Movie Acting : The Film Reader

This text explores one of the most central but often overlooked aspects of cinema: film acting. Combining classic and recent essays, it examines key issues such as: what constitutes film acting?; how is film acting different from stage acting?; how has film acting changed over time?; what signifies realism in film acting?; how is acting different in different genres?; and what is the role of the character actor? In addition to theoretical essays, contributors provide detailed analyses of specific actors such as Lillian Gish, Marlon Brando and Sidney Poitier. Styles of acting discussed include silent film pantomime, 1930's comedic acting, "The Method" and acting in avant-garde films.Articles are grouped into thematic sections, each with an introduction by the editor. These include: ontology of the film actor - on the nature of film acting; the creation of the film actor - on the early history and construction of film acting as a profession and an aesthetic; style and technique - case studies of acting styles in specific films and genres; character and type - on types, typecasting and character actors Siegfried Kracauer, Stanley Cavell, John O'Thompson, Charles Musser, Roberta Pearson, Ben Brewster, Lea Jacobs, Cynthia Baron, James Naremore, Henry Jenkins, Virginia Wright Wexman, Andrew Higson and more.