (silent films); 1930-1960 (talkies); and 1961-2008 (modern cinema). If the treatment is systematic, the narrative and the details provided testify to the amount of research and perseverance that has gone into the product.
In the latter part of the book, the author looks at some of the leading technicians and actors of the industry, and highlights their contribution.
A valuable guide to understanding the medium through a historical perspective, it is bound to keep the lay cinema buff as well as the connoisseur engaged.
Sivan; Bhagavathi Puthakaalayam, 19/20, Rani Anna Nagar, K.K. Nagar, Chennai-600078. Rs. 440.
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