Book Description The cinema has been the pre-eminent popular art form of the 20th century In Cinemas of the World, James Chapman examines the relationship between film and society in the modern world: film as entertainment medium, film as a reflection of national cultures and preoccupations, film as an instrument of propaganda He also explores одчнъ two interrelated issues that have recurred throughout the history of cinema: the economic and cultural hegemony of Hollywood on the one hand, and, on the other, the attempts of film-makers elsewhere to establish indigenous national cinemas drawing on their own cultures and societies Chapman examines the rise to dominance of Hollywood cinema in the silent and early sound periods He discusses the characteristic themes of American movies from the Depression to the end of the Cold War especially those found in the western and film noir – genres that are often used as vehicles for exploring issues central to us society and politics Helooks at national cinemas in various European countries in the period between the end of the First World War and the end of the Second, which all exhibit the formal and aesthetic properties of modernism The emergence of the so-called "new cinemas" of Europe and the wider world since 1960 are also explored "Chapman is a tough-thinking, original writer an engaging, excellent piece of work "--David Lancaster, Film and History.  Издание 20012004 г 256 стр ISBN 1861891628.