Storytelling in the New Hollywood
eBook - PDF

Storytelling in the New Hollywood

Understanding Classical Narrative Technique

  1. English
  2. PDF
  3. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF

Storytelling in the New Hollywood

Understanding Classical Narrative Technique

About this book

In a book as entertaining as it is enlightening, Kristin Thompson offers the first in-depth analysis of Hollywood's storytelling techniques and how they are used to make complex, easily comprehensible, entertaining films. She also takes on the myth that modern Hollywood films are based on a narrative system radically different from the one in use during the Golden Age of the studio system.

Drawing on a wide range of films from the 1920s to the 1990s--from Keaton's Our Hospitality to Casablanca to Terminator 2--Thompson explains such staples of narrative as the goal-oriented protagonist, the double plot-line, and dialogue hooks. She domonstrates that the "three-act structure," a concept widely used by practitioners and media commentators, fails to explain how Hollywood stories are put together.

Thompson then demonstrates in detail how classical narrative techniques work in ten box-office and critical successes made since the New Hollywood began in the 1970s: Tootsie, Back to the Future, The Silence of the Lambs, Groundhog Day, Desperately Seeking Susan, Amadeus, The Hunt for Red October, Parenthood, Alien, and Hannah and Her Sisters. In passing, she suggests reasons for the apparent slump in quality in Hollywood films of the 1990s. The results will be of interest to movie fans, scholars, and film practitioners alike.

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Yes, you can access Storytelling in the New Hollywood by Kristin Thompson in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Media & Performing Arts & Film & Video. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. Contents
  6. Preface
  7. Chapter 1. Modern Classicism
  8. Chapter 2. Tootsie
  9. Chapter 3. Back to the Future
  10. Chapter 4. The Silence of the Lambs
  11. Chapter 5. Groundhog Day
  12. Chapter 6. Desperately Seeking Susan
  13. Chapter 7. Amadeus
  14. Chapter 8. The Hunt for Red October
  15. Chapter 9. Parenthood
  16. Chapter 10. Alien
  17. Chapter 11. Hannah and Her Sisters
  18. Chapter 12. Hopes and Fears for Hollywood
  19. Appendix A. Large-Scale Portions of Classical Films
  20. Appendix B. Bombs, or What Makes Bad Films Bad?
  21. Notes
  22. Index