Understanding Movies, 14th edition

This title is part of a new Pearson program pilot offering students the option to rent a print textbook for fall 2017.  By having affordable access to the best learning materials and experiences from day-one, students come to class prepared and ready to succeed.  Additional details on the rental program will be coming soon.

For courses in Introduction to Film
 
An engaging, accessible introduction to film
Understanding Movies provides valuable insight into the language of film and how meaning is conveyed to audiences. Author Louis Giannetti engages students in the fascinating language systems and techniques of film and helps further their appreciation and understanding of why and how movie watchers respond as they do to different films. Building upon the visually engaging and accessible presentation of previous editions, the Fourteenth Edition adds updated photos, new content on the latest cinematic trends, and coverage of recent films to provide students a new way of looking at films that are familiar to them.

Understanding Movies, Fourteenth Edition is also available via Revel™, an interactive learning environment that enables students to read, practice, and study in one continuous experience. Learn more.

• Author Louis Giannetti discusses film as an industry, including information on box office grosses, marketing strategies, etc.
• Coverage of technology, including digital innovations and special effects, helps students gain a basic understanding of the technical aspects of filmmaking, and how these have evolved over the history of the medium.
• NEW! Over one hundred new photos with accompanying captions provide students with a visual story of cinema along with the most updated information on new developments in film technology. Most of these new photos are full color and many are from recent films. These photos contribute to an engaging design that reflects the dynamism of the content and engages students.
• The final chapter, Synthesis: Citizen Kane, presents a recapitulation of the main ideas of the previous chapters, applied to a single movie. This helps students apply everything they’ve learned through analysis of a classic film. Citizen Kane is an ideal choice because it includes virtually every technique the medium is capable of, in addition to being one of the most critically admired films in history and a popular favorite among students.
• UPDATED! Each chapter has been updated with references to recent books and important movie websites, ensuring that students achieve an up-to-date understanding of the discipline.

• NEW! The Fourteenth Edition offers expanded coverage of classic works like On the Town, Once Upon a Time in the West, and Roman Holiday, as well as respected foreign movies like Anna Karenina, Taxi, and Ida.
• NEW! Expanded coverage of Hollywood’s golden age of big-studio movies — like East of Eden, The Awful Truth, and The Philadelphia Story — helps students better understand this key era.
• NEW! Additional discussion of famous actors who revolutionized the profession — like Lillian Gish, Greta Garbo, Sidney Poitier, and Marlon Brando — helps students understand the impact of these important participants in the history of film.

• NEW! In order to better reflect the inclusiveness of contemporary film, the Fourteenth Edition offers more coverage of films about people of color (Straight Outta Compton), about sexual minorities (Dallas Buyers Club, Milk, and Blue is the Warmest Color), and about the physically challenged (Theory of Everything).
• NEW! Discussion of contemporary stars — like Sean Penn, Jennifer Lawrence, and Melissa McCarthy — and their influence on the wider culture engages students and helps them view film through the lens of contemporary popular culture.
• NEW! In order to help students relate what they’re learning to the cinema of today, the Fourteenth Edition presents expanded coverage of big box-office hits like Skyfall, Captain America, Argo, Jurassic World, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Pirates of the Caribbean.
• NEW! With expanded discussion of film genres — including sci-fi (Interstellar), action films (Furious Seven), animation (Spirited Away), and romantic comedies (Silver Linings Playbook) — author Louis Giannetti is able to provide a more well-rounded overview of cinema.

• Over one hundred new photos with accompanying captions provide students with a visual story of cinema along with the most updated information on new developments in film technology. Most of these new photos are full color and many are from recent films. These photos contribute to an engaging design that reflects the dynamism of the content and engages students.
• UPDATED! Each chapter has been updated with references to recent books and important movie websites, ensuring that students achieve an up-to-date understanding of the discipline.

• The Fourteenth Edition offers expanded coverage of classic works like On the Town, Once Upon a Time in the West, and Roman Holiday, as well as respected foreign movies like Anna Karenina, Taxi, and Ida.
• Expanded coverage of Hollywood’s golden age of big-studio movies — like East of Eden, The Awful Truth, and The Philadelphia Story — helps students better understand this key era.
• Additional discussion of famous actors who revolutionized the profession — like Lillian Gish, Greta Garbo, Sidney Poitier, and Marlon Brando — helps students understand the impact of these important participants in the history of film.

• In order to better reflect the inclusiveness of contemporary film, the Fourteenth Edition offers more coverage of films about people of color (Straight Outta Compton), about sexual minorities (Dallas Buyers Club, Milk, and Blue is the Warmest Color), and about the physically challenged (Theory of Everything).
• Discussion of contemporary stars — like Sean Penn, Jennifer Lawrence, and Melissa McCarthy — and their influence on the wider culture engages students and helps them view film through the lens of contemporary popular culture.
• In order to help students relate what they’re learning to the cinema of today, the Fourteenth Edition presents expanded coverage of big box-office hits like Skyfall, Captain America, Argo, Jurassic World, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Pirates of the Caribbean.
• With expanded discussion of film genres — including sci-fi (Interstellar), action films (Furious Seven), animation (Spirited Away), and romantic comedies (Silver Linings Playbook) — author Louis Giannetti is able to provide a more well-rounded overview of cinema.