The Way Hollywood Tells It

The Way Hollywood Tells It, by David Bordwell, analyses the continuation of the narrative and stylistic trends established by classical Hollywood. It rejects the notion of a post-classical cinema, arguing that the new distribution/marketing techniques of blockbuster films (Star Wars, Die Hard, etc.) do not affect the classical construction of the films themselves, that post-modern self-referentiality (in Toy Story, etc.) has precedents from the studio era, and that formal experiments (Memento, etc.) are accompanied by classical principles so as not to alienate the audience.

Bordwell, one of the most respected American film writers (his co-authored Film Art is perhaps the most popular film studies textbook), has written a sort-of sequel to The Classical Hollywood Cinema, his groundbreaking co-authored analysis of Hollywood modes of production from 1917-1960. One of his co-authors (Kristin Thompson) has already written her own sequel, Storytelling In The New Hollywood, taking a handful of films as case studies of the presence of classical traditions in contemporary cinema. Bordwell's new book is more ambitious in that it does not limit itself to case studies.

The case for a contemporary classical tradition is well made, and Bordwell's analysis is, naturally, outstanding, though this book lacks the depth of The Classical Hollywood Cinema. It ends with an extensive Hollywood timeline from 1960-2004, though the chronology includes only technical and corporate details instead of artistic milestones. Contemporary American Cinema, the only other book devoted to post-1960 American cinema, has more historical detail than Bordwell's, though its analysis is less impressive.